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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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438 (Wild Cat) Squadron

Operation: Armed Recce, France

Date: 18th August 1944 (Thursday)

Unit No: 438 (Wild Cat) Squadron, RCAF, 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon IB

Serial: MN347

Code: F3:Z

Base: ALG B.9 Lantheuil, France

Location: La Boissière in the district of Orville, France

Pilot: Fg Off. George Harold Sharpe J13612 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Above: Fg Off. George Harold Sharpe from his Service Record

On the 22nd December 1942 Fg Off. Sharpe was flying Lysander II #421 of 123 Sqn from Debert, Nova Scotia to Dartmouth in Nova Scotia with Flt Sgt. T.W. Clarke R98839, Pupil Pilot as passenger.

Flying at approximately 1000 ft they encounter scattered snow flurries and the aircraft ran out of petrol. Fg Off. Sharpe carried out forced-landing at 17:50 hrs with no injuries to himself or to his passenger. The aircraft only required a propeller replacement.

REASON FOR LOSS

On the 18th August 1944 at 14:30 hrs Fg Off. Sharpe took-off from ALG B.9 Lantheuil as one (1) of eleven (11) Typhoons on his and the Sqn’s third sortie of the day.

It was ascertained through the interrogation of eyewitnesses, that Fg Off. Sharpe was seen attacking German transport in the vicinity of Orville. At 02:30 hrs Fg Off. Sharpe’s aircraft was hit by Flak and was seen to crash on a farm at La Boissière in the district of Orville, 8 km SE of Vimoutiers.

At the time of the liberation of the area on the 22nd August 1944 Fg Off Sharpe’s grave was found by Canadian forces at the side of the crashed aircraft. It was found that the grave was well kept with a small white fence fixed around the grave.

His brother, Flt Lt. Douglas Haig Sharpe J11485 RCAF, was posted MiA on a flight as a passenger aboard 168 (Heavy Transport) Squadron, Fortress IIA #9203 which was lost on the 15th December 1944.

Burial details:

He was recovered from the isolated grave and finally laid to rest at the Bayeux War Cemetery on the 28th May 1947.

Above: Bayeux War Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Fg Off. George Harold Sharpe. Bayeux War Cemetery, XX.IV.7. Grave Inscription: ‘LOVED AND REMEMBERED’.Born on the 4th June 1922 in Settler, Alberta. Son of Whip Wilbro and Emma Elizabeth (née Taylor) Sharpe of Settler, Alberta, Canada.

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

Other sources as quoted below:

RS 31.07.2026 - Initial upload

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Acknowledgements
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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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