WO1. Alexander Orest "Chiefy" Zacharuk MID
Royal Canadian Air Force Bomb Aimer 432 Squadron
from:Mirror, Alberta, Canada
Alexander Zacharuk's citation reads: "Under a calm and quiet manner he has always maintained a fine offensive spirit in action which inspired confidence in his crew members and other crews in his flight. Eleven of his 26 operational sorties have been over heavily defended targets in Germany, such as Dusseldorf, Essen, Brunswick, Berlin (three times), Stuttgart and Frankfurt."
Halifax NP706 (QO-J) took off at 0326 hours, on the 18th of July 1944 from East Moor to bomb fortified positions facing the Allied push towards Caen. The aircraft was shot down in flames by flak.
This was a very experienced crew whose skipper had flown 31 operations. the crew consisted of:
- F/Sgt R E Burton (RCAF) was mortally wounded and is buried in Bretteville-sur-Laine Canadian War Cemetery.
- F/L J.H. Cooper (RCAF, POW),
- Sergeant S.D. Wright (RCAF, POW),
- Sergeant H.E. Oakeby (evader),
- F/O R.P. Dryden (RCAF, POW),
- WO2 A. Zacharuk (RCAF, evader),
- WO1 K.E. Elliott (RCAF, POW),
- F/L J.H. Cooper was interned in Camp L3, POW No.7607,
- F/O R.P. Dryden in Camp L1, POW No.5171,
- WO1 K.E. Elliott in Camp L7, POW No.452
- Sergeant S.D. Wright, in Camp L7 POW No.500.
