Field, William Ewart Nixon
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | William Ewart Nixon |
Surname | Field |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Date of Death | 27-06-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Ewart Saunders Field and Anna Olive Field (née Whitaker), of Québec, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | W1175 |
Markings | LQ-Q |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 103. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 163 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/56351 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 405 (Vancouver) |
Squadron Motto | Duicmus (We lead) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Village Windmill, Mill Rd, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Remembering 405 (Vancouver) Sqn. PFF at Gransden Lodge 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Bartholomew's Church, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, RoH and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the 801 airmen of 405 Sqn. RCAF who gave their lives 1941 - 1945 |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Marble Pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of 102 (Ceylon) and 405 (Vancouver) Sqns. Pocklington Airfield |
Miscellaneous Information
William was born on 16 May 1920 in Québec, Canada. His parents were both born in Ontario, his father, in London, who was a Sales Manager, now retired, and his mother in Toronto. He had four infant brothers who very sadly, all died at birth. He attended Lower Canada College 1927-1937 followed by McGill University 1938-1940 on a night course in accounting. Between 1931-1937 William was a Sergeant in the Lower Canada Cadet Corps. His sport interests were hockey, football, swimming, golf and tennis He worked as a Junior Chartered Accountant between 1938-1940. |
He enlisted on 24 August 1940. After training he was posted to the U.K. and embarked from Canada 21 July 1941 arriving in the U.K. on 16 August 1941. He the went to 21 OTU on 23 August 1941, 22 OTU on 30 August 1941 and 405 Squadron on 3 November 1941. Sadly on 27 June 1942 William lost his life. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1787/26 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1787/41 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 27-06-1942 |
End Date | 28-06-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Pocklington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (99% moon) |
Operation | Bremen. 144 aircraft in this second of three attacks in a week on this target. Gee was used to blind-bomb through complete cloud cover. Atlas Werke and the Korff refinery were hit for a second time, the first being the Thousand Radi two days earlier. |
Reason for Loss | Presumed lost over the sea |