Earl William Reid Flight Sergeant R/183902 Royal Canadian Air Force October 21, 1923 (on attestation) October 22, 1925 (actual) Pinkerton, Ontario August 28, 1942 London, Ontario Tiverton, Ontario 18 5 feet, 10½ inches Fair Blue Brown Single Farming United Church Ester Reid (Mother) October 2, 1944 18 Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Sec. H. Row A. Grave 3.

Name: Rank: Service No: Service: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Eye Colour: Hair Colour: Marital Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Age at Death: Cemetery: Grave Reference:

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Earl William Reid was the son of Elmer Samuel Reid and Ester (Keyes) Reid of Pinkerton, Ontario. He was the brother of John Elmer, Keith Samuel, Mary Ester, Janet Victoria, and Florence Sarah. John Elmer Reid served as a Private in the Canadian Army overseas during WWII, and Earl’s father served with the West Ontario Regiment during WWI. Earl attended Bradley Public School between 1930 and 1938. He then worked on the farm with his father from 1938 until 1942. Just prior to his enlistment in the RCAF he was employed by Mr B. Beggs in Tiverton, Ontario in farming. Earl played softball and hockey. Flight Sergeant Reid completed his initial RCAF training in Canada and received his Air Gunner Badge on August 6, 1943. He embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 14, 1943 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on December 21, 1943. He was assigned to No. 24 OTU (Operational Training Unit) on April 4, 1944 and to 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit on August 8, 1944. On the night of October 1, Flight Sergeant Earl Reid was the Air Gunner on Handley Page Halifax II JP204 that left RAF Dishforth with a crew of eight, for a night navigation training exercise. The aircraft flew into the ground at high speed with the port outer engine on fire, crashing at Galphay, near Ripon Yorkshire. Three of the eight crew were able to bale out and survived. Five, including Earl Reid were killed in the training accident.