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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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440 (City of Ottawa) Squadron
28.02.1945 440 (City of Ottawa) Squadron, RCAF Typhoon Ib RB338 Fg Off. William R. Gibbs

Operation: Armed Recce, Germany

Date: 28th February 1945 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 440 (City of Ottawa) Squadron, RCAF, 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: RB338

Code: I8:K

Base: ALG B.78 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Location: In the vicinity of Wesel, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. William Robert Gibbs J27239 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Above Fg Off. William Robert Gibbs from his Service Record

REASON FOR LOSS

Fg Off. Gibbs took off as part of a section of four Typhoons at 10:00 hrs on a mission to bomb a railway line in Germany. However, due to the weather the target was could not be found. Letting down under the weather to follow the railway line just west of Wesel the section ran into a terrific amount of light flak.

Flt Lt. H.W. Hollingsworth described the circumstances leading to the disappearance of Fg Off. Gibbs at 10:20 hrs:

"I was flying Red 4 on a dive-bombing and strafing mission. On arriving over the target we were unable to sight it and circled back. On the second attempt we went below cloud and followed the railway track to the bomb line and pulled up through to about 1500'. I saw Red 3 (F/O W.R. Gibbs) jettison his bombs and turn starboard underneath me with his starboard wing burning badly in the vicinity of the gun bay. No R/T message was received from him. He disappeared into the cloud and appeared to be under control. Heavy and light flak was encountered in the target area”.

The crash-site for the aircraft could not be established but was probably in the vicinity of Wesel some 30 km (18½ mls) east of Goch. Fg Off. Gibbs has not been recovered and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Burial details:

Fg Off. William Robert Gibbs. Runnymede Memorial Panel 279.Born on the 28th October 1923 in Peterborough, Ontario.Son of Sidney Charles and Ethel Luella (née Morrison) Gibbs, of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

His brother Captain C.E. Gibbs also served with the RHQ No. 10 Canadian Repatriation Depot.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to this pilot and his family.

Other sources as quoted below:

RS 22.06.2023 - Initial upload

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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