Truax, James Lyall
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | James Lyall |
Surname | Truax |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 26-11-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Isaac Randall Truax and Eva Clara Rose Truax (née Hicks), of Maxville , Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | LW242 |
Markings | VR-N |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Rheinberg War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 8. K. 24. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 256 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/169016 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
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
James was born on 29 August 1923 at Maxville, Ontario. His father was born at Greenville, Ontario and had worked as a contractor for Bell Telephone Company and his mother, who was deceased by the time of James's enlistment, was born at Montreal. He had two sisters Myrtle, an LACW In the RCAF, and a baby sister Eileen aged 4 months. The schools he attended were Dominionville Public 1929-1938 followed by Maxville High School 1938-1939. He enjoyed Hockey and Baseball and his hobby was mechanical work. James worked in farming for two months in 1939, he was then unemployed at home 1939-1940, spent another 2 months as a kitchen helper during 1940 but left because he didn’t like it. He ended up working for his father in Maxville as a labourer 1940-1942. James then enlisted on 1 June 1942 in Ottawa. |
After training he was posted to the U.K. and embarked from Canada on 22 June 1943 arriving at 3PRC on 2 July 1943. He then continued to 22 OTU 7 July 1943, 1659 CU 20 September 1943 and 419 Squadron 15 October 1943. Sadly James was to lose his life the following month on 26 November 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/44 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/43 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 26-11-1943 |
End Date | 27-11-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Stuttgart. 178 aircraft on a diversionary raid alongside a raid on Berlin. 6 Halifaxes Lost (3.4%). Bombing was very scattered and caused little damage, although part of the night-fighter force was drawn off from the Berlin raid. |
Reason for Loss | Believed to have crashed near Sankt Ingbert, Germany |