Remembering World War II

Name: Lloyd Edward Willigar Rank: Flight Sergeant Service Number: R/73086 Service: 101 RAF Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force Date of Birth: November 1, 1920 Place of Birth: Parrsboro, Cumberland Co., NS Date of Enlistment: September 25, 1940 Age at Enlistment: 19 Place of Enlistment: Moncton, NB Address at Enlistment: Spring St, Parrsboro, Cumberland Co., NS Height: 5 feet, 9 ½ inches Complexion: Ruddy Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown Trade: Student Marital Status: Single Religion: Church of England Next of Kin: Ethel May Willigar (Mother) Parrsboro, Cumberland Co., NS Date of Death: April 18, 1942 Age: 21 Cemetery: Hamburg Cemetery, Germany Grave: 9A. C. 3. Commemorated on Page 124 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 15 Lloyd Edward Willigar was the son of Ethel May Willigar, of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. His enlistment records indicate he had completed Grade 12 and enjoyed baseball, softball, hockey, tennis, basketball and swimming. He was assessed as being a hard worker and carefree type. “In November 1940, the Calgary Herald newspaper sponsored the Sunshine Club, helping down and out families during Christmas. The President of a Turner Valley oil field company donated his family pet, a Shetland pony named Midget, as an extra prize. LAC Lloyd Willigar was an RCAF trainee from Parrsboro, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, who walked downtown to enjoy a movie at the Palace Theatre. He purchased a single ticket from a pretty young Calgary lady in the lobby of the theatre, with the last 25 cents he had, then sat down to enjoy the movie. At the end of the movie, Midget appeared on stage and the ticket draw was made. LAC Willigar won and became the new owner of a female Shetland pony. Unable to ship his prize home to Nova Scotia, he asks his C.O. for help and “Midge” becomes the new official mascot of No. 2 Wireless School.” From December 9, 1940 to April 28, 1941, he trained at No. 2 Wireless School in Calgary, Alberta. From April 28 to May 26, 1941, he completed armament training at No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School which trained bomb aimers and air gunners at RCAF Station Fingal, in Fingal, Ontario. He embarked in Canada on June 19, 1941, arriving in England on June 30, 1941. On July 12, 1941 he was assigned to Operational Training Unit #23 (23 OTU). He then transferred from 23 OTU to 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force on September 3, 1941. On April 18, 1942, RAF Vickers Wellington (Mark III) aircraft X3655 (SR-V), flying from RAF Bourn, in Cambridgeshire, England, crashed at 3:56 in the morning while on air operations over Germany to perform a night raid on Hamburg. X3655 was hit by flack and crashed in Lubeck-Taterborn. Four of the crew were killed including Lloyd who served as the Air Gunner. The three others were: Wireless Operator Sergeant William Ernest Davies (Service No. 915231) Pilot Pilot Officer Edwin Arthur House (Service No. 120714) Observer Flight Sergeant George Morton Mason (Service No. 747907) Two of the crew survived the crash and became prisoners of war: Sergeant R V Simpson (Service No. 1202228) became a PoW at Stalag 357 Kopernikus (PoW Number 90) Sergeant L Sykes (Service No. 1057327) became a PoW Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug (PoW Number 182)

LLoyd Edward Willigar

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial Wordpress aviationsafety.net