Harris, Wilfred Gordon
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Wilfred Gordon |
Surname | Harris |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 23-05-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Henry Harris and Bertha Harris (née Maynes), of Dufferin County , Ontario, Canada. Husband of Dorothy Gwendolyn Harris (née Leach), whom he married at Vancouver on 17 July 1942. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V |
Serial Number | AD701 |
Markings | TY-B |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | XXVII. G. 4-7 (Coll.) |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 46 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/115064 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 91 |
Squadron | 24 OTU |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Miscellaneous Information
Wilfred was born at Dufferin County , Ontario on 12 August 1920. His father was born at Elora, Ontario and worked as a Trackman for CPR and his mother, who was deceased by the time of Wilfred's enlistment, was born at Oshawa, Ontario. He attended Alton Public School between 1926-1936, followed by Alton Continuation School 1936-1937. The sports he enjoyed were skiing, hockey and swimming. Wilfred worked as a storekeeper at Grand Valley 1938-1940 and was then unemployed until enlisting on 11 July 1941. |
After enlisting and initial training he was posted to the U.K. and embarked from Canada on 5 March 1944. He arrived at 3 PRC on 15 March 1944 then continued to 24 OTU on 21 March 1944. Sadly Wilfred then lost his life on 23 May 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-05-1944 |
End Date | 23-05-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Long Marston |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Nickel |
Reason for Loss | Tasked to drop leaflets in the Alencon area, the Whitley is believed to have been shot down by flak, crashing near Sees, close to the target area |