Last Post - James Ernest Sales

Source: http://www.legionmagazine/en/lastpost/

Image from Hanover War Cemetery, Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In Memory of
Flight Lieutenant JAMES ERNEST SALES

J/22024, 432 Sqdn., Royal Canadian Air Force
who died age 27
on 05 January 1945
Son of Guy Ernest and Ada Louise Sales, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Remembered with honour
HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

James Ernest Sales attended Western Canada High School, Calgary, Alberta.

His name is recorded on the memorial at the school.

Image provided courtesy of Susan Campbell.

Flight Lieutenant Pilot James Ernest Sales is the son of Guy Ernest and Ada Louise Sales, of Calgary, Alberta. He trained as a Pilot and was assigned to RCAF 432 Squadron. One of his crew, P/O C. McInnes attended No 3 Bombing & Gunnery School with many airmen from this site. A classmate of P/O C. McInnes, Pilot Officer Clifford Norman Aune, who joined RAF 102 Squadron, was also killed in this operation. To read about P/O Aune, please click here.

FL Pilot James Ernest Sales and P/O C. McInnes were killed in a night time attack on Hanover in a Halifax VII NP-759, coded QO-C. The rest of the crew were taken prisoner.

Below is a summary of the Daily Operations Report from that night:

Daily Ops Report Jan. 5-6, 1945

133 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 432, and 433 squadrons were joined by 57 Lancasters from 419, 428, 431, and 434 squadrons on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 to 20,000 feet, releasing 1,587,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was scattered through out the city.

F/Lt. J. Sales, RCAF and crew flying Halifax VII NP-759, coded QO-C, failed to return from this operation.

Sgt. J. Dalton, RAF--POW
F.O J. Marcille, RCAF--POW
F/Sgt. S. Aikens, RCAF--POW
W/O2 R. Young, RCAF--POW
P/O C. McInnes, RCAF
F/Sgt. J. Charles, RCAF--POW

2 crew members were killed and 5 POWs.

Source: www.rcaf.com/6group/. Click here to read the entire report.

Lost Bomber Report

"Serial Range NP736 - NP781. 46 Halifax Mk.V11, part of a batch of 200 HP Halifax Mk, delivered by Handley Page (Cricklewood & Radlett) between 1Aug44 and 9Sep44. NP759 was one of two No.432 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: NP817 Airborne 1648 5Jan45 from East Moor.

Shot down by Flak (8th Flak Division), crashing 1915 at Mehringen some 2 km N of Hoya, which straddles the Weser 15 km SSW of Verden.

The two airmen killed are now buried in Hanover War Cemetery, having been brought here from graves discovered at Hoya. F/L J.E.Sales RCAF KIA Sgt J.Dalton PoW F/O J.L.Marcille RCAF PoW F/S S.J.Aikens RCAF PoW WO2 R.J.P.Young PoW F/S C.H.McInnes RCAF KIA F/S J.F.Charles RCAF PoW F/O J.L.Marcille, was interned in Camp L1, with F/S S.J.Aikens, F/S J.F.Charles, WO2 R.J.P.Young and Sgt J.Dalton, no PoW Nos." Source: www.lostbombers.co.uk. Click here to read the entire report.

Click here to read the ""They Shall Grow Not Old" entry for Flight Lieutenant Pilot James Ernest Sales.

Click here to see an image of the certificate issued by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in memory of Flight Lieutenant Pilot James Ernest Sales

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