Wyatt, John Harker (Flying Officer)
Killed in Action 1944-06-13
Birth Date: 1916
Born:
Son of Herbert John and Mary Bella Wyatt, of Bristol
Home: Bristol, England
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RAFVR
Unit
408 (B) Sqn- Squadron
For Freedom
Base
Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire
Rank
Flying Officer
Position
Flying Officer
Service Numbers
151094
Bristol, England
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
International Bomber Command Centre
www.findagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Lancaster DS772
Lancaster Mk.II DS772
Bombing Cambrai France 1944-June-12 to 1944-June-13
408 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Linton-on-Ouse
408 Goose Squadron (For Freedom) RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Lancaster II aircraft DS 772 EQ-T was shot down by night fighter ace Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab IV/NJG 1, who had been scrambled from Chievres (Belgium) in a Bf 110 G-4. The Lancaster crashed five and one half miles east of Cambrai, at Avernes Les Aubert, France during night operations against rail facilities in Cambrai, France
Flight Lieutenant TO Pledger DFC (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant HC McIver (RCAF), Pilot Officer WH Goodwin, (RCAF) Sergeant DM Russell (RAF), Flying Officer JH Wyatt (RAFVR), Flying Officer AJJC Dulait (RAFVR) and Flying Officer CAG Hanchar (RAFVR) were all killed in action
There were three #408 Squadron Lancaster aircraft and crews lost on this operation, all shot down by Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer. Please see serial DS 688 EQ-R and DS 726 EQ-Y for additional information
Research of France-Crashes 39-45
Aces of the Luftwaffe - Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer
Lancaster II DS772 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Avro Lancaster
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
Lancaster Bomber
Wikipedia408 (B) Sqn For Freedom ("Goose")
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Hampden I, Halifax II & V, Lancaster II, Halifax III & VII, Lancaster X)
The squadron was the second Canadian bomber squadron to be formed in WWII. It was formed at Lindholme, Yorkshire, UK in June of 1941 as part of Bomber Command No 5 Group, flying Handley Page Hampden Mk I bombers from Syerston, Nottinghamshire, Balderton, Newark and North Luffenham, Rutland. Its squadron code letters were EQ. In September 1942 the squadron was moved to No 4 Group, re-equipping with Halifax Mk II aircraft and flying from Leeming, Yorkshire. On January 1, 1943, by this time equipped with Lancaster Mk II bombers, the squadron joined No. 6 Group (RCAF) and flew from Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire from August 27 1943 to the end of WWII. In September 1944 it converted to Halifax Mk III and VII aircraft and flew these for the remainder of hostilities. It was slated to be part of the "Tiger Force" to attack Japan and had re-equipped with Lancaster Mk X aircraft, but the Japanese surrender ended all plans for the Tiger Force and the squadron was disbanded in September 1945 at Greenwood, Nova Scotia .
Altogether, the squadron logged 4610 operational sorties with 25,500 operational hours, in the course of which 11,430 tons of bombs were dropped. 146 aircraft were lost in the course of these operations. Awards included 161 DFC's and 6 bars to DFC, 32 DFM's, 1 MBE and 10 MiD's. Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1941-43, Baltic 1941-43, Fortress Europe 1941-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1941-44, Ruhr 1941-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1941-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1942-43. Wikipedia, Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin
Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)
Maps for Movements of 408 Squadron 1941-45
 MAP 1: 408 Squadron Movements 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab) |  MAP 2: 6 Group Bomber Bases in Durham and Yorkshire 1943-45 |
408 Squadron History Summary
408 Squadron History Summary Page 2
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Lancaster X, Canso A, Norseman VI, Otter, Dakota III & IV, Boxcar, Silver Star, Hercules, Griffon, Chinook)
On 10 January 1949, the squadron was reformed as 408 (Photographic) Squadron at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario . Equipped with eight Lancaster Mark X photographic aircraft equipped with SHORAN, a short-range navigational device. It was tasked with the mapping of Canada, specifically the far North. It also flew Canso, Norseman, Otter and Dakota aircraft on this mission, for photography and to maintain the SHORAN stations. Once the task was complete, the squadron was re-designated 408 (Reconnaissance) Squadron and flew Lancasters on Arctic surveillance patrols. In 1964, equipped with the Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, it was again re-designated 408 (Transport Support and Aerial Reconnaissance) Squadron and moved to Rivers, Manitoba. In 1964, the squadron formed a flight of Canadair CT-133 Silver Star aircraft. In 1965, the Boxcars were replaced by CC-130 Hercules aircraft.
On January 1, 1971, 408 Squadron was once again re-activated at Namao in Edmonton, Alberta , as a tactical helicopter squadron (THS) and equipped with CH-135 Twin Huey and CH-136 Kiowa helicopters. Its primary tasking is to provide tactical aviation to the army. The mission includes air mobile assault, air ambulance, air observation, reconnaissance insertions, troop movement, airborne command and control platform and dropping paratroopers. In September 1996, the squadron was re-equipped with CH-146 Griffon helicopters. Personnel from 408 Squadron deployed to Afghanistan nearly continually from 2006 until 2011. Initially forming a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) detachment using the CU-161 Sperwer. From 2008, 408 members were deployed to Kandahar airfield operating the CH-146 Griffon and CH-147D helicopters as part of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing. The primary role of the JTF-A Air Wing was to provide transportation, reconnaissance, armed escort, and fire support to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In July of 2018, 408 THS deployed to Mali as part of Task Force Mali on Operation Presence. In Mali, 408 THS operated the CH-146 Griffon in the armed escort role, providing support to MEDEVAC and utility missions. 408 THS completed its tour in Mali in January of 2019, having participated in 7 medical evacuation missions. It is now co-located with 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at the 3rd Canadian Division Support Base, Edmonton, Alberta.
link,general,https://www.forfreedom.ca,408 “Goose†Squadron Association
Lancaster DS772 Mk.II - Bombing Cambrai France - 1944-06-12 to 1944-06-13
COMMUNCATIONS
671 aircraft - 348 Halifaxes, 285 Lancasters, 38 Mosquitoes - of 4, 5, 6 and 8 Groups to attack communications, mostly railways, at Amiens/St-Roch, Amiens/Longueau, Arras, Caen, Cambrai and Poitiers. (It is interesting to note that, with the exception of Caen, all of these targets were the sites of well-known battles of earlier wars and Caen was soon to be the scene of fierce fighting.)
Bomber Command's records state that the Poitiers attack, by 5 Group, was the most accurate of the night and that the 2 raids at Amiens and the raid at Arras were of reasonable accuracy. The target at Cambrai was hit but many bombs also fell in the town. The most scattered attack (also by 5 Group) was at Caen.
23 aircraft - 17 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters - were lost from these raids; all of these losses were from 4 and 6 Groups. A Canadian airman, Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski from Winnipeg, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery on the Cambrai raid, His Lancaster, of 419 Squadron, was attacked by a night fighter and set on fire and the crew were ordered to abandon the aircraft. Mynarski was about to jump when he saw that the tail gunner was trapped in his turret and he went through fierce flames to help. The rear turret was so badly jammed that it could not be freed and the trapped gunner eventually waved Mynarski away. By the time he left the aircraft, Mynarski's clothing and parachute were on fire and he died while being eared for by French civilians soon after he landed. The tail gunner was fortunate to survive the crash and his report on Mynarski's courage led to the award of the Victoria Cross. Pilot Officer Mynarski is buried in the small village cemetery at Meharicourt, east of Amiens.
GELSENKIRCHEN
303 aircraft - 286 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups - carried out the first raid of the new oil campaign; the target was the Nordstem synthetic-oil plant (the Germans called the plant Gelsenberg A.G.), 17 Lancasters were lost, 6.1 per cent of the Lancaster force.
The attack opened with exceptional accuracy owing to good work by the Path- finders and to improved versions of Oboe sets now available. Later phases of the bombing were spoiledby the clouds of smoke from the burning target and by a rogue target indicator which fell to miles short of the target and was bombed by 35 aircraft. A German industrial report* shows that all production at the oil plant ceased, with a loss of i,000 tons of aviation fuel a day for several weeks, as well as the loss of other fuels. Gelsenkirchen's civil records also pay tribute to the accuracy of the attack; 1,500 bombs fell inside the oil-plant area. The civil records also describe the extensive damage in the nearby working-class district of Horst. A total of 270 people were killed, including 24 workers in the oil plant at the time of the attack, 23 foreign workers who were killed when their wooden barracks near by were hit, and 6 school- boy 'Fiakhilfersi'.
Minor Operations: 27 Mosquitoes to Cologne, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 39 Serrate and 13 Intruder patrols 9 Halifaxes and 5 Stirlings minelaying off Brest and St-Nazaire, 13 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,083 sorties, 40 aircraft (3.7 per cent) lost. The Bomber Command War Diaries, Middlebrook and Everitt
6 Bomber Group June 12/13, 1944
32 Lancaster from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 60 Halifaxes from 420, 425, 426, and 432 Squadrons on an attack of the rail yards at Cambrai. The crews were over the target at between 4,000 and 6,000feet, releasing 745,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, this attack was accurate with serious damage being done.
While some of the group went to Cambrai, 89 Halifaxes from 424, 427,429, 431, 433 and 434 Squadrons were ordered to attack the rail yards at Arras. The crews were over the target at between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, releasing 705,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, serious damage was caused.
4 Halifaxes from 428 squadron were ordered on a mining operation to Lorient and Saint-Nazaire. The crews were over the garden at 12,000 feet, sowing 8@1500 and 8@1850 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
408 Goose Squadron (For Freedom) RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Lancaster II aircraft DS 772 EQ-T was shot down by night fighter ace Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab IV/NJG 1, who had been scrambled from Chievres (Belgium) in a Bf 110 G-4. The Lancaster crashed five and one half miles east of Cambrai, at Avernes Les Aubert, France during night operations against rail facilities in Cambrai, France
Flight Lieutenant TO Pledger DFC (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant HC McIver (RCAF), Pilot Officer WH Goodwin, (RCAF) Sergeant DM Russell (RAF), Flying Officer JH Wyatt (RAFVR), Flying Officer AJJC Dulait (RAFVR) and Flying Officer CAG Hanchar (RAFVR) were all killed in action
There were three #408 Squadron Lancaster aircraft and crews lost on this operation, all shot down by Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer. Please see serial DS 688 EQ-R and DS 726 EQ-Y for additional information
Research of France-Crashes 39-45
Aces of the Luftwaffe - Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer
Lancaster II DS772 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...