Walter, Bruce "Bud" Hesketh (Flying Officer)

Evader 1944-August-17

Flying Officer Bruce "Bud" Hesketh Walter RCAF

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

405 (PFF) Sqn- Squadron
Ducimus We Lead

Base

RAF Gransden Lodge

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

J/85018

Target
Google MapStettin Germany

Walter landed about 159 metres from “Nordgården” farm and hid his Mae Weat and chute under stocks

He walked a few hundred metres away from the farm and rested for ½ an hour. After rest he headed north to the village of Ordrup. Outside the village he dug into a haystack and lay there resting.

At eight a`clock in the morning he approached the nearby farmhouse. He received a warm welcome by the owners Leo and Ester Larson. Ester made him a fine breakfast while Carl called a friend and asked him to come over right away. After breakfast Ester attended to Walter`s leg which was hurting and then put him to bed. After about two hours Ester came to the room yelling Nazis, Nazis !!. Walter got out of bed and followed Leo out back and was told to hide in 200 litres drum lying in the long grass. After a while a group of German soldiers arrived and searched the house and buildings without finding Walter. When the Germans had left Leo motioned Walter to come to the house again. The same thing happened several times during the day and when Leo left to meet Carl, Walter chose to stay in the barrel until he came back. Carl spoke English and told Walter that they would go by bicycle to Ringsted and then by train to København. In København he was taken to a apartment belonging to Anker Jacobsen where he was given clothes which fitted perfectly. Here he met the well known resistance fighters Jørgen Haagen Schmidt known as “Citronen” and Bent Faurschou Hviid known as “Flammen”.

>P>In the afternoon he was moved to a flat belonging to Mrs. Annie Jacobsen in Kanslergade 16 where he would stay until 20/8. On the afternoon of 18/8 Walter was taken for a drive around town in “Citronen`s” stolen Opel Kapitän.

On 20/8 Walter was moved to another flat by “Flammen” and “Citronen” who during the next couple of days took him around town. On the afternoon Walter was moved to the Bomhoff mansion. On 25/8 Budd was brought to the house and after 45 minutes they were taken to the harbour and put on a coal ship.

After landing Budd hid his chute, harness and Mae West and stayed in a small wood until daylight when he walked to Tølløse and Roskilde where he contacted a farmer in the eastern outskirts. The farmer brought in Danish officials who took Budd to Roskilde where he received medical attention. He stayed in a safe house until 21/8 when he was taken by car to København where he stayed until 25/8 and meet Walter.

On 25/8 they were escorted to the docks and put in a coal boat that should take them to Sweden. Apparently there was something wrong with the boat and they stayed there for another day until they were transferred to another boat where they met with W/O Rafter

They arrived in Malmø on 27/8 and contacted the British Consul the day after. On 29/8 they were sent to Stockholm where Wiens arrived a couple of days later. Apparently he had walked to Helsingør where the group “Speditørerne” had taken care of him and sent him to Sweden via København.

On 3/9 Walter and Rafter flew to Leuchars in Moscquto G-AGKO operated by B.O.A.C.

On 8/9 Budd and Wiens were sent back to England.(Source AIRWAR OVER DENMARK)

Royal Canadian Air Force M.I.9. Secret Document

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster PA988

Sergeant A C D Budd RCAF

Sergeant Budd, A C D (RCAF)

Evader
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer Albert Bruce Durfee RCAF

Flying Officer Durfee, Albert Bruce (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Philip Arthur Musgrave RCAF

Pilot Officer Musgrave, Philip Arthur (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-August-17
Svinø Kirke Denmark

Warrant Officer 1st Class R H Rafter RCAF

Warrant Officer 1st Class Rafter, R H (RCAF)

Evader
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer James Leo Umscheid RCAF

Flying Officer Umscheid, James Leo (RCAF)
Flight Engineer
Prisoner of War
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer Bruce "Bud" Hesketh Walter RCAF

Flying Officer Walter, Bruce "Bud" Hesketh (RCAF)
Pilot
Evader
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer R C Wiens RCAF

Flying Officer Wiens, R C (RCAF)
Navigator
Evader
1944-August-17
cemetery unknown

Mission

Lancaster Mk.I/III PA988

Bombing Stettin Germany 1944-August-16 to 1944-August-17

405 (PFF) Sqn (RCAF) Gransden Lodge

461 Lancasters to attack the port and industrial areas. 5 Lancasters lost.

Bomber Command claimed an accurate attack, with much damage in the port and factory area. A German report states that I ,508 houses and 29 industrial premises were destroyed and 1,000 houses and 26 industrial premises badly damaged. 5 ships in the harbour (totalling 5,000 tons) were sunk and 8 ships (15,000 tons) were seriously damaged. I, I 50 people were killed and I ,654 were injured; 33 of the dead and 72 of the injured were German soldiers.source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

405 City of Vancouver Squadron (Ducimus), Pathfinder Force. Lancaster III aircraft PA 988 was shot down by an enemy night-fighter aircraft near Allindemagle on the island of Sj?lland during night operations to Stetin, Germany. Pilot Officer Musgrave bailed out and was killed when his parachute failed to open. Of the other six Canadians, Pilot Officer Bruce H. Walter, Flying Officer(s) R.C. Wiens, A.B. Durfee, W/O R.H. Rafter, Flight Sergeant A.C. Budd, and Sergeant J.L. Umscheid all but Durfee and Umscheid got to Sweden and back safely to the United Kingdom. Flying Officer Durfee and Sergeant Urnscheid were taken Prisoner of War.

Lancaster serial: PA988

Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.

The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia

YouTube Lancaster Bomber

Wikipedia Wikipedia

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Unit Desciption

405 (PFF) Sqn Ducimus ("Vancouver")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington II, Halifax II, Lancaster I, III & X)

This was the first RCAF bomber squadron to be activated at Driffield, Yorkshire, England and flew its first mission on 12/13 June 1941. At that time it was a member of 4 Group of Bomber Command, and flew successively from Driffield, Pocklington and Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England. With Code Letters LQ It flew Wellington Mk II aircraft until converting to Halifax II in April 1942, in time for the first 1000-bomber raid on Cologne. In October 1942 it was transferred to Coastal Command No 18 Group, flying over the Bay of Biscay from Beaulieu, Hampshire. Returning to Bomber Command, the squadron joined No 6 (RCAF) Group and flew from Topcliffe and Leeming, Yorkshire in March and April 1943. It was then seconded to No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group and for the rest of the war flew from Grandsen Lodge, Bedfordshire, UK . Its first Pathfinder mission was on 26th April 1943, and its last on 25th April 1945. It was slated to become part of the "Tiger Force" to attack Japan, but the surrender of Japan precluded that, and the Squadron was disbanded at Greenwood, Nova Scotia on September 5th, 1945. One of the aircraft that flew briefly with the squadron was the first Canadian-built Lancaster Mk. X, KB700, christened the "Ruhr Express", which was subsequently transferred to 419 Sqn RCAF in December 1943. Overall, the squadron flew 4427 sorties, of which 349 were with Coastal Command and 41 were in Operation Exodus, the repatriation of POWs. Nearly 25000 operational hours were logged together with 12,000 non-operational, and 12,856 tons of bombs were dropped. In the course of operations, 167 aircraft were lost with 937 aircrew. In the course of its history, squadron members were awarded 9 DSO's, 161 DFC's and 24 Bars to DFC's, 38 DFM's, 2 CGM's 2 BEM's and 11 MiD's. Battle Honours were: Fortress Europe 1941-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1941-45, Ruhr 1941-45, Berlin 1941; 1943-44, German Ports 1941-45, Normandy 1944, Walcheren, Rhine; Biscay 1942-43.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 405 Squadron 1941-45

MAP 1: 405 Squadron Movements in Yorkshire 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)
MAP 2: 405 Squadron Movements in England 1941-45

405 Sqn History Summary 1941-45

405 Sqn History Summary 1941-45 Page 2

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Lancaster X, Neptune, Argus I & II, Aurora)

The squadron was re-formed as No 405 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron at Greenwood, Nova Scotia on 31 March 1950, and redesignated No 405 (Maritime Patrol) Sqn on 17 July 1956. The squadron was the first of four formed in Maritime Air Command. It flew modified Lancaster Mk. X aircraft until mid-1955, when they were replaced by P2V7 Lockheed Neptunes, which gave an enhanced anti-submarine capability. and the first to fly Lancaster, Neptune and Argus aircraft on East Coast maritime duty. In April 1958 the squadron was given the distinction of being the first to fly the Canadian-built CP-107 Argus. The squadron made its last flight in the Argus on 10 November 1980 before introducing the CP-140 Aurora. On 1 February 1968 the squadron was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces. It is now designated No 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron, flying from Greenwood, NS.

The squadron’s primary combat functions are Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface (ASUW). The Squadron regularly trains for its roles by participating in a number of naval exercises at home and abroad. However, most of its time is taken up in a number of non-combat roles, including search and rescue and support to other government departments, including counter-drug operations with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and fisheries patrols with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Year-round, the Squadron carries out sovereignty patrols covering the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and maritime areas of interest . During these patrols, 405 LRPS crews maintain a constant vigil for ships that discharge pollutants illegal at sea. Similarly, its crews verify that foreign and Canadian fishing vessels abide by their Canadian licensing agreements and report suspected violators to DFO patrol boats.

405 LRPS regularly deploys to a number of allied bases for an assortment of exercises and missions. Among its international training sites are US NAS Keflavik (Iceland), US NAS Sigonella (Sicily, Italy), US NAS Oceana (Virginia, USA), US NAS Jacksonville (Florida, USA), US NAS Roosevelt Roads (Puerto Rico), UK RAF Kinloss (Moray, Scotland),UK RAF Station St. Mawgan (Cornwall, England) and NL NAS Valkenburg (Netherlands).

unvetted Source Government of Canada RCAF Website