Dedicated to Flight Officer Bernard McGouran

For his contribution as an Bomb Aimer during WWII

as a member of Crew 81

434 Squadron – The “Bluenose” Squadron.

Nov/Dec 1942		Contacted local recruitment office – and after signing up would assume have gone to Manning Depot in Toronto Information in this section to be confirmed
January 1943		Early Training
Date Started	Date Finished	Course	Unit and Course Location	Location	Marks	Hours Flown	Aircraft Flown
January 11th 1943	March 6th 1943	Air Bomber Armament	Unit No. 4 B & G (Bomb & Gunnery School)	Fingal Ontario	74% Bombing 80% Gunnery	35.5	Bolingbroke Anson
March 22nd 1943	April 30th 1943	Airbomber	A.O.S (Air Observer School) .	St Jeans Quebec	73.5%	69.05	Anson
May 17th 1943	June 14th 1943	Ab Initio Bombing	Unit No. 4 B & G (Bomb & Gunnery School).	Jarvis Ontario	71%	–	Bolingbroke
June 1943		Shipped overseas to UK on Liner “Louis Pasteur” see story below
Sept 9th 1943	October 7th 1943	Ship Recognition for Airbombers	5 SRS	Location	91.80%	85.4
October 11th 1943	October 25th 1943	Advanced Ship Recognition for Airbombers	No 20 ARS	Location	Passed	101.55	Anson
November 19th 1943	February 2nd 1944	–	19 O.T.U ( Operational Training Unit)	R.A.F. KINLOSS NR. Inverness Scotland	Good Average	210.06	Whitley V Anson
February 3rd 1944	February 7th 1944	–	1664 H.C.U ( Heavy Conversion Unit)	R.A.F. KINLOSS NR. Inverness Scotland	Above Average	243.85	Halifax
March 1944		Joined The 434 “Bluenose” Squadron. Home Base: Croft England see story below
August 1944		“Screened” Completed required missions and set to go home Believe this happened in October 1944

Story of the SS Louis Pasteur

The SS (Steam Ship) Louis Pasteur was a French ocean liner designed to rival the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in the luxury tourist trade of the 1930’s.It had the misfortune of being launched in the spring of 1940 just as the Germans were closing in on Paris with their panzers. Because of its high speed, the Louis Pasteur was loaded with 213 tonnes of gold bullion from the French gold reserves, which then rushed it to safety in Canada. By the time the Louis Pasteur landed it was technically an enemy ship because it now belonged to the Vichy French who were allies of the Germans. As the liner docked in Halifax,a small party of Canadian sailors and officials ‘captured’ it. The gold was off-loaded, and the Louis Pasteur was immediately drafted into service as a troop ship. The Louis Pasteur transported tens of thousands of soldiers across the Atlantic Ocean – Canadian and American service people easy on their way to Europe, and thousands of Italian and German prisoners of war west to be settled in the prisoner of war camp.All told she carried 220,000 troops 30,000 wounded and travelled 370,669 miles during the war.

….

434 Squadron – The Bluenose Squadron

The unit was first formed at Tholthorpe,United Kingdom on 13 June 1943, flying the Handley Page Halifax Mk V. On 13 August 1943 it flew its first operational sortie, a bombing raid across the Alps to Milan, Italy. In May 1944 the unit received Halifax Mk IIIs to replace its Mk Vs. The squadron was adopted by the Rotary Club of Halifax, Nova Scotia and to show its connection to the city adopted the nickname “Bluenose Squadron”, the common nickname for people from Nova Scotia and a tribute to the schooner Bluenose

The squadron moved to Croft in December 1943 and re-equipped with Avro Lancaster Mk Is and Mk Xs in December 1944. After VE Day the squadron was earmarked for Tiger Force to carry on the war against Japan, but was never deployed to the far east. The unit was disbanded at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on 5 September 1945.


Daily Events notice at Croft for March 9th 1944 B McGouran’s first day at 434 Squadron (spelling of his name is incorrect!)

Statistic for 434 Squadron during WW2

Details	434 Squadron	F/O Bernard McGouran
Bombing Mission	179	34
Mining Ops,	17	3
Diversionary,	1	–
Sea Search	1	–
Individual Sorties	2582	37
Total Hours Flown	14,622	239.45
Bomb Tonnage Dropped	10,358 tons	134
Mines Layed	225	6
Enemy Aircraft Destroyed	7	1 See note Sgt Foster	“We Conquer In The Heights”
Probable Enemy Aircraft Destroyed	2	–	Crew 81 F/O W. Wright – Pilot F/O H. Billingsley – Navigator F/O B. McGouran Bomb Aimer P/O G. Philips Wireless Operator/AG P/O D. Gray – Middle Upper/AG Sgt J. Foster Rear/AG Sgt S. Mulligan – FlightEngineer
Enemy Aircraft Damaged	4	–
Squadron Aircraft Destroyed	75	–
Individuals Killed	347	–
Individuals taken Prisoner of War	121	–
Individuals who evaded capture and escaped	16	–

	Details of the Medals above The Air Crew Europe Medal Top Left Voluntary Service Medal Top Center The 1939-1945 Star Top Right The Defence Medal Bottom Left RCAF Operational Tour Wings Bottom Center War Medal 1939-1945 Bottom Right.