Hayter, William Douglas
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | William Douglas |
Surname | Hayter |
Gender | M |
Age | 30 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 20-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Archie S. Hayter and Eva Farquhar Hayter, of Huntingdon, Province of Quebec, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax V |
Serial Number | LL255 |
Markings | WL-V |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 8. G. 1-16. |
Epitaph | DEAR DOUGLAS, SADLY MISSED BY MOTHER, DAD AND BROTHERS |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 179 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/22592 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 434 (Bluenose) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Race Control Building, Croft Auto Circuit, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Roadside Location, A167, Dalton on Tees, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial topped with metal statue |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
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 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 19-02-1944 |
End Date | 20-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Night (22% moon) |
Operation | Leipzig. 823 aircraft, 78 losses (9.5%). Excluding early returners, the Halifax loss rate was 14.9%. As a result, Halifax Mks II and V were permanently withdrawn from service over Germany. The Kiel mine laying diversion was successful in drawing off fighters, but the German controllers only sent half of the available aircraft. As soon as the bomber stream crossed the Dutch coast they were confronted by the remaining half of the fighters and, moreover, the ones sent to Kiel were returned to join the fray. As a consequence, the fighters steadily picked off bombers all the way to this distant target. The winds were strongly than had been predicted and many bombers arrived early and had to orbit the target awaiting the Pathfinders, further increasing the likelihood of being picked off, either by flak or fighters. Leipzig was cloud covered and sky-marking had to be used. Early bombing appeared to be concentrated but later bombing less so. There was no local report nor a reconnaissance flight the following day. An American raid the following day then made it impossible to judge the effectiveness of the raid. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed near Stendal, Germany |