Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock page 276
Dalton, John (Sergeant)
Prisoner of War 1945-January-05
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
RAF East Moor
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Flight Engineer
Service Numbers
1869010
Target
Hannover Germany
Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax NP759
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP759
Bombing Hanover Germany 1945-January-05 to 1945-January-05
432 (B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
664 aircraft - 340 Halifaxes, 3IO Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes - of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 23 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters lost, 4·7 per cent of the force.
This was the first large raid on Hannover since October 1943. Bombs fell all over the city and the local report, based on messages from 16 of the 18 police districts, shows that 493 buildings, containing 3,605 flats/apartments, were destroyed and that approximately 250 people were killed. No further details are available
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft NP 759 QO-C, named "Canada Kid" failed to return from an operation against targets in Hannover, Germany. The bomber was most likely lost to flak and exploded in mid-air, killing two crew members. The bomber crashed at Lichtenhorst-Steimbke, near Hoya, Germany
Flight Lieutenant JE Sales (RCAF) and Pilot Officer CH McLinnes (RCAF) were killed in action
Flying Officer JL Marcille (RCAF), Pilot Officer SJ Aikens (RCAF), Pilot Officer JF Charles (RCAF), Pilot Officer RJP Young (RCAF) and Sergeant J Dalton (RAF) survived to be taken as Prisoners of War
There were two 432 Squadron Halifax VII aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial NP 817 QO-D for further information on this aircraft and crewsource: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
RAF & RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II by Clarence Simonsen, pages 75, 79 Metal Canvas, Canadians and World War II Aircraft Nose Art by Stephen M Fochuk, page 142,
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
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.
Halifax NP759 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Hanover Germany - 1945-01-05 to 1945-01-05
Squadron: 432 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1945-01-05
Completion Date: 1945-01-05
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Hanover Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 16:48:00
Squadron Code: QO-C
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: Lichtenhorst-Steimbke, near Hoya
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flak
Flak Battery: unspecified
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
664 aircraft - 340 Halifaxes, 3IO Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes - of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 23 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters lost, 4·7 per cent of the force.
This was the first large raid on Hannover since October 1943. Bombs fell all over the city and the local report, based on messages from 16 of the 18 police districts, shows that 493 buildings, containing 3,605 flats/apartments, were destroyed and that approximately 250 people were killed. No further details are available
432 Leaside Squadron (Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BVII aircraft NP 759 QO-C, named "Canada Kid" failed to return from an operation against targets in Hannover, Germany. The bomber was most likely lost to flak and exploded in mid-air, killing two crew members. The bomber crashed at Lichtenhorst-Steimbke, near Hoya, Germany
Flight Lieutenant JE Sales (RCAF) and Pilot Officer CH McLinnes (RCAF) were killed in action
Flying Officer JL Marcille (RCAF), Pilot Officer SJ Aikens (RCAF), Pilot Officer JF Charles (RCAF), Pilot Officer RJP Young (RCAF) and Sergeant J Dalton (RAF) survived to be taken as Prisoners of War
There were two 432 Squadron Halifax VII aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serial NP 817 QO-D for further information on this aircraft and crewsource: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
RAF & RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II by Clarence Simonsen, pages 75, 79 Metal Canvas, Canadians and World War II Aircraft Nose Art by Stephen M Fochuk, page 142, [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Canada Kid - Bomber Command Museum of Canada