Robert Elmer Atkinson R/124949 Flight Sergeant Royal Canadian Air Force 620 (RAF) Squadron April 11, 1923 Truro, Nova Scotia October 2, 1941 Halifax, NS Truro, NS 18 5 feet, 4 inches fair blue light brown Bell Hop/Clerk Baptist Single Edith Atkinson (Mother) Truro, NS July 2, 1943 20 Haverhill Cemetery, Haverhill, St Edmundsbury Borough, Suffolk, England Sec. U. Grave 148 Commemorated on Page 132 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 20 Robert Atkinson was the only son of Elmer Grant Atkinson and Edith Katie (Holloman) Atkinson, of Truro, NS. Robert’s father, Elmer served with the 67th Battalion during WWI and was wounded on October 28, 1916, at the Somme. He was hospitalized at Cirencester for eight months. He married Edith Holloman of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England who returned to Canada with him on the SS Justitia May 26, 1917. Robert completed training at No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto effective October 22, 1941 and was then taken on strength at RCAF Yarmouth (113 Squadron) on February 16, 1942 through July 31, 1942. He was then assigned to Mont Joli, Quebec for further training and was awarded his Air Gunners Badge on October 23, 1942. He went overseas, arriving in England on November 30, 1942 and on June 17, 1943 was assigned to RAF 620 Squadron at RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk. The Squadron was a part of No. 3 Group of RAF Bomber Command and carried out night bombing and mine laying missions Flight Sergeant Atkinson was killed in a flying accident on July 2, 1943. During a fighter affiliation exercise on July 2nd, two 620 Squadron aircraft collided, ‘EF394’ (QS-V) and BK724 (QS-Y) killing fifteen and injuring two.