Taggart Crescent

This street is named in honour of Pilot Officer Warren Raymond Taggart (RCAF), who died May 24, 1943. Memorial: Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom Researched by Nicole Patterson, Oshawa Public Libraries, 2008: Having seen action with the RCAF in various theatres of war, he was reported missing in June 1942 following air operations in Gibraltar, but was later reported safe, after being interned in Spain. He later made his way to England. Nearly a year later, on June 3, 1943, he was again reported missing. When his mother received this message, she first expected it to be an announcement of his arrival in Canada, as he was due to have a furlough after 18 months of arduous flying. In his last letters, sent in April and postcards sent from England in May, he spoke of seeing his mother and sister, Jean, very soon. Raymond Taggart was born in Midland in 1916 and came to Oshawa with his parents in 1944. He was a graduate in Technical Studies at O.C.V.I. and was employed as a metal finisher at General Motors. He was a member of the local Sea Cadets. Before the war broke out, he already had obtained his flying license and was thoroughly equipped for the job when he joined the RCAF in 1940 at Toronto. He received his training in Western Canada, getting his wings in Carberry, Manitoba. He then spent three months in Charlottetown, PEI, receiving special training before being sent overseas in November 1941.