R/116943, Royal Canadian Air Force
Born 8 Feb 1918 London, Ontario
Died 5 Aug 1944 Creswell, Derbyshire, England
Age 26
Towards the end of the Great War, Willis Don (Bill) was born to Percival and Gladys Murdie in London, Ontario Canada. He was the second of their three sons.
Developing into a strong athletic young man, Bill was fond of swimming, baseball and other sports. As a possible sign of things to come, in public school he spent 2 years in cadets and had a passion for cars and airplanes.
Bill specialized in motor mechanics at technical school and from there he went to work at a service station. Shortly thereafter he joined the local militia regiment, the Canadian Fusiliers, City of London Regiment in the fall of 1940. Reserve records show that he had a strong interest in the RCAF and enlisted in August 1941. By then his younger brother Ross was a sergeant in Canada’s air force.
Sadly, just a few months later, he lost his younger brother (20) to a car accident while Ross was on embarkation leave back in London, Ontario.
Bill continued to train as general air crew and managed, within a year, to prove capable enough to be permitted to follow his real ambition… the air pilot’s program.
January 1943 proved to be a very busy time for Bill. He was awarded his Pilots Flying Badge, received orders to transfer to England and married his sweetheart, Betty Lucille Thurman all in the same week. February 1943 Bill arrived in Bournemouth.
Bill Murdie was to spend several more months flying single and multiple engine aircraft in Great Britain, including the illustrious Wellington Bomber. He was about midway through training when the tragic accident occurred taking his life and the lives of his fellow crew.
Quote: … for there are only so many words to wrap up the cold truth; whether you die over occupied territory, or a few miles from the safety of your own aerodrome, the result is the same… you may be free of the pain of combat, but not your family! James R. Pope; The Five Dancing Ladies p.78
Education
From what I can piece together from his service records and family information he attended the following schools in London, Ontario:
- Governor Simcoe School (elementary 1923-33)
- H.B. Beal Technical and Commercial High School (1933-36) http://www.tvdsb.ca/Beal.cfm
Employment
- O Pee Chee Factory, Machine Operator - 1938-38
- Shell Canada, Service Station Attendant – 1938-41
Other Family
He had two brothers one younger Ross Thomas Murdie and one older Jack Parks Murdie. Tragically his brother Ross Thomas also in the RCAF was killed in 1941 as the result of an auto accident. Willis was also married to Betty Lucille Thurman (maried sometime after enlisting, 1941 or later) however, there are no known children.
Military Service
- Cadets
- Canadian Fusiliers
- Enlisted - 22 August 1941
- Killed - 5 August 1944
- Buried in Harrogate Military Cemetery, UK
Rank - Reclassifications and Promotions
- A.C.2 22 August 1941
- L.A.C. 23 May 1942
- T/Sergeant 22 Jan 1943
- T/Flight Sergeant 22 Jul 43
- T/Warrant Officer 2nd Class 22 Jan 1944
- Warrant Officer 1st Class (22 Jul 1944)
Source: Library and Archives Canada, RG 24, volume 26693, Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead.
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R/116943, Royal Canadian Air Force
Born 8 Feb 1918 London, Ontario
Died 5 Aug 1944 Creswell, Derbyshire, England
Age 26
Towards the end of the Great War, Willis Don (Bill) was born to Percival and Gladys Murdie in London, Ontario Canada. He was the second of their three sons.
Developing into a strong athletic young man, Bill was fond of swimming, baseball and other sports. As a possible sign of things to come, in public school he spent 2 years in cadets and had a passion for cars and airplanes.