Name: William Nathan Cosman Rank: Flying Officer Service No: J/23397 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force / Royal Air Force 248 Squadron RAF Awards: DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) Date of Birth: January 25, 1918 Place of Birth: Yarmouth, NS Date of Enlistment: August 24, 1940 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, NS Address at Enlistment: Yarmouth, NS Age at Enlistment: 22 Height: 5 feet, 10½ inches Marital Status: Single Trade: Truck Driver/Clerk/Machine Operator Religion: Baptist Next of Kin: Arthur Cosman Sr. (Father) Yarmouth, NS Date of Death: December 7, 1944 Age at Death: 26 Memorial: Runnymede Memorial (Surrey, England) Memorial Reference: Panel 245. The 27th name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial (Nathan W. on the Yarmouth War Memorial) Commemorated on page 280 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance This page is displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on June 16 William was the son of Arthur Cosman Sr. and Laura Jane Cosman of Pleasant St., Yarmouth, NS. He was the brother of Arthur Jr. Lawrence, Stanley Edgar, Royden, Ralph Adelbert, George and Etta Mae. Flying Officer, William Nathan Cosman attended the Yarmouth Academy and completed his studies in 1935. He was a baseball and hockey player and enjoyed swimming and tennis. William was a cadet for three years while in school. Finishing his education, he was employed as a road worker for one year, a clerk in the family store (Cosman’s Ltd.) for two years, and then for two years a machine operator at La Tuque, Quebec with the St. Lawrence Power Corporation. He enlisted in Halifax on August 24, 1940 originally as an air gunner. He was posted to No.1 BGS (Bombing Gunnery School), September 30, 1940 and then to No.4 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron on October 28, 1940. He was promoted to Sergeant on November 26, 1940 and to Flight Sergeant on November 26, 1940. He trained at No.4 ITS (Initial Training School) and graduated July 3, 1942, No. 5 EFTS (Elementary Flight Training School) and graduated October 9, 1942 and assigned to No. 3 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) were he graduated and was commissioned on February 5, 1943. He was then posted on February 20, 1943 to No.1 General Reconnaissance School and to "Y" Depot, Halifax, May 9,1943. He left Canada on May 27, 1943 and arrived in England on June 4, 1943. He was assigned to No. 20 (P) Advanced Flying Unit, July 6, 1943. He was attached to: No.1519 Beam Approach Training Flight (August 17 - 24, 1943) No. 547 Squadron (September 21, 1943) No. 281 Squadron (November 22, 1943) Temporary Duty at Station Newcastle (December 10 - 15, 1943) Temporary Duty at Davidstowe Moor (February 16, to March 14, 1944) No.9 Operational Training Unit (March 14, 1944) No.132 Operational Training Unit (May 17, 1944) No. 248 Squadron (June 4, 1944) On December 7, 1944 he was flying Mosquito NR225 for an anti-shipping strike against a convoy in the mouth of Milde Fjord, Norway. His plane was shot down and he was killed in action. Sources and Information: Veterans Affairs Canada http://rcafassociation.ca/uploads/airforce/2009/07/ALPHA-CO.3.html http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/05255.php http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/282_wwII.html