Hamilton, William Harry
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | William Harry |
Surname | Hamilton |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 04-10-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Dewey John Hamilton and Zelma Marion Hamilton (nee Rapley), of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | JD204 |
Markings | VR-L |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Rheinberg War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 20. B. 28. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 176 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/21291 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside Former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Memorial Tablet on Stone Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to Nos 419, 420 and 428 Sqns RCAF who flew from RAF Middleton St George during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
William was born on 26 December 1921 at Windsor, Ontario. Both parents were born in Ontario. His father was a refrigeration engineer at Amherstburgh and his mother was born at St. Thomas. He had a brother Rapley who was a PoW in Germany. The schools he attended were Prince Edward, 1928-1935 (general) and Walkerville Collegiate Institute 1935-1940 (Jnr. Matric and upper school). William played a lot of sports but was particularly interested in football, and basketball. He also built model aeroplanes. William had no occupation and was described as being ‘fresh from school’. |
He enlisted on 28 October 1940 and after training embarked for the U.K. where he arrived on 13 February 1943. From there he went to 14(P)AFU on 9 March 1943, 23 OTU 20 April 1943, 1659 CU 2 July 1943 and 419 Squadron on 25 July 1943. William sadly lost his life on 4 October 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/42 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/41 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 04-10-1943 |
End Date | 05-10-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Night (30% moon) |
Operation | Frankfurt. 409 aircraft including three B-17s. 11 losses, including one B-17 (2.5%). This was the last raid where American aircraft were involved. Clear weather led to good marking and extensive destruction to the eastern half of the city and the inland docks. Tragically, an orphanage housed in a former Jewish hospital suffered a direct hit resulting in the death of 90 children, 14 nuns and some other members of staff |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter on outbound leg and crashed at Sohren, WSW of Kirschberg, Germany |