Vaughan, Cyril David (Sergeant)
Prisoner of War 1944-November-06
Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAFVR
Unit
432 (B) Sqn- Squadron
Saeviter Ad Lucem Ferociously toward the light
Base
East Moor
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Flight Engineer
Service Numbers
1832685
Target
Gelsenkirchen Germany
Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax NP815
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.VII NP815
Bombing Gelsenkirchen Germany 1944-November-06 to 1944-November-06
(B) Sqn (RCAF) East Moor
738 aircraft - 383 Halifaxes, 324 Lancasters, 31 Mosquitoes. 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes lost. This large daylight raid had, as its aiming point, the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant. The attack was not well concentrated but 514 aircraft were able to bomb the approximate position of the oil plant before smoke obscured the ground; 187 aircraft then bombed the general town area of Gelsonkirchcn.
The Gelsenkirchcn war diarist, who often recorded interesting titbits, tells of' how this Protestant town had celebrated the Reformation Feast the previous day, Sunday. The celebration had been held back from its proper date, 31 October, so as not to interfere with industrial production. The diarist wrote: 'For many pious people; this was their last church service. Catastrophe broke over Gelsenkirchen the following day.' The diary then proceeds to give several pages describing the severe damage throughout the town. The number of people killed was 518. The diarist the comments, perhaps with some pride, that Gelsenkirchen was mentioned by name in the OKW (German High Command) communique for the first time in the war.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 815Took off from East Moor at 12:16 in Halifax Mk Vii NP815 QO-A was shot down in the Baltic sea during night operations, a raid against Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Pilot: J/16229 Fg Off Frederick Hawkins Eilertson RCAF - PoW/Dulag Luft Frankfurt/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8809.
Flight Engineer: 1832685 Sergeant Cyril David Vaughan - PoW/Hospitals - Stalag IV Dusseldorf, Stalag IX Obermabfeld, Stalag IXC Meiningen/Dulag Luft Oberhausen/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/PoW Number?
Navigator: J/38175 Fg Off Francis Irving Morrissey RCAF - PoW/Hospital outside Dusseldorf/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 91.
Bomb Aimer: J/24528 Fg Off Leonard John Hossie RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8814.
Wireless Operator: R/164366 Flt Sergeant Clarence Duncan MacDonald RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1155.
Mid Upper Gunner: J/95368 Plt Off Terence Joseph McAran RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 20 Row G Grave 12.
Rear Gunner: J/95476 Plt Off Norman Edward Stuttle RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 1 Row G Grave 11.
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 NP815 B.Mk.VII - Bombing Gelsenkirchen Germany - 1944-11-06 to 1944-11-06
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-11-06
Completion Date: 1944-11-06
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Gelsenkirchen Germany
Target Specific:
Base: East Moor
Take Off Time: 12.16
Squadron Code: QO A
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City:
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason:
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group November 6, 1944
176 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426,427, 429, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons were joined by 40 Lancasters from419, 428, and 431 squadrons on an attack of the Nordstern oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. The crews were over the target between 19,000 to 21,000 feet, releasing 1,781,000 lbs of high explosives and 263,000 lbs of incendiaries.According to reports, the oil plant was damaged but due to dust and smoke, crews bombed in the general area. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
738 aircraft - 383 Halifaxes, 324 Lancasters, 31 Mosquitoes. 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes lost. This large daylight raid had, as its aiming point, the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant. The attack was not well concentrated but 514 aircraft were able to bomb the approximate position of the oil plant before smoke obscured the ground; 187 aircraft then bombed the general town area of Gelsonkirchcn.
The Gelsenkirchcn war diarist, who often recorded interesting titbits, tells of' how this Protestant town had celebrated the Reformation Feast the previous day, Sunday. The celebration had been held back from its proper date, 31 October, so as not to interfere with industrial production. The diarist wrote: 'For many pious people; this was their last church service. Catastrophe broke over Gelsenkirchen the following day.' The diary then proceeds to give several pages describing the severe damage throughout the town. The number of people killed was 518. The diarist the comments, perhaps with some pride, that Gelsenkirchen was mentioned by name in the OKW (German High Command) communique for the first time in the war.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 815Took off from East Moor at 12:16 in Halifax Mk Vii NP815 QO-A was shot down in the Baltic sea during night operations, a raid against Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Pilot: J/16229 Fg Off Frederick Hawkins Eilertson RCAF - PoW/Dulag Luft Frankfurt/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8809.
Flight Engineer: 1832685 Sergeant Cyril David Vaughan - PoW/Hospitals - Stalag IV Dusseldorf, Stalag IX Obermabfeld, Stalag IXC Meiningen/Dulag Luft Oberhausen/Dulag Luft Wetzlar/PoW Number?
Navigator: J/38175 Fg Off Francis Irving Morrissey RCAF - PoW/Hospital outside Dusseldorf/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number 91.
Bomb Aimer: J/24528 Fg Off Leonard John Hossie RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 8814.
Wireless Operator: R/164366 Flt Sergeant Clarence Duncan MacDonald RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 7 Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia/Stalag 3A Luckenwalde/PoW Number 1155.
Mid Upper Gunner: J/95368 Plt Off Terence Joseph McAran RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 20 Row G Grave 12.
Rear Gunner: J/95476 Plt Off Norman Edward Stuttle RCAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 1 Row G Grave 11.
