van Camp, Ralph Hughes
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Ralph Hughes |
Surname | van Camp |
Gender | M |
Age | 27 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 15-06-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Arthur Van Camp and Sarah Margaret Van Camp (née Swain), of Blackstock, Ontario. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | ED980 |
Markings | PG- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
Burial/Memorial Place | Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | XVI. E. 7. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 109 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/134679 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 5 |
Squadron | 619 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Vancamp Lake, Manitoba; Within Caribou River Park Reserve |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Thorpe Camp, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial with Inscribed Lettering and Sqn Badges |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those who flew from RAF Woodhall Spa during WW2, including 619 Sqn |
Location | St. Peter's Church, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to all those who served with 619 Sqn during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
Ralph was born on 18 July 1915 in Blackstock, Ontario. Both parents were born in Ontario and his father, a farmer, died in 1941. He came from a large family of eleven children having four sisters, Jessie, Annie, Susan and Olive and six brothers, William, Harry, Percy, Stanford, Norton and John. Ralph attended the following schools, S.S.#Cartwright, 1921-1928 (complete) and Bowmanville High 1928-1933 (Grade X1, Snr, Matric). He also took a Correspondence course in accountancy, 1935-1936. He had a St. John’s Ambulance certificate and also a Life Saving Instructor‘s Certificate. The sports he enjoyed were baseball and hockey and his hobby was Public Speaking. He worked as a Salesman and furniture clerk for several years including time with the Hudson Bay Company and Ralph also spent five years or more working In the Funeral business. |
Ralph enlisted on 25 October 1941 and after training, embarked from Canada on 7 August 1942 arriving in the U.K. at 3 PRC on 19 August 1942. He went on to 29 OTU 13 October 1942, 1660 CU 8 March 1943 and 619 Squadron 23 April 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 14-06-1943 |
End Date | 15-06-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Woodhall Spa |
Day/Night Raid | Night (86% moon) |
Operation | Oberhausen |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by night-fighter (Hptm Frank, I./NJG1) & crashed nr. Schijndel, Holland. |