Dawson, Douglas

Date of birth:: November 10th, 1924 (Cookstown/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:: September 17th, 1944
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves Protestant Cemetery Strijen
Grave: 2.
Service number:: J/90321
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Douglas was born on November 10 1924 in Cookstown Ontario, the son of Thomas James Dawson and Isobel Caroline Dawson nee Forbes of Cookstown. They were married on August 17 1921 in Orangeville Ontario. His brothers were Grant and Alan Dawson. His other brother RCAF crew member P/O Gordon F. Dawson was also killed in action later on Wednesday November 15 1944 age 22 and he was buried then at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Germany in grave 4-B-1.

He was a machinist and member of the Church of England. He spoke English and he could read well English and Latin.

He enlisted on April 13 1943 in Toronto and the date is unknown when he went thereafter overseas to the UK.

Douglas was killed in action on Sunday September 17 1944 age 19 due to a crash on September 16 1944 about 11.00 PM between the RAF Avro Lancaster LM169 during an attack on the Moerdijkbrug during operation Market Garden and they crashed very close to each other in and around the Mariapolder in Strijensas. The other fallen RCAF crew members were F/O Peter W. Bickford age 24 in grave 5, F/Sgt Donald George Flood age 20 in grave 3, F/O Arnold N. Johnston age 28 in grave 6 and F/O Wilfred G. Scanlan age 21 in grave 7. The other fallen RAF Volunteer Reserve crew members were P/O Peter L. Dooley age 19 in grave 8 and F/Sgt Uriah B. Butters age 21 in grave 4.

He is mentioned at a Memorial in Cookstown and at a street sign too in Innisfil Ontario. His name is also mentioned with the other fallen crew members at a monument on the church in Strijen.

He served with the 115 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.

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