Blight, William Gerald
Personal Information
Rank | WO2 |
Forename(s) | William Gerald |
Surname | Blight |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 14-04-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Cyril Blight and Lila Muriel Blight (née Steele), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Jeanne Blight (née Parker), whom he married on 19 January 1943 in Middleton St. George, Durham, England. Father of Geraldine Dawn Blight, born in November 1943. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington X |
Serial Number | HE863 |
Markings | PT- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Rocquigny Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 132 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/115483 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
William was born on 23 December 1920 at Toronto. His father worked as a Tanner and was born in Cornwall, England and his mother was born in Albion Township, Ontario. He had one brother, Grant and a sister Lois. He went to King George (Public) school 1926-1934 and Newmarket High school, 1934-1939. The sports he played were handball, and softball. His hobby was carpentry and he also spent 7 years playing in a trumpet band. When William left school he worked as a tinsmith 1939-1940, part time, for Brunt Manufacturing Co, and then as a clerk for Canada Packers 1940-1941. |
He enlisted on 23 July 1941 and after training was posted to the U.K. on 30 April 1942, arriving at 3 PRC on 13 May 1942. He then went to 3 (0) AFU, 23 OTU 14 July 1942 and 420 Squadron 28 September 1942. Sadly, William was to lose his life on 14 April 1943 |
His wife Jeanne was a WAAF who lived near to the squadron's station. William was destined never to see his daughter, who was born seven months after his death. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/28 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/27 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 14-04-1943 |
End Date | 15-04-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Night (72% moon) |
Operation | Stuttgart. 462 aircraft, 23 losses (5.0%). PFF claimed accurate marking but the bombing was concentrated to the north east. This is an example of a phenomenon called 'creepback' where successive crews would release their bombs earlier and earlier on an effort to turn for home as quickly as possible. Fortunately the bombed suburbs included many industrial installations so some useful damage was caused. An air raid shelter packed with French and Russian PoWs was hit, increasing the death toll to 619, a new record. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter on return leg and crashed NW of Rethel, France |