Hesp, William John
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | William John |
Surname | Hesp |
Gender | M |
Age | 27 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 29-08-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of John James Hesp and Annie Mari Hesp (née Newton), of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington III |
Serial Number | X3647 |
Markings | KO-A |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Attigny Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Grave 1. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 181 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/86357 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 115 |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Hesp Lake, Manitoba; 25km north of Whitefish, Manitoba |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Lancaster Industrial Estate, Witchford, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Pillar with inscribed Slate Tablets & Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In honour of those who served during the Second World War 1939 - 1945 |
Miscellaneous Information
William was born on 16 February 1915 at Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father was born at Toronto and he worked as a packer for the Blue Ribbon Tea Company and his mother, deceased, was born in Ontario. The schools William attended in Winnipeg were, Luxton 1921- 1929, St. John ‘s Winnipeg 1929-1932 and again 1932-1933. He then went to the Russell Business Institute between April-December 1936. His sport interests were golf, hockey and baseball and he enjoyed wood working and making model aeroplanes. William worked as an office clerk and was a timekeeper, clerk 1935-1936. He was with Currie School Equipment as an office clerk 1937-1938, and was then a clerk in a purchasing department from 1939 until enlisting. |
He enlisted on 7 January 1941 and after training embarked for the U.K. on 9 February 1942 arriving at 3 PRC on 20 February 1942. He went on to 2 AFU 8 April 1942, 22 OTU on 12 May 1942 and 115 Squadron 2 August 1942. William sadly lost his life later that month on 29 August 1942. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/889/16 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/889/15 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 28-08-1942 |
End Date | 29-08-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Marham |
Day/Night Raid | Night (90% moon) |
Operation | Nuremburg. 159 aircraft despatched- incurred 23 (14.5%) losses. Low altitude attack. PFF used target indicators for the first time and were able to place them with great accuracy. Much damage in the Altstadt and the Nazi rally area in the south of the city |
Reason for Loss | Crashed on the south bank of the Aisne at Attigny, France |