Date: 7/8th March 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 408 (Goose) Squadron R.C.A.F.
Type: Halifax VII
Serial: NP718
Code: EQ-B
Base: R.A.F. Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire.
Location: Nordhastedt
Pilot: P/O. George David Daughters J/92736 - R/171460 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed (1)
Fl/Eng: Sgt. J. Huspeka R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No further details, but from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nav: W/O.2 B.C. Patterson R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No further details, but from Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.
Air/Bmr: F/O. S. Lasko R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No further details, but from Pelly, Saskatchewan, Canada.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Alfred George Allen J/95213 - R202416 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: P/O. Rupert George McManus J/95363 R.C.A.F. Age 37. Killed
Air/Gnr: W/O. 2 Nelson George Baird R/191011 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed (3)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 18.43 hrs from R.A.F. Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire to bomb the Hemmingstedt oil refinery. 256 Halifax's took part in the raid together with a further 25 Lancaster's.
The bombing was inaccurate however and fell 2 - 3 miles from the target area. 4 Halifax's and 1 Lancaster were lost and most are thought to have been from anti aircraft fire. Halifax NP718 is reported to have been attacked by a night fighter and finally bought down by flak. (No claims from the night fighter squadrons for this loss)
P/O. George David Daughters (courtesy Ralph Francis)
(1) Further information on P/O. Daughters (courtesy Ralph Francis):
When he was 16 or 17 he decided that he would join the RCAF. At that time birth records were kept by the church in Quebec and a birth record was really a baptismal certificate. As he was born on the 25th of February of 1925, it was a simple matter of removing the 5 and inserting a 4 to make himself one year older. That made him acceptable to the RCAF.
Not much is known about where he was training but one day, probably from the airfield at St. Hubert south of Montreal, he was on a solo flight in a Harvard Trainer and decided to visit Lennoxville. It was only a matter of following Highway 1 and turning right at Sherbrooke.
He approached the house at tree top height and in a Harvard Trainer that was very noisy, it scared his mother who knew it was her son. He then went on to buzz the town of Lennoxville at low level creating a small panic. Someone got the number of the aircraft and telephoned the authorities. Georgie appeared in Lennoxville about two days later with an R.C.A.F. policeman and they visited the complainant to determine the facts.
It was a hot summer’s day and Georgie was in full uniform during the interrogation. That was the worst part of the day. After the information was obtained the policeman said to Georgie, “Go home and see your mother, but be back in half an hour.” That was the end of the incident as far as the family knows.
Family of P/O. Daughters and P/O. Allen (courtesy Ralph Francis)
Right to left, Georgie's father, George Edward Daughters, mother, Isabella McKillop Daughters and Ellin (Nellie) Allen the mother of Alfred George Allen.
Note: George Edward Daughters was a WWI soldier who married one of the daughters of George McKillop.
Two children were born: George David Daughters in 1925 and Isabella Jean Daughters in 1928.
Later, circa. 1944/45, the family moved to Stanstead, QC a small town close to the Vermont border. Your correspondent spent the summer from July to September 1945 with his aunt and uncle in Stanstead, and no mention was ever made of the crash and death of their son on the 7th of March 1945 at an age of 20 years and 11 days.
(2) Further information on P/O. Allen (courtesy Ralph Francis):
Georgie’s crew-mate, Alfred (Alfie) George Allen was a friend who lived in Sherbrooke. The connection between the Daughters and Allen families went back to when the McKillop and MacDonald families came to Canada on the same boat from Scotland. Alfie’s mother, Ellen MacDonald (but always referred to as “Nellie” was about the same age as Georgie’s mother, Isabella (but always referred to as “Bella”). Nellie married Jim Allen and lived in Sherbrooke. Although the two families were separated, Nellie Allen always attended family ceremonies in Montreal or Lennoxville. The Allens had three children” Harry Allen who became a Professor at Universite de Sherbrooke, Alfie, and Dorothy. No information is available about Dorothy beyond the 1940’s.
In the 1930’s and beyond, the entire McKillop family lived in Park Extension in Montreal. A block away on the same street from Grandfather’s house there was a family who were possibly Poles, Czechs or Ukrainians. Being about the same age and possibly going to the same schools, the sons of these families may have been one of either the two crew members who survived the crash: Lasko or Huspeka.
(3) Tragically Nelson Baird's brother, R/95331 Fl/Sgt. Gordon Douglas Russell Baird was also killed earlier, 16th July 1942. Serving with 111 Squadron R.C.A.F and flying in a Kittyhawk aircraft - tragically killed when his aircraft crashed during fog between Cold Bay and Umnak. During the same operation 4 other Kittyhawks were lost, all pilots killed. Further information "Link"
Neither his aircraft or remains were found over the Aleutian islands and he is commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial.
Both have geographical features in Canada renamed after them. "Link".
Top left: W/O. 2 Nelson George Baird and right with family (A.R.Society archives)
Tablet commemorating the brothers loss and right, the commemorative certificate (A.R.Society archives)
We are working very closely with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Manitoba geographical names project and the Saskatchewan Tourism Parks, culture and sports department to show with the aid of Google maps where many of the WW2 Aviators are being remembered. If you are also able to assist by sending other information please "Contact Us". To see the Google map locations for others "Click Here"
The crew graves in Kiel War Cemetery (courtesy Ralph Francis)
Burial details:
P/O. George David Daughters. Kiel War Cemetery 1.B.11.
Son of George Edward and Isabella (Bella) Daughters. Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada. (Originally from Montreal, Canada)
Note: The C.W.G.C have been contacted by Ralph Francis in order to have the correct and full information posted on the casualty details for George and also for the records at Kiel Cemetery.
P/O. Alfred George Allen. Kiel War Cemetery 1.B.12.
Son of Harry James Allen and Ellen Allen (Nellie), of Sherbrooke, Province of Quebec, Canada.
P/O. Rupert George McManus. Kiel War Cemetery Joint grave 1.B.13-14.
Son of William and Kate McManus; husband of Edna May McManus, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
W/O. 2 Nelson George Baird. Kiel War Cemetery Joint grave 1.B.13-14.
Son of James H. and Sarah A. Baird, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Researched by: David King / Kelvin T. Youngs (A.R.Society November 2009) Dedicated to all relatives of the crew.
With thanks to Ralph Francis for further information on P/O. George Daughters. Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol. 6". Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - "Bomber Command War Diaries". Oliver Clutton-Brock "Footprints On The Sands Of Time". Les Allison and Harry Hayward - "They Shall Not Grow Old". The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
