Querino Di Persio R/76376 Flight Sergeant 601 Squadron, RAF, Royal Canadian Air Force October 24, 1918 Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, NS December 19, 1940 21 Halifax, NS Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, NS Chauffeur Roman Catholic Single Rosario Di Persio (Father) Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, NS July 16, 1942 23 Alexandria (Chatby) Military And War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt O. 125 Commemorated on Page 69 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on February 16 Flight Sergeant Di Persio was the son of Rosario and Secondina Di Persio and husband of Mary (Bryden) Di Persio of North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Flight Sergeant Di Persio, having completed initial flying training proceeded over seas to England in October 10, 1941. May 25, 1942 departed the United Kingdom for Malta arriving there June 9. 1942. On July 3, 1942 he was transferred to 601 RAF Squadron at Alexandria, Egypt. On July 13, 1942, Flight Sergeant Di Persio was the pilot of a Spitfire (BR 459), one of four taking off on an offensive sweep. As his aircraft began to climb, taking off into the wind, it was hit by a Hurricane aircraft of 33 Squadron that was taking off across wind out of a cloud of dust. When the Hurricane section was seen to appear through dust cloud, it was to late for throttling back to avoid an accident. The Spitfire crashed and burst into flames. Flight Sergeant Di Persio was killed instantly. His mother, Secondina Di Persio, was named National Memorial Silver Cross Mother in 1987.