Sinclair, Cecil Horace

Date of birth:: July 28th, 1920 (Stayner/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:: June 26th, 1943 (Baak/Gelderland, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Steenderen
Grave: 7.
Service number:: R153651
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Cecil Horace Sinclair was born on 28 July 1920 in Stayner, Ontario, the son of Charles John Sinclair and Frances Mary Sinclair-Jackson of Thornhill, Ontario. They were married in Thornhill on 21 June 1916. He was the brother of Donald Jackson Sinclair and Annie Loraine Sinclair.

He was a member of the United Church. He attended the Langstaff Public School from 1927-1935 and then the Richmond Hill High School from 1935-1937. His hobbies were tinkering with cars and electrical experiments (radio etc.) and his sports were ice hockey, softball, golf and basketball.

He enlisted in Toronto on 20 January 1942 and he then went overseas to the UK on 5 November 1942. He received The Air Gunner's Badge in Canada on 9 October 1942 and after arriving in the UK, he took part in nine different air operations of his squadron over NW Europe in the rank of Flight Sergeant as an airgunner.

Cecil died on Saturday 26 June 1943 at the age of 22, exactly one month before his 23rd birthday in a crash near the village of Baak during an overnight mission to Gelsenkirchen in Germany. He and the other crew members who perished were buried in Steenderen General Cemetery. The other RCAF crew member killed was WO Lawson F. Sparling, age 22 in grave 5. The other RAF VR crew members killed were Sgt John A. Francis, age 20 in grave 6, Sgt Stanley Cowgill, age 21 in grave 8, Sgt Edward W.H. Browne, age 20 in Joint grave 9 and Sgt John G.V. Williams also in the Joint grave 9. The third RCAF crew member F/O E.W. Davidson was able to leave the aircraft and was made a prisoner of war. He survived the war and returned safely to the UK.

On his gravestone: IN LIFE, LOVED AND HONORED, IN DEATH, REMEMBERED

His mother was awarded The Memorial Bar in November 1944.

He was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings and Certficate in recognition of the gallant service against the enemy on 16 August 1946. He served with The Royal Canadian Air Force.106 (R.A.F.) Sqdn.

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