Wartime Heritage
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Robert Elmer Atkinson
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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.
Remembering World War II
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