Cenotaph at Old Trinity Anglican Church Cemetery, Middleton, Annapolis, Nova Scotia, Canada
FAG lists DOD as 1944-01-28
Richards, Ernest Charles (Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1944-January-29
Birth Date: 1920
Born: Willesden, London Borough of Brent, Greater London, England
Parents: Son of Charles Frederick Richards and Rosina (nee Gunner) Richards, of Willesden, Middlesex
Spouse:
Home: Willesden, Middlesex, England
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAFVR
Unit
429 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Fortunae Nihil Nothing to chance
Base
RAF Leeming
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Flight Engineer
Service Numbers
1338542
Target
Berlin Germany
Temporary Burial
Civil Cemetery at Guelitz, Germany, near crash site
Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
www.findagrave.comCrew or Other Personnel
Halifax LK697
Mission
Halifax B/Met.Mk.V LK697
Bombing Berlin Germany 1944-January-28 to 1944-January-29
429 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming
Battle of Berlin
429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax BV aircraft LK 697 AL-D was lost during night operations against industrial targets in Berlin, Germany. The cause of loss was not determined but the Halifax is believed to have crashed near Guelitz, Germany
Flying Officer T Siltala (RCAF), Flying Officer W A Cook (RCAF), Flying Officer A C McKenzie (RCAF), Flying Officer K B Malcolm (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class II E A Cornfield (RCAF), Sergeant H Howson (RAFVR) and Sergeant E C Richards (RAFVR) were all killed in action
There were two 429 Squadron Halifax V aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial LK 746 for casualty list and additional flight detail
Unit Desciption
429 (B) Sqn Fortunae Nihil ("Bison")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington III, X, Halifax II, V, III, Lancaster I, III)
No 429 Squadron was the 10th bomber unit and 27th squadron formed by the RCAF overseas in WWII. It was formed in November 1942 at East Moor, Yorkshire, UK as part of No 4 Group of RAF Bomber Command. On April 1, 1943 it became part of No 6 (RCAF) Group at No 62 (RCAF) Base, still remaining at East Moor until August 1943, when it moved to Leeming, Yorkshire as part of no 63 (RCAF) Base: it remained at Leeming until its disbandment in May 1946. It undertook strategic and tactical bombing operations. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, it remained in England and transferred to No 1 Group, where it was engaged in transporting troops from Italy (Operation DODGE).
The squadron, with squadron code AL, flew Vickers Wellington Mks III and X until August 1943, when it re-equipped with Handley-Page Halifax Mk II, which it flew between August 1943 and January 1944, and Mk V between November 1943 and March 1944. These were superseded by Halifax Mk III aircraft in March 1944. In March 1945, the squadron re-equipped with Lancaster Mk I and III. In summary of its activities, it flew 3221 sorties, including airlifting 1055 PoWs back to England, for the loss of 71 aircraft. 9356 tons of bombs were dropped. The squadron was awarded45 DFCs and 2 Bars to DFC, 1 AFC, 1 CGM and 7 DFMs. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943-45, Baltic 1943-45, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1943-44, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943-44. Wikipedia,Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
Maps for Movements of 429 Squadron 1942-46
MAP 1: 429 Squadron Bases 1942-46 (marked in green). Right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab
429 Squadron History Summary 1942-46
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Buffalo, Hercules, Globemaster)
The squadron was reactivated at St. Hubert, Quebec on 21 August 1967 as a Tactical Transport Unit. It flew de Havilland CC-15 Buffalo aircraft for the Canadian Forces Mobile Command and was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces on 1 February 1968. In August 1981 it was renamed 429 Transport Squadron and moved to CFB Winnipeg . The final move was in 1990 to 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario . The squadron was disbanded in 2005.
Two years later in August 2007, 429 Squadron was again re-activated, this time operating the CC-177 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft. It used these new aircraft in support of Canada's operations in Afghanistan.
Halifax LK697 B/Met.Mk.V - Bombing Berlin Germany - 1944-01-28 to 1944-01-29
Squadron: 429 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-01-28
Completion Date: 1944-01-29
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Berlin
Target City: Berlin Germany
Target Specific: industrial targets
Base: RAF Leeming
Take Off Time: 00:05:00
Squadron Code: AL-D
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: near Guelitz
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group January 28/29, 1944
33 Lancasters from 408, 426 and 432 squadrons were joined by 90 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, and 434 squadrons on an attack at Berlin. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 23,500 feet, releasing 280,000 lbs of high explosives and 359,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing caused serious damage as there was broken cloud and the target could be seen. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
429 Bison Squadron (Fortunae Nihil) RAF Leeming. Halifax BV aircraft LK 697 AL-D was lost during night operations against industrial targets in Berlin, Germany. The cause of loss was not determined but the Halifax is believed to have crashed near Guelitz, Germany
Flying Officer T Siltala (RCAF), Flying Officer W A Cook (RCAF), Flying Officer A C McKenzie (RCAF), Flying Officer K B Malcolm (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class II E A Cornfield (RCAF), Sergeant H Howson (RAFVR) and Sergeant E C Richards (RAFVR) were all killed in action
There were two 429 Squadron Halifax V aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial LK 746 for casualty list and additional flight detail