HOUSTON, (HUESTON) James Young
NAME HOUSTON James Young
RANK Flight Sergeant 90327 RAF Group 8 RAF Bomber Command
SQUADRON No. 405 “Eagle” City of Vancouver Pathfinder
“we lead”
Group 8 RAF Bomber Command
Gransden Lodge Airfield in Bedfordshire
Squadron Markings LQ G Born Auburn - Township of West Wawanosh - County of Huron - Ontario Residence Auburn - Ontario Died May 28, 1943 21 years Cemetery Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Kleve - Reichswald Forest - Rhine Westphalia - Germany
5 E 8
Parents Mr. John and Mary Houston - Auburn - Ontario
James was born on May 16, 1922 in Auburn. While growing up he had chicken pox and whooping cough. His schooling took place at SS #3 Colborne Township from 1928-1936, Auburn Continuation School 1936-1937 and from 1939-1940 until enlistment he took is fist year at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph. While in Guelph he was a member of the Canadian Officer Training Corp. From May of 1940 until enlistment he worked for Mr. J. A. Cameron located at R.R. 7 on his farm.
Continuation School in Auburn. He then attended the University of Guelph at the Agricultural College. As
he grew up, he enjoyed baseball along with hockey. He enjoyed baseball, hockey and rugby. The family attended the Presbyterian Church.
Canada
On February 26, 1941 at the age of 18 years James went to London and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air
Force. He was sworn in February 1941 and re-posted to London in June. Upon his enlistment he stood 5' 8" tall and his weight was 152 pounds. He had a fair complexion with hazel eyes and medium brown hair. From February 26-June 9, 1941 Aircraftsman 2 Houston was at the London Recruitment Centre. He was next posted to No. 1 Manning Depot between June 10-August 3. While he was here he took Security Guard Training.Between August 4-November 8 he was at Camp Borden attending No. 1 Service Flying Training School. While here he had leave between November 1-8. His next posting began on November 9 in Montreal at No. 1 Wireless School. While here he received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. He had leave from January 5-12, 1942. LAC Houston remained at No. 1 Wireless School until July 4,1942 and at the point he was posted to No. 9 Bombing and Gunnery School based at Mont Joli in Quebec until August 15, 1942. While here he received his Air Gunner Badge on August 4. At this time he had embarkation Leave from August 6-29 and was then posted No. 1 "Y" Depot in Halifax.
Overseas
LAC Houston embarked from Halifax and Canada on October 26 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on November 4. The next day November 5 he attended No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre where he stayed until December 28. The year 1943 began with LAC being posted to No. 23 OTU operated from RAF Stratford in Warwickshire. While posted here he received the rank of Flight Sergeant. When he was here he wired his parents and asked for some money as he was expecting leave from February 17-April 11. He was there until his next posting to No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit where he would be flying in 4 engine aircraft and he was there from April 10-29. This HCU was based at Leeming and Topcliffe in North Yorkshire. Then at the end of April he was posted for three weeks to RCAF408 Squadron based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire. Then on May 26, 1943 he was posted to RCAF 405 "Eagle" Squadron which was the only RCAF Pathfinder Squadron in RAF Bomber Command Group 8. The mission for the night of May 27/28 was Essen -Germany. This was an important industrial city with Krupp Industries producing steel, artillery pieces and howitzers, ammunition, tanks along with other armaments for the German war effort. Halifax HR 807 LQ G lifted off the runway at Gransden Lodge at 10:48 pm and never returned from the mission. As they were passing over or near Duesseldorf they were hit by heavy flak units but managed to stay in the air for approximately 18 miles. At this point the aircraft crashed at 1:20 am at Langenberg - Velbect - Nordrhein - West Falen - Germany. Flight Sergeant Houston was killed in action at this time.
Flight Sergeant Houston is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial, on the Lucknow and St Helens Cenotaphs, on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial, on RCAF 405 Squadron Association Roll of Honour and on the Memorial window in Great Gransdon in Bedforshire - England. In October of 1944 his mother Mary received the Memorial Cross and some time later Flight Sergeant Houstron was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
• In March 1943 he cabled his family saying he was expecting three weeks leave and to please cable him
some money. Then in April he cabled again and asked his family to sink $100 into the new Victory Loan.
• No. 405 Squadron was the only RCAF Pathfinder Squadron.
• On the night of May 27th Halifax HR 807 with F/S Houston on board left Gransden Lodge on a mission to
Essen in Germany. The weather was fair with variable cloud at 3,000’. There was moderate to good
visability and the winds were out of the NW and were light to moderate. The aircraft left the runway at 22:48
hours. There had been 6 aircraft from the squadron detailed for this mission.
• This aircraft was shot down by flak over Dusseldorf while at 19,000 feet. The aircraft crashed at 01:20
hours near the target area on the morning of May 28, 1943. Four crew members were killed and three
became POWs.
• Essen was an important target because of the Krupp steel works that produced ammunition and armaments.
The weather over the target was cloudy and the sky marking caused under bombing.
• The “battle of the Ruhr” began in March 1943 and lasted for 4 months. During this period 18,506 sorties
were flown with 872 aircraft not returning to their bases.
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