Raymond Hamilton Foote J/15611 Flying Officer (Air Observer) 418 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force April 11, 1917 Woodville, Kings Co., NS June 19, 1940 23 Halifax, NS Kentville, NS Farmer/Warehouse Foreman United Church of Canada Single (at enlistment) Helen Gladys (Banks) Foote (Wife) Kentville, NS November 8, 1942 24 Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Plot: Row E. Grave 21. Commemorated on Page 74 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on February 18. Raymond Hamilton Foote was the son of Charles Perry Foote (1875-1961) and Susan Pearl (Ryan) Foote (1876-1917), of Somerset, King's County, Nova Scotia. His father was born in Chipman Brook, Kings County, NS; while his mother was born in Medford, Massachusetts. He had four brothers; Robert William (1903-1995), Eldon Ryan (1908-1924), Harry Manzon (1911-1995), and Charles Raeburn (1913-1990), and one sister; Helen Rebecca (1906-2002). Raymond married Helen Gladys Banks (1922-2015) of Truro, NS on April 28, 1941 at Kentville, NS. Having completed training in Canada he went overseas to England in June 1941. Raymond first served with 13 RAF Squadron flying Army Cooperation flights. In November of 1942, Flying Officer Foote was serving as air observer with 418 Squadron. On the night of November 8, 1942 at 2:00 am, flying his twenty-nineth mission, the Boston (W-8338) aircraft crashed in flames in a field in the Commune of Romescamps in France. Only the tail gunner survived and was taken prisoner. Two airmen were buried in Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Cemetery, Flying Officer Raymond Foote and Flight Sergeant William Lysle Buchanan, of Kemptville, Ontario, age 22 (Service Number J/16162). In later years, sometime before his passing in 2017, Roy Edwin Loomer (1923-2017) donated Raymond Hamilton Foote’s Memorial Silver Cross to the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Roy was Helen Gladys Banks second husband. He had also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force with 408 (Goose) Squadron overseas.

“The medal donated to the Museum was presented to Helen Foote, of Woodville, Nova Scotia on the death in World War II of her husband, Flying Officer Raymond Hamilton Foote, service number J1561. Raymond was born 11 April 1918 in Woodville, NS to Charles Perry and Susie (Ryan) Foote, attended Horton Academy and became a fruit warehouse foreman before joining the RCAF in June 1940 in Halifax. Trained as an Air Observer in Regina, Moncton, Malton, and Jarvis, Raymond married Helen Gladys Banks of Kentville 28 April 1941 before proceeding overseas in May 1941. He joined 13 Squadron of the RAF flying Army Cooperation missions; later with 418 Canadian squadron flying Boston aircraft, including the first 1000 bomber raid on Essen and Cologne, Germany. After completing 28 missions, Raymond was killed in action while navigating his Boston aircraft over France 7 November 1942. He is buried in Poix-de-Picardie church yard in France.”

Includes Raymond Hamilton Foote and William Lysle Buchanan (top, far right)