P/O Walter G. Edwards crew 73
P/O Walter G. Edwards crew 73
Missions Flown
January 1944 – September 1944
25/02/1944; Gardening / Abandoned / Flewelling
02/03/1944; Meulan Les Mureax / Flewelling
06/03/1944; Trappes / Flewelling
13/03/1944; Le Mans / Flewelling
15/03/1944; Amiens / Coned / Flewelling
16/03/1944; Amiens / Flewelling
25/03/1944; Aulnoye / Flewelling
30/03/1944; Heligoland / Mining / Flewelling
10/04/1944; Ghent / Bomb got stuck / Flewelling
18/04/1944; Kiel Bay / Flewelling
22/04/1944; Laon / Flewelling
24/04/1944; Necartine Plus / Mining / Flewelling
09/05/1944; Calais / Flewelling
24/05/1944; Trouville / Flewelling
07/06/1944; Versailles / Flewelling
10/06/1944; Versailles / Flewelling
25/06/1944; Gorenflos / Flewelling
01/07/1944; Biennais / Dumas
04/07/1944; Biennais / Flewelling
09/07/1944; Mont Condon / Spence
12/07/1944; Bremont / Flewelling
18/07/1944; Caen / Historic Raid / Flewelling
20/07/1944; Anderbeck / Flewelling
03/08/1944; Foret de Nieppe / Peterson
04/08/1944; Bois de Casson / Flewelling
10/08/1944; La Pallice / Gardner
12/08/1944; La Neuville / Gardner
14/08/1944; Falaise / Historic Raid / Harvie
15/08/1944; Soesterberg /Gardner
16/08/1944; Kiel / Ecclestone
18/08/1944; Bremen / Ecclestone
25/08/1944; Brest / Moffat
31/08/1944; Isle de Crembre / Ecclestone
06/09/1944; Emden / Ecclestone
17/09/1944; Bolougne Sur La Mer / Ecclestone
18/09/1944; Domberg / Abortive / Ecclestone
19/09/1944; Domberg / Abortive / Ecclestone
20/09/1944; Calais / Dumas
The RAF treated bombing operations (Ops) over to France as a 1/3 of an op so 3 ops to France counted as 1. It looks as though Walter did 21 ops including those that were aborted. This in reality though was an incredible 38 missions. We can only presume that at the end of 1944 that 434 Squadron had a surplus of crew members as the Luftwaffe and German Flak Batteries were not as active and more Aircrew were surviving “Ops” therefore Walter was able to be screened and stood down before his full tour of 32 Ops was completed.
Walter was entitled to wear the Aircrew Europe Medal with France & Germany Bar plus the 1939/45 Star, The War Medal and the Defence Medal.
6th January 1944
We think that Walter arrived at 434 squadron “F/L L H Cameron & Crew” on 6 January 44. Cameron was later a Squadron Leader but no names of the crew are given upon entry to 434 Squadron on the Pilots name.
2nd February 1944
Walter is first mentioned on the February Summary of events as he attends the funeral of A/G Demers (Flewellings r/g who died on the 28/29 Jan).
25th February 1944
Walter flies his first operation mission on his 23rd Birthday.
26th May 1944
1315306 Sgt Walter George Edwards receives a commission on the 26th May 1944 becoming P/o 176678
25th June 1944
1000th sortie and first anniversary of the RCAF Bomber Group’s Bluenose squadron. F/L Flewelling and his crew, as one of the squadron’s “originals” were selected for the honor
22nd September 1944
Walter is screened from operations with 434 squadron.