Butler, Reginald Lewis

Date of birth:: May 6th, 1919 (Ingersoll/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:: November 20th, 1944 (Volkel/North-Brabant, Netherlands)
Buried on:: Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek
Plot: XVII. Row: A. Grave: 5.
Service number:: R/78661
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Corporal
Royal Canadian Air Force
401 Squadron, 126 Wing, 83 Group

In October 1944, the 401 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force operated from Air Base 'B-80' in Volkel and subsequently from 'B-88', near Heesch, in the Netherlands. On Monday November 20, 1944 Flying Officer Charles A. Tidy of No. 3 Squadron Royal Air Force departed from B-80 Volkel. However, the engine of its Tempest V EJ658 failed after take-off, whereupon the pilot tried to make an emergency landing at the same Air Base. When approaching the Air Base, it was thrown off course by a heavy gust of wind, and at 11.27 hours it was smashed against the Supermarine Spitfire LFIX MJ604 of 401 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force that was on the point of taxiing onto the runway.
Reginald Lewis ‘Joe’ Butler, aircraft engine mechanic of 6401 Service Echelon was on this aircraft and was fatally struck.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!