Watson, Joseph William
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Joseph William |
Surname | Watson |
Gender | M |
Age | 33 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 05-04-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Howard Watson and Violet Frances Watson (née Brown), of Tara, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Alice Louise Watson (née Corbet). |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster I |
Serial Number | RF150 |
Markings | QB-W |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Brookwood Military Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 51. F. 6. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 261 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/41735 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 424 (Tiger) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Village Green, Lane End, Buckinghamshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone War Memorial |
Memorial Text | In memory of the crew of Lancaster RF150 of 424 Sqn RCAF, which crashed on 5th April 1945 |
Location | Widdenton Wood, Lane End Buckinghamshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone and inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of the crew of Lancaster RF150 of 424 Sqn RCAF, which crashed on 5th April 1945 |
Location | Village Green, Skipton on Swale, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone, inscribed Metal Plaque & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to the Canadian personnel who served at RAF Skipton on Swale during WW2, including 424 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Joseph was born on 13 May 1911 at Tara, Bruce County, Ontario. His father was a farmer and born at Tara and had sadly died in 1913, his mother was born at Burgoyne, Ontario. He had one sister named Rhem Marie. The schools he attended were Ryerson High School (1916-1924) , Owen Sound Collegiate Insttute (1924-1928), then vocational school (1928- 1929) for drafting and woodwork. He then spent 3 months at Business college in 1930. Joseph worked as a Drug Clerk at Owen Sound 1933-1934 and did line work at Rural Hydro, also Owen Sound. His sport interests were hockey, tennis, skiing and track & field. He had won awards for target shooting. |
He enlisted on 3 December 1941 in Toronto. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1835/30 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1835/29 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 04-04-1945 |
End Date | 05-04-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Skipton on Swale |
Day/Night Raid | Night (58% moon) |
Operation | Leuna- to attack a synthetic oil plant. 341 aircraft, 3 losses. The target was partly cloud covered and bombing was scattered with only minor damage to the intended target |
Reason for Loss | Flew into high ground on the return, SW of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, not far from Bomber Command headquarters |