Name: Howard Frederick Thurston Rank: Warrant Officer (Air Gunner) Service No: R/104208 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force 12th Squadron, Royal Air Force Date of Birth: July 11, 1923 Place of Birth: Sandford, Yarmouth Co., Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: July 5, 1942 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, NS Address At Enlistment: Yarmouth, NS Age at Enlistment: 18 Height: 5 feet, 6 inches Complexion: Medium Eyes: Light Blue Hair: Medium Brown Trade: Student Marital Status: Single Religion: Baptist Next of Kin: Frederick Thurston [Father] Sandford, Yarmouth Co., NS Date of Death: August 3, 1943 Age at Death: 20 Cemetery: Hamburg Cemetery (Hamburg, Germany) Grave Reference: 4A. L. 1-6. The 112th name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial Commemorated on page 220 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 10 Howard was the son of Frederick Sabine Thurston and Annie [Smallwood] Thurston, of Sandford, Yarmouth Co. NS. Howard attended Sandford School between 1929 and 1939 and the Yarmouth Academy between 1939 and 1941. Having completed his initial training in Canada he arrived in England on March 29, 1942. While serving with 142 Squadron Grimsby, he was admitted to Grimsby Hospital on October 23, 1942 with shrapnel wounds to his hand inflicted by enemy action during night operations. The shrapnel was removed, he regained full use of his hand and returned to full flying duties on March 15, 1943. On August 2, 1943, while serving with 12th Squadron RAF, Howard Thurston was an air gunner on a bombing flight over Hamburg. The aircraft (DV224 Lancaster Mark III, Code PH- G) was shot down near the target area. Sources and Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Canadian Virtual War Memorial Library and Archives Canada