Lawrence Donald Hiltz Flight Sergeant R/88319 75 New Zealand Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force June 19, 1922 Truro, Colchester Co., Nova Scotia April 21, 1941 RCAF Recruiting Station, Halifax 16 Charles St., Truro, NS 18 5 feet, 8 inches Medium Green Medium Brown Clerk Presbyterian Single Freda Jean Hiltz (Mother) August 29, 1942 20 Adegem Canadian War Cemetery XII. E. 9. Commemorated on Page 81 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on February 22 Lawrence Donald Hiltz was the only son of Lawrence Carleton Hiltz (1897-1974) and Freda Jean (Steck) Hiltz (1898-1992) of Truro, Colchester Co., Nova Scotia. Lawrence attended Truro Public School from 1928 to 1937, and Truro Academy from 1937 to 1940. He studied German as his second language at the Academy. His hobby interests included model air-plane building and he played hockey. Following his high school graduation in 1940, he was employed as a service station attendant for several months and in September he was employed a clerk at The Men’s Shop in Truro until his enlistment with the Royal Canadian Air Force on April 21, 1941. His Interview Report of April 18, 1942, assessed him as an athletic eighteen year old, confident, clear speaking, with quick responses to questions, alert in manner and an above average recruit. Lawrence completed training in Canada between April 21, 1941 and January 7, 1942. During training at Victoriaville, in Quebec, he requested remuster to Air Gunner training on September 22, 1941, and he received his Air Gunners Badge on November 8, 1941. He embarked Canada on January 8, 1942 and served in the United Kingdom until his death on August 28, 1942. In England he was initially assigned to No. 7 Air Gunners School with No 22 Operational Training Unit (OTU). Lawrence joined 75 Squadron (New Zealand) on August 7, 1942. This was a heavy Bomber unit operated primarily within No. 3 Group, Bomber Command. On August 29, 1942, Wellington aircraft DF 673 on an operational raid to Nuremberg, Germany, was shot down by a German Night-fighter two and one half miles south-west of Hazenbrouch, France. Lawrence Hiltz was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner on the operation. All five members of the crew were killed and initially buried near Hazenbrouch, France. Post war they were re-buried in the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery. Other members of the crew were: Sydney Bernard Thomas Davis, Flight Sergeant (1165309 RAF) Pilot - b. Hampshire, England Charles Henry Vickers, Flight Sergeant (1115126 RAF) Pilot - b. Stockton-on-Tees, England Horace David Baittle, Flight Sergeant (R/79439 RCAF) Air Observer - b. Montreal, Quebec Daniel Archibald McKay, Flight Sergeant (R/73282 RCAF) Wireless Operator/Air Gunner b. Springhill, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia.

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave