Ballantyne, Wallace Bruce
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Wallace Bruce |
Surname | Ballantyne |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 09-10-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Graham Ballantyne and Ethel Florence Ballantyne (née Turner), of Unity, Saskatchewan. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax V |
Serial Number | LK647 |
Markings | IP-C |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hamburg Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 10A. D. 8. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 126 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/98593 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 434 (Bluenose) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Ballantyne Lake, Saskatchewan |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Former Control Tower, old Tholthorpe airfield site, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Wallace was born on 16 January 1922 in Unity, Saskatchewan. His father, a farmer, was born in Smith Falls, Ontario and hIs mother (deceased by the time of Wallace's enlistment), was born in Liverpool, England. The school he attended was at Muddy Lake, Saskatoon 1929-1935 (Standard) and then continuing 1935-1937 (Standard) Two years Grade ten. Wallace worked taking on odd jobs between 1937-1938 and then worked as a labourer on his father’s farm between 1938 -1940. From 1940-1941 he was on a Youth Training Course in Saskatoon. For sport he enjoyed hockey and softball and liked building model aeroplanes and reading. |
He enlisted on 27 March 1941 and after training embarked from New York on 4 May 1943 for the U.K.. He arrived at 3 PRC 12 May 1943, 22 OTU 13 May 1943, 1669 CU 1 August 1943 and 428 Squadron on 26 August 1943. He was killed six weeks later. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 08-10-1943 |
End Date | 09-10-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Night (74% moon) |
Operation | Hanover. 504 aircraft and the last to include Wellingtons, none of which were Lost 27 Lancasters and Halifaxes were Lost (5.4%). The Germans had correctly assumed that Hanover was the target and there was much night-fighter activity as a result. The conditions were clear and both marking and the subsequent bombing were accurate and concentrated, with little creepback. The electrical, water and telephone services were destroyed in what was Hanover's worst attack of the war. An impressive marshalling regime on the ground concentrated the public into areas between the fires, saving many lives. Even so, 1200 people were killed and 3345 injured. almost 4000 buildings were destroyed amongst which were the Continental rubber factory and Hanomag machine works. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter on return leg |