432 (Woodbridge) Air Training Corps

Royal Canadian Air Force

A short history of 432 Squadron RCAF

Nickname: Leaside
Badge: In front of a full moon a cougar leaping down
Motto: Saeviter ad lucem (Ferociously towards the light)
Authority: King George VI, March 1945
Adoption: Town of Leaside, Ontario

 

Battle Honours:
English Channel and North Sea 1943, Fortress Europe 1944-1945, France and Germany 1944-1945, Biscay Ports 1944, Ruhr 1943-1945, Berlin 1943-1944, German Ports 1943-1945, Normandy 1944, Rhine Biscay 1943

The badge indicated the squadrons night bombing attacks on the enemy. The motto refers to the unit's fierce desire to fight for light against the darkness of oppression.

The Background
Formed at Skipton-on-Swale , Yorkshire, England on May 1, 1943 as the RCAF 31st - 12th Bomber, first to be formed under No. 6 (RCAF) Group - squadron formed overseas. Aircraft flown during this period were:

* Wellington X (May 1943 - October 1943)
* Lancaster II (October 1943 - February 1944)
* Halifax III (February 1944 - July 1944)
* Halifax VII (July 1944 - April 1945)

These aircraft were flown on strategic and tactical bombing operations in the European theatre of operations. The Squadron was disbanded at East Moor, Yorkshire on May 15, 1945.

No. 432 Squadron Formed as an All-Weather (Fighter) unit at Bagotville, Quebec on 1 October 1954, the squadron flew CF-100 aircraft on North Ainerican air defence until disbanded on 15 October 1961. Aircraft flown during this period were:

* CF-100 Canuck

Operational History

• First operational mission of WW II: May 23/24, 1945, 15 Wellington Mk X's from Skipton-on-swale despatched to bomb Dortmund, Germany; 11 bombed the primary target, 4 aborted.
• Last operational mission of WW II: April 25, 1945 , 19 Halifax Mk VII's from East Moor bombed gun positions on the Island of Wangerooge.

Summary

• Sorties: 3130 (including 53 sea mining)
• Operational Flying Hours: 16, 607
• Non-operational Flying Hours: 6166
• Bombs dropped: 8980 tons
• Victories
  • Aircraft: 5 destroyed, 2 probable, 5 damaged
• Casualties
  • Operational: 73 aircraft, 448 aircrew (30 killed, 8 missing, 252 presumed dead, 123 POW (5 escaped), 35 evaded capture,)
  • Non-operational: 42 personnel (38 killed, 3 injured, 1 died of natural causes)

Honours & Awards

2 DSO's, 1 bar to DFC, 119 DFC's, 1 CGM, 20 DFM's, 1 Croix de Guerre

'An abbreviated history of No. 432 (Leaside) Squadron Royal Candian Air Force at Skipton-On-Swale & Eastmoor' can be found by following the page links below. My thanks to whomever created this information although at this time you are unknown.

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