Wartime Heritage ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II William Frederick Windsor Royal Canadian Air Force
William Frederick Windsor Pilot Officer J/88512 / R260119 431 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force October 13, 1925 Toronto, Ontario May 1943 Ontario Toronto, Ontario 17 Single Installation Department, Northern Electric United Church July 29, 1944 18 Hanover War Cemetery, Germany Section 10, Row E, Grave 12
Name: Rank: Service No: Service: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment Age at Enlistment: Marital Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Age at Death: Cemetery: Grave Reference:
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William Frederick Windsor was the son of Frederick George Windsor (b. 1903) and Edith May (Wills) Windsor (b. 1904), of Toronto, Ontario, and the brother of George Windsor and Joan Windsor. William’s father enlisted to serve during WWII in June 1940 with the 48th Highlanders but was subsequently discharged as a result of injuries received in an accident. His brother George served in the Canadian Army during WWII, stationed in Orillia, Ontario. William attended Roden Public School and Danforth Technical and played lacrosse at Roden A.C. Prior to his RCAF enlistment, he was employed with the Northern Electric Company in the installation department. After enlisting in May of 1943, William graduated from the No 9 Bombing and Gunnery School in Mont-Joli, Quebec and earned his wings in November 1943. News articles indicated he transferred overseas in December of 1943 or sometime early in 1944. His mother reported that William joined air operations over Normandy on D-Day, and that “on that day he made his first air op [operation].” Pilot Officer Windsor was stationed at RAF Croft in Yorkshire, England in July of 1944. He had completed 15 sorties before he was reported missing on July 29, 1944. William, served as Air Gunner on Handley Page Halifax III No. MZ859 (SE-A), which took off from RAF Croft at 10:32 pm on July 28, 1944, on a mission to Hamburg, Germany. One account reports that the aircraft was hit by flak and crashed at Deichhausen, 5 kms north of Delmenhorst, Germany. Another, reports that MZ859 was shot down by an enemy night fighter while homeward bound.