419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Halifax JB793

Crew of Halifax JB793

Halifax JB793, VR-X was one of two Halifax aircraft of 419 squadron to be downed on night of May 29/30 on this operation to Wuppertal .

JB793 was returning home after completing it's mission over the target, this was the crew's first operation together. Their Halifax was attacked by an enemy night fighter of St1/NJG1. (the pilot of which was killed four months later)

P/O Hubb's Report

In P/O Hubbs in his post POW interrogation described the events leading up to the orders to abandon the aircraft.
Earlier problems with the ships intercom returned just after dropping the bombs P/O Hubbs noticed the intercom failing when he returned to the nose section after an inspection of the bomb racks. The problem was repaired by WAG Sgt. Ward , although it was a short lived repair. Sgt. Winegarden had time to communicate with the rear gunner to tell him to use the lights if evasive action was needed. Just at that point the intercom failed again. The intercom was again repaired. At some point past this, the attack was made on JB793. JD793 did not have the advantage of exhaust covers on the engines making it visable by the flame-like glow coming from the eight exhaust ports of the engines.

After the attack F/E Sgt. Hall reported to the pilot that the whole port wing was on fire, the aircraft lost height and the controls went soft. Those of the crew who managed to bail out first the Navigator, then the Bomb Aimer, then the WAG. As happened all so many times the pilot Sgt. Winegarden stayed at the controls in the hope of making a sucessful belly landing as some of the crew had been wounded in the attack and were unable to bail out. Halifax JB793 came down at some point near Leopoldsburg Belgium. Later reports show the local people helped some of the crew from being captured and they remained so until early 1944.

Sgt. Hall who stayed on to help Winegarden was told by Winegarden to jump. His jump from the plane was much later then the first three crewmen and his body was located at Jalhay where the Belgian population erected a memorial to him.

Crew of Halifax JB793

P/O Hubb's Report

Sergeant

Lawrence Ronald Lamoure

Air Gunner Age 19
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Sergeant

Frank Ellsworth Winegarden

Pilot Age 27
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Windsor Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Flight Sergeant

Roy Munro Ricketts

Tail Gunner Age 23
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Prescott Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Flight Sergeant

Ernest Hall RAF

Flight Eng. Age 27
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Bailieborough Co. Cavan Irish Republic
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Sergeant

R. M. Mingay

Navigator
POW # 270067 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe

Pilot Officer

F. H. Hubbs

Navigator
POW # 3310 Stalag Luft 3 , Sagan Poland

Sergeant

S. G. Ward

WAG
POW #270096 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe

Crew of Halifax JB793

P/O Hubb's Report

Sergeant

Lawrence Ronald Lamoure

Air Gunner Age 19 Killed in Action. May 30 1943 From Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Sergeant

Frank Ellsworth Winegarden

Pilot Age 27Killed in Action. May 30 1943 From Windsor Ontario Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Flight Sergeant

Roy Munro Ricketts

Tail Gunner Age 23Killed in Action. May 30 1943 From Prescott Ontario Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Flight Sergeant

Ernest Hall RAF

Flight Eng. Age 27 Killed in Action. May 30 1943 From Bailieborough Co. Cavan Irish Republic Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Sergeant

R. M. Mingay

Navigator POW # 270067 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe

Pilot Officer

F. H. Hubbs

Navigator POW # 3310 Stalag Luft 3 , Sagan Poland

Sergeant

S. G. Ward

WAG POW #270096 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe

Air Gunner Age 19
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Pilot Age 27
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Windsor Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Tail Gunner Age 23
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Prescott Ontario
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Flight Eng. Age 27
Killed in Action. May 30 1943
From Bailieborough Co. Cavan Irish Republic
Burial at Hotton War Cemetery Luxemburg Belgium

Navigator
POW # 270067 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe

Navigator
POW # 3310 Stalag Luft 3 , Sagan Poland

WAG
POW #270096 Stalag 4 IV, Muhlberg-Elbe