Updated post 10 November 2020
This first chapter was published two years ago. Today the son of Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams contacted me.
Hello,
I believe my father flew with squadron 416 toward the end of the war.
He didn’t talk a lot about the war, but did mention his friend Larry Spur from time to time, and I see on this website that name. I am wondering if you have any information on my father F/L Ken Williams Spitfire pilot.Cheers,
Ken Williams
Flight Lieutenant Ken Williams’ son spotted his father. He is seen behind the propeller.
Original post
All the information you need to know will be on these first pages.
These are taken from Gordon McKenzie Hill’s logbook carefully scanned by Clarence Simonsen.
This is the first page of the logbook. Gordon Hill is taken on strength at No. 4 EFTS Windsor Mills, Quebec.
His first flight is on July 22, 1942. Sergeant Cochand is flying Tiger Moth DH82E serial number 8929.
As always, I wonder what happened to the people whose names appear in a logbook.
What about Sergeant M. Cochand?
What about Tiger Moth 8922?
Tiger Moth #8922 was built at Downsview, Ontario in 1942. It saw service with No. 12 EFTS, Goderich, Ontario and No. 4 EFTS, Windsor Mills, Quebec until 1945, when it was sold to the Royal Canadian Air Force Association. The Tiger Moth was then stored for over 25 years. The Museum acquired the aircraft through George Neal, then a de Havilland Canada test pilot. The Tiger Moth was donated to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum by John Weir in 1973. A five year restoration program followed before the Tiger Moth returned to the skies once again.
Source:
With Ken Williams’s service number (J/89359 – enter as J89359 when searching) you can find his service record on ancestry.ca.
You can also contact me for more details on Ken Williams’s career.
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Ken Williams did not die in WWII so he can’t be the one with this record of service John.
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I will look at this one though John.
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Tell me more about his career since he did not die in WWII.
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Service number is correct, but you are right, he will not be found on ancestry.
Here are some postings:
6 SFTS May 1943
1 OTU August 27th 1943
3 PRC February 1st 1944
61 OTU March 21st 1944
3 TEU June 2nd 1944
1690 Flight June6th 1944
83 GSU December 10th 1944
416 Squadron December 25th 1944
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6 SFTS would be Dunnville, Ontario – 1 OTU would be Bagotville. I visited those two places. What were his ITS and EFTS?
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5 ITS December 28th 1942
20 EFTS March 7th 1943
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Thanks John.
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Hello Pierre, My name is Doug Hill. I am F/O Gordon Hill’s son. I have a question and am wondering if it might be possible for you contact me directly on my email? Thanks!
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I will.
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I just did.
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