Whitley, Robert Widdop
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Robert Widdop |
Surname | Whitley |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 30-05-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Alfred Whitley and Eliza Whitley (née Widdop), of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington III |
Serial Number | X3715 |
Markings | VR-G |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Viroflay New Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Row A. Grave 1. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 264 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/67591 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
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
Robert was born on 1 May 1919 at London, Ontario. His father, born in Bingley, Yorkshire was the manager of A. Whitley and Co.and his mother was also born in Bingley. The schools he attended were Hugh Beaton 1925-1933, and Walkerville Collegiate, Windsor 1933-1937. His sport interests were shooting, hunting and rugby and had carried out repair work on typewriters, calculators etc. Robert worked for his father, A Whitley & Co, Windsor as a salesman and studying the business, office equipment etc. from 1937 onwards until enlisting on 1 July 1940, |
After training he embarked from Halifax for the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 7 June 1941. He then continued to 15 OTU 14 June 1941, 1 SS 21 July 1941, 22 OTU 13 September 1941 and 419 Squadron 24 January 1942. Sadly Robert was to lose his life on 30 May 1942. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/10 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/9 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 29-05-1942 |
End Date | 30-05-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Mildenhall |
Day/Night Raid | Night (100% moon) |
Operation | Gennevilliers- Gnome & Rhone factory. Aerial photographs show little or no damage to the factory. Some damage to local houses and 34 French people reported killed |
Reason for Loss | Crashed NW of Gennevilliers |