Laing, Richard Arthur
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Richard Arthur |
Surname | Laing |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 12-02-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Arthur Stewart Laing and Margaret Ann Laing (née Watt), of Montreal. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington IC |
Serial Number | Z1146 |
Markings | VR-E |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 100. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 195 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/5334 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Church of St. John, Beck Row, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on rear external wall of Church |
Memorial Text | In remembrance of all who served at RAF Mildenhall and associated aerodromes in the cause of freedom, 1939-1945 |
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
Richard was born on 16 March 1917 in Montrea. His father (who was retired) was born in Peterborough, Ontario and had been manager of the Marlborough Golf Club, his mother was born in Guelph. His father died in 1942. He had two brothers, Sgt. Robert W. was in the 1st Canadian Army overseas and Lieutenant Alan R. was also overseas in the Canadian Army. He also had two sisters, Helen who was in the RCAF and Dorothy. Two other brothers had sadly died, Donald in 1909 and Harold in 1928. Richard went to the Elizabeth Ballantyne school 1923-1931 (General), Montreal West High School 1931-1935 (Jnr. Matric) and he then attended the Montreal West Business College 1935-1936 on a stenographer’s course. He was interested in skiing and tennis and had also been a Boy Scout for four years and a School cadet for three years. Richard worked in the Dominion Bank, Montreal 1936-1940 as a clerk, ledger keeper and teller. |
He enlisted on 7 October 1940 and after training was posted to the U.K. Richard was at 3 PRC. 19 June 1941, 21 OTU 12 July 1941, 101 Squadron 14 September 1941 and 419 Squadron 8 February 1942. Just days later Richard very sadly lost his life. |
Casualty Pack Number Find Out More
AIR 81/12170 (P366165/42) |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 12-02-1942 |
End Date | 12-02-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Mildenhall |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Operation Fuller- to bomb German battle cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen after they left Brest harbour |
Reason for Loss | Presumed lost off the Dutch coast. P/O Armstrong was the only member of the crew found in the dinghy, but he had perished from exposure |