http://www.6bombergroup.ca/March45/March2545.html
99 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, and 432 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the rail yards and supply routes at Munster. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 19,000 feet, releasing 192,000 lbs of high explosives and 460,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was covered with smoke and dust.
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F/O M. Chappel and P/O A. Belanger from 425 Squadron were hit by flak, not serious. They landed at Dishforth on return.
F/O L. Dumais landed at Croft on return.
F/O J. Violette, F/Lt C. Lesesne, P/O G. Turcotte, and P/O J. Kolisnek landed at Dishforth on return.
W/O2 M. Lavoie RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III NR-194 coded KW-J, had the stbd inner running poorly outbound. On return the stbd outer was u/s. On landing at Riccall, they overshot the airfield and did a wheels up landing in a field. The crew was not injured.
Gladbeck fut la quatrième des huit opérations du bomb aimer Pierre-Émilien St-Hilaire.
Le Pilot Officer G. Turcotte est toujours aux commandes du KW-Z. Le décollage se fait 0657 soit 6 heures 57 minutes du matin du 25 mars. Le vol durera 6 heures 10 minutes. Pierre-Émilien St-Hilaire passera la plupart de son temps confiné dans le nez du Halifax tout comme Laurent Tremblay.
L’équipage de Laurent Tremblay – son pilote
La prochaine opération sera marquante dans la vie du bomb aimer St-Hilaire.
http://www.6bombergroup.ca/March45/Mar3145.htm
100 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, and 432 squadrons were joined by 100 Lancasters from 419, 424, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, and 434 on an attack at the Blohm & Voss shipyards at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 19,500 feet, releasing 1,908,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was cloud covered but extensive damage was caused in the industrial area of Hamburg. The 6 group was in the last wave of the attack and were attacked by many ME-262s. 8 crews failed to return, mostly due to attacks by these aircraft.
F/O L. Dumais from 425 squadron was hit by flak, not serious. The crew seen one bomber shot down by rockets from an ME-262.
F/Lt C. Lesense, RCAF, and crew flying Halifax III MZ-418, coded KW-C, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt J. Tame, RAF–POW
F/Sgt J. Hilliard, RCAF–POW
F/O W. Cable, RCAF–POW
P/O R. Pigeon, RCAF–POW
W/O2 R. Trudeau, RCAF–POW
F/Sgt F. King, RCAF–POW
The pilot was killed and rest were POWs.
RCAF 425 Alouettes III 