The Last Flight of Halifax JB837
 25/26th May 1943
Joseph BERTHIAUME

Rank Pilot Officer
Name Joseph Francois Exavier Gilles BERTHIAUME
Position Pilot
Nationality Canadian
Service Royal Canadian Air Force
Unit 7 (RAF) Squadron
Age 20
Service No. J/17079
Grave Rheinberg War Cemetery, 4.D.21

Joseph Berthiaume was the son of Adrian and Mrs. Berthiaume of Hawkesbury, near Ottowa in Canada. He attended St. Michael's college in Toronto and enlisted at the age of eighteen. He died on 26th May 1943 while piloting a Short Stirling heavy bomber on a mission to bomb Düsseldorf when his aircraft was destroyed following the blast of an accompanying aircraft, Halifax JB837. Despite his young age of 20, he had already completed over 25 missions over enemy territory.

Photograph and article above from the Toronto Star. Newspaper cutting below from the Ottowan Citizen.

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Service Record
MISSIONS WITH 214 SQUADRON
Date Aircraft Target
18-19/01/1943 Stirling Mk I W7577 Sea Mining (?)
3-4/02/1943 Stirling Mk I R9163 Hamburg
4-5/02/1943 Stirling Mk I R9323 Turin
13-14/02/1943 Stirling Mk I R9323 Lorient
16-17/02/1943 Stirling Mk I R9163 Lorient
17-18/02/1943 Stirling EF335 Sea Mining?
19-20/02/1943 Stirling EF335 Wilhelmshaven
19-20/02/1943 Stirling Mk I R9323 Nuremberg
26-27/02/1943 Stirling Mk I W7577 Cologne
MISSIONS WITH 7 SQUADRON
Date Aircraft Target
22/3/43 Stirling BF339 'B' St Nazaire - Flak Damaged Slats.
27/3/43 Stirling Mk I R9199 MG-F Air Sea Rescue. Failed Mission
27/3/43Stirling Mk I R9199 MG-F Berlin - Abandoned - Rear Turret Not Working.
28/3/43 Stirling Mk I R9199 MG-F St Nazaire
29/3/43Stirling Mk I R9199 MG-F Berlin
4/4/43 Stirling Mk I R9156 MG-H Kiel
10/4/43Stirling Mk I R9156 MG-H Frankfurt
14/4/43 Stirling EF361 'MG-B' Stuttgart
1/5/43EF361 'B.2' 'MG-B' Bocholt
13/5/43EF361 'B.2 'MG-B' Bochum
23/5/43Stirling Mk I EF361 'MG-B' Dortmund
25/5/43 Stirling Mk I EF361 'MG-B' Dusseldorf - Missing