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Malyon, Douglas Francis

Date of birth:
December 8th, 1921 (Sundridge/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:
April 23rd, 1944 (Mol Postel/Antwerp, Belgium)
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Graves Antwerp Schoonselhof
Plot: IV A. Row: C. Grave: 1.
Service number:
J/89865
Nationality:
Canadian

Biography

Douglas was born on 8 December 1921 in Sundridge, Ontario, the son of Roy Holdershaw Malyon and Mary Elizabeth Malyon-Walsh of Toronto. They were married in Toronto in 1917. His brother was Joseph Ray Malyon and his sister was Helen D. Malyon (married to Mr G.W. Smith).

He was an audit office clerk and a member of the Church of England. He attended the R.H. McGregor Public School from 1926-1934 and then the East York High School from 1934-1941. His sports were rugby, basketball, track and field, tennis, golf and baseball (average) and his hobby was music.

He enlisted in Toronto on 7 July 1942 and he then went overseas to the UK on 7 July 1943. He received The Air Bomber's Badge and the Air Observer's Badge in Canada on 11 June 1943. He took part in his squadron's various air operations to NW Europe after arriving in the UK.

Douglas died on Monday 23 April 1944 aged 22 as a result of a crash before or after a night attack on Düsseldorf in Germany. He was then temporarily buried at the Fort 3 British Cemetery at Antwerp in Belgium before being reburied at Schoonselhof on 21 December 1945. The other RAF VR crew members killed were: F/Sgt James Harvey, pilot, age 23 in grave 4.A.C.2, Sgt Robert Speedie Smith, flight engineer, age 20 in grave 4.A.D.48, F/Sgt Frederick William Barnett, navigator, age 27 in grave 4.A.D.50, Sgt Clifford Henry Thompson, wireless operator, age 21 in grave 4.A.D.47 and Sgt William Harbour, mid upper gunner, age 19 in grave 4.A.D.46. The other crew member killed was F/Sgt Rex Valentine Donowa, RAAF, rear gunner, age 21 in grave 4.A.D.49. Douglas was the bomb aimer on this crashed aircraft.

On his headstone: HE GAVE HIS ALL THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE FREE

His father was awarded The Memorial Bar in July 1945. Douglas was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings and Certficate in recognition of the gallant service against the enemy on 13 November 1946.
He is mentioned with the other fallen crew members on the memorial in Mol Postel Belgium

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Unit:
12 Squadron RAF
Awarded on:
June 11th, 1943
Air Bombers Badge
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
June 11th, 1943
Air Observer Badge
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
November 13th, 1946
Posthumously awarded
RCAF Operational Wings

Sources