Remembering World War II

Donald Frederick Barkhouse Sergeant R/65416 75 (Royal New Zealand Squadron) RAF Squadron, Bomber Command Royal Canadian Air Force February 8, 1921 Weymouth, Nova Scotia September 10, 1940 Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax, Nova Scotia 19 5 feet, 7 inches Medium Blue Dark Brown Single Student Presbyterian Donald Frederick Barkhouse (Father) Halifax, Nova Scotia October 15, 1941 20 Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany 1.C.2. Commemorated on Page 23 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on January 23 Donald Frederick Barkhouse was the son of Robert McDonald Barkhouse (1894-1953) and Anna Grace (Bartlett) Barkhouse (1897-1953), of Kentville, Nova Scotia. His father served as a Lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Donald attended public school in Weymouth between 1928 and 1935 and completed grade XI at Bloomfield High School in 1940. He played rugby, football, baseball, soft ball and participated in track teams. He was a Boy Scout Troop Leader for five years. Training in Canada until May 1941 and obtained his Air Gunner Badge on April 4, 1941. He went overseas to the United Kingdom arriving there June 6, 1941 and was assigned to 75 RAF Squadron on August 1, 1941. 75 (NZ) Squadron was a key component of No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, and was based initially at RAF Feltwell On the night of October 15, 1941, Sergeant Barkhouse was the Rear Air Gunner on Vickers Wellington IC X9916 aircraft from RAF Feltwell for bombing operations over Cologne, Germany. The aircraft was shot down by Anti-Aircraft flak. Information from the International Red Cross advised in 1942 that Sergeant Barkhouse had lost his life and was buried in the English Military Cemetery, in Cologne, Germany. In 1946 the bodies of the six crew members were re-interred in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. The five other members of the crew lost: Sergeant John Anthony Matetich (Pilot) age 28; (Rhodesia) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Sergeant Arthur Service (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) age 28; (United Kingdom) RAFVR Flight Sergeant Neville Henry Welsh (Observer) age 20; (New Zealand) Royal New Zealand Air Force Sergeant Frederick Lionel Roy Wood (Pilot) age 23; (New Zealand) Royal New Zealand Air Force Sergeant Frederick Harry Worlledge (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) age 22 (United Kingdom) RAFVR

William Bennet Rogers

Source: Bomber Command Memorial Listings Canadian Virtual War Memorial