Operation: Nickel (1)

Date: 22/23rd May 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 24 Operational Training Unit. 91 Group

Type: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V

Serial: AD701

Code: TY-B

Base: RAF Long Marston, Warwickshire

Location: Sées, France

Pilot: F/O. David Webster Goodwin 8J/2574 RCAF Age 24. Killed

Nav: P/O. Joseph Hong J/37185 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Air/Bmr: P/O. 'Bev' Charles Beverly Wyckoff J/26695 RCAF Age 28. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. 'Gaston' W/O II. Joseph Gaston Jaques R/108393 RCAF Age 23. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. 'Jack' John Hopper R/80789 RCAF Age 21 Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Wilfred Gordon Harris R/115064 RCAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

AD701, on an operation to drop leaflets over the Le Mans, France area when shot down by flak and crashed at La Potence, near Sées, Normandy.

The Town of Sées, erected a memorial to the crew that was dedicated on the 08th May 2005. Shown on the bottom of this report.

(1) RAF Nickel operation" refers to early World War II propaganda leaflet-dropping missions carried out by the Royal Air Force over occupied territory and occupied territories, primarily between 1939 and 1940. These 'Nickel Raids' aimed to demoralise the German population and undermine the war effort by distributing millions of leaflets urging civilians to abandon the war, though the leaflet drops were also dangerous for the inexperienced aircrews. The term 'Nicke' was the operation's code name and was not a weapon but an information-based offensive. Also used to warn 'friendly' populations of danger from planned bombing offensive by the Allies.

'Nickel' operations were far from easy. The aircrews had to endure the harsh winter conditions on operations that had little strategic affect on the war, but provided important insights in the total inaccuracy of the navigation ability of RAF crews in the beginning of the war.

The Royal Air Force used the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley for the Nickel Raids. This heavy bomber was fitted with tubes in the fuselage through which the aircrew dropped the bundles of leaflets

Burial details:

F/O. David Webster Goodwin. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 07th February 1920 in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Alberta, Canada. Final education at Pittman Business School. Enlisted on the 05th May 1942. Wings awarded on the 30th April 1943. Son of James Cameron (died 13th June 1958, age 76) and Jessie Ann (née Webster) Goowin of Kaledon, British Columbia, brother of Mary, David and Alex. Husband of Irene Buelah and father of Sharon Ann of Calgary, Alberta 0f Kaleden, British Columbia, Canada

P/O. Joseph Hong. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 08th December 1922 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.Final education at O’Neill’s Business College in Windsor. Employed by the Windsor Daily Star prior to service.
Son of Mi Hong (died 1945, age 68) and June (nee Chung - died 1981, age 96) Hong, of Windsor, Ontario. His Chinese born parents had eight children. Brother of A/117703 Pvt George Hong, KIA at age 19 in Italy om the 08th September 1944. He was then serving in the West Nova Scotia Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps.
Epitaph: 'Union Of A Chinese Heart With A Canadian Spirit'.

P/O. Charles Beverly Wyckoff. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 05th October 1915 in Vittoria, Ontario, Canada. Final education at Hamilton Technical School. Enlisted on the 16th June 1937.
Son of Roy Gilliland (died 22nd September 1943, age 64) and Bertha Mae (nee Butler - died September 1950, age 70) Wyckoff, of Virrotia, Ontario.He had two sisters, Margaret and Gwen, and two brothers, Gerald and Joseph Husband of Chlor Helen (née Gauen, later Heenan - died 27th September 2017, age 100) Wyckoff, of Trenton, Ontario; father of Donna Marie Wyckoff.
Epitaph: 'God Has Him In His Keeping, We Have Him In Our Hearts'.

W/O II. Joseph Gaston Jacques. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 16th March 1923 in Quebec, Canada. Known a 'Gaston'. Final education at Public and High School in Drummondville and later was employed at the Celanese factory Enlisted on the 20th June 1941. Son of Isadore and Estelle (née Valade) Jacques of Knowlton, Quebec, Canada, Quebec.

Sgt. Jack Hopper. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 21st February 1921 in Toronto Ontario, Canada. Final education at Runnymede Collegiate. Enlisted on the 07th November 194o. Son of Harry Walter (died 1945, age 66) and Caroline (nee Hare - died 08th April 1941, age 61) Hopper, of Toronto, Ontario. Husband of Marjorie (nee Whitlock) Hopper, Weston, Ontario, Canada

Sgt. Wilfred Gordon Harris. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Collective grave Xxvii. G. 4-7. Born on the 12th August 1920 in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. Son of William Henry (died 1954, age 69) and Bertha Harris (née Moynes - died 1939, age 45) of Caledon, Peel, Ontario, Canada

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the Parade RCAF Archives, Government of Canada WW2 Service Records. Francois Dutil.

Other sources as quoted below:

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