Remembering World War II

Albert Thomas LeBlanc Pilot Officer J/42865 428 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force July 12, 1925 Westville, Pictou Co., NS September 6, 1943 Halifax, NS 17 5 feet, 7 inches Medium Blue Light Brown Single Student Roman Catholic Bridget Mae LeBlanc (Mother) Westville, Pictou Co., NS December 28, 1944 19 Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany 6. D. 14. Commemorated on Page 362 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on August 2 Albert Thomas LeBlanc was the son of Albert Laurent LeBlanc and Mary (Mae) Bridget (Carrigan) LeBlanc of Westville, Pictou Co., NS and the brother of Ann Elizabeth LeBlanc. His father, Albert Laurent LeBlanc was born in Wedgeport, Yarmouth Co., NS. Pilot Officer LeBlanc enlisted on September 6, 1943 and trained in Canada until April, 1944. He received his Air Gunner Badge on March 10, 1944. He embarked Canada on April 29, 1944 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on May 7, 1944. On November 12, 1944 he was assigned to 428 Squadron. On the night December 28 Lancaster KB 798 with a crew of seven failed to return to base after bombing operations against Opladen. This was the ninth operation for Albert LeBlanc serving as an air gunner of the flights with 428 Squadron. In February, 1945 the International Red Cross at Geneva confirmed the death of Pilot Officer LeBlanc, based upon information received from German reports. It was later determined that the aircraft had been shot down at 6:30 am on December 28, 1944 near Schlwbusch, sixteen miles south east of Dusseldorf, Germany and the seven crew members including Pilot Officer LeBlanc, an air gunner on the flight, were buried in the Leverkusen-Niesfort Manfort Communal Cemetery. In 1947 the remains of the seven crew were re-buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. The crew of Lancaster KB 798 Ernest William Page, Flying Officer RCAF (Pilot) (J35427) Hamilton, Ontario Age 26 Sydney Dalton Hewson, Flying Officer RCAF(Navigator) (J39370) Hamilton, Ontario Age 21 Arthur Allen Dixon, Flying Officer RCAF (Air Bomber) (J37706) Smith Falls, Ontario Age 19 George Frederick Owen, Sergeant RAFVR (Flight Engineer) (1880694) Nottinghamshire, UK Age 22 Robert Allan Ebber, Flying Officer RCAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) (J42359) Hamilton, Ontario Age 24 Keith Oscar McDivitt Flying Officer RCAF (Air Gunner) (J43668) Bala, Ontario Age 21 Albert Thomas LeBlanc Flying Officer RCAF (Air Gunner) (J42865) Westville, NS Age 19

Albert Thomas LeBlanc

Source: findagrave Canadian Virtual War Memorial