Watterson, David Douglas

Date of birth:: September 7th, 1919 (Germiston/Transvaal, Zuid-Afrika)
Date of death:: April 25th, 1944 (Zuilichem/Gelderland, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Zuilichem
Row: 1. Grave: 1-3.
Service number:: J/20177
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

David Douglas Watterson was born in Germiston, Transvaal South Africa on September 7, 1919, the son of David Watterson (Scottish) and Annie May Watterson- Funston (Irish) of Windsor Ontario. They were married in Germiston. His brothers were John Robertson (RCAF in Canada) and Terence Reid Watterson and his sister was Mary Evelyn Watterson.
He married Margaret Joyce Watterson-Traub on April 14, 1944 in Marston Green, Warwick England and their son David Douglas Watterson was born on January 16, 1945.

His occupation was an accountant and he was a member of the United Church of Canada. His sports were swimming, ice hockey, softball, baseball, volleyball and handball and his hobby was aircraft modeling.

He enlisted in the RCAF at Windsor on August 16, 1941 and received the Pilots Flying Badge on October 23, 1942. On June 4, 1943, he left for the UK and upon arrival participated in several air operations of his squadron to NW Europe.

Alfred died on Tuesday, April 25, 1944 at the age of 23 yrs. due to a crash near the south bank of the river Waal near the village of Zuilichem after an attack on Karlsruhe Germany. Their Halifax bomber was damaged by debris from another bomber, making it an easy target for a night fighter.

He was buried in the Zuilichem Municipal Cemetery in collective grave row 1, 1-3. The other fallen crew members buried in the same Coll. grave were WO Edward V. Webb, age 21, F/O Alfred S. Redmonds, age 23 and F/O William Murphy, age 22, all RCAF and Arthur Hansford, RAFVR, age 36. The other RCAF crew members Sgt Ray G. Tanner and Sgt Bryan M. Cassidy were able to save themselves by parachute and were made prisoners of war. Both survived the war.

He was posthumously awarded the War Medal 1939-45 and his widow received The Memorial Bar in September 1945.

He served with 420 Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.

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