Sharpe, G W ()
Rescued 1943-July-26
Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAF
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
Skipton-on-Swale
Rank
Position
Service Numbers
Target
Essen Germany
Crew or Other Personnel
Wellington HE514
Mission
Wellington B. Mk. X HE514
Bombing Essen Germany 1943-July-25 to 1943-July-26
432 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Battle of Hamburg
705 aircraft - 294 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes, 104 Stirlings, 67 Wellingtons, 19 Mosquitoes. 26 aircraft - I0 Halifaxes, 7 Stirlings, 5 Lancasters, 4 Wellingtons - lost, 3.7 per cent of the force. The commander of the American VIII Bomber Command, Brigadier-General Fred Anderson, observed this raid as a passenger in an 83 Squadron Lancaster.
This was an attempt to achieve a good raid on this major target while the effects of Window were still fresh. The raid was successful, with particular damage being recorded In Essen's industrial areas in the eastern half of the city. The Krupps works suffered what was probably it's most damaging raid of the war. The next morning, Doktor Gustav Krupp had a stroke from which he never recovered; this saved him from being charged with war crimes after the war. 51 other industrial buildings were destroyed and 83 seriously damaged. 2,852 houses were destroyed, 500 people were killed, 12 were missing and 1,208 were injured. The 500 dead are recorded as follows: 165 civilian men, II8 women, 22 children, 22 servicemen, 131 foreign workers and 42 prisoners of war.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Wellington BX aircraft HE 514 QO-K, flak damaged, was ditched into the English Channel off Cromer, Norfolk, England returning from a raid to Essen, Germany
Squadron Leader CB Sinton (RCAF)(UK), Sergeant GW Sharpe (RAF), Pilot Officer SA Sinclair (RAF), Sergeant RE Pearce (RAF) and Pilot Officer KR Patterson (RAF) all survived the ditching at sea and were rescued
Unit Desciption
432 (B) Sqn Saeviter Ad Lucem ("Leaside")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington X, Lancaster II, Halifax III, VII)
The Squadron was the twelfth RCAF bomber squadron to be formed overseas in WWII. It was formed on May 1, 1943 at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, UK as a unit of No 6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command: indeed, it was the first bomber squadron to be formed directly into No 6 Group. Using the squadron identification letters QO it flew Vickers Wellington Mk X medium bombers until it moved to East Moor, Yorkshire on 19th September 1943, when it re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk II aircraft. East Moor was part of No 62 (RCAF) Base. The squadron re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk III aircraft in February 1944, and with Halifax Mk VII in July of that year, and continued with them until the squadron was disbanded at East Moor on May 15, 1945.
In the course of operations the squadron flew 246 missions, involving 3130 individual sorties, for the loss of 73 aircraft. 8980 tons of bombs were dropped. Awards to squadron members included 2 DSOs, 119 DFCs,1 Bar to DFC, 1 CGM, 20 DFMs and 1 Croix de Guerre (France). Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
Maps for Movements of 432 Squadron 1943-45
MAP 1: 432 Squadron Bases 1943-45 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab
432 Squadron History Summary 1943-45
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Canuck)
The squadron was re-formed at Bagotville, Quebec as an All-Weather Fighter unit on 1 October 1954. The squadron flew Avro CF-100 Canuck aircraft on North American Air Defence until it was disbanded on 15 October 1961.
Wellington HE514 B. Mk. X - Bombing Essen Germany - 1943-07-25 to 1943-07-26
Squadron: 432 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1943-07-25
Completion Date: 1943-07-26
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Hamburg
Target City: Essen Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Take Off Time: 22.59
Squadron Code: QO K
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Cromer Norfolk.
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group July 25/26 1943
47 Halifaxes from 408, 419, 427, and 428 Squadrons were joined by 17 Wellingtons from 429 and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Essen. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 202,000 lbs of incendiaries and 84,000 lbs of high explosives. According reports, bombing was concentrated and severe damage was caused to the Krupp complex. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
705 aircraft - 294 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes, 104 Stirlings, 67 Wellingtons, 19 Mosquitoes. 26 aircraft - I0 Halifaxes, 7 Stirlings, 5 Lancasters, 4 Wellingtons - lost, 3.7 per cent of the force. The commander of the American VIII Bomber Command, Brigadier-General Fred Anderson, observed this raid as a passenger in an 83 Squadron Lancaster.
This was an attempt to achieve a good raid on this major target while the effects of Window were still fresh. The raid was successful, with particular damage being recorded In Essen's industrial areas in the eastern half of the city. The Krupps works suffered what was probably it's most damaging raid of the war. The next morning, Doktor Gustav Krupp had a stroke from which he never recovered; this saved him from being charged with war crimes after the war. 51 other industrial buildings were destroyed and 83 seriously damaged. 2,852 houses were destroyed, 500 people were killed, 12 were missing and 1,208 were injured. The 500 dead are recorded as follows: 165 civilian men, II8 women, 22 children, 22 servicemen, 131 foreign workers and 42 prisoners of war.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Wellington BX aircraft HE 514 QO-K, flak damaged, was ditched into the English Channel off Cromer, Norfolk, England returning from a raid to Essen, Germany
Squadron Leader CB Sinton (RCAF)(UK), Sergeant GW Sharpe (RAF), Pilot Officer SA Sinclair (RAF), Sergeant RE Pearce (RAF) and Pilot Officer KR Patterson (RAF) all survived the ditching at sea and were rescued
Daily Operations 6bombergroup.ca