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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

William Joseph Allison

In memory of:

Flight Lieutenant William Joseph Allison

November 20, 1944

Military Service

Service Number:

J/20861

Age:

28

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Additional Information

Son of William Earle Allison and Mary Ruth Allison, of Montreal, Quebec. Brother of Phyllis and Anne. Flight Lieutenant Allison attended Loyola High School in Montreal before moving onto McGill University where he studied commerce. He also worked at General Motors. It was said he had a passion for flying and belonged to a gliding club. On his bureau sat a small plane that he carved. The RCAF crew took off from the Stratford-upon-Avon airfield on a night training mission. Shortly before 9:00 p.m. the crew radioed that they were having trouble with the starboard engine. Minutes after they received permission to drop below cloud cover the MF 509 aircraft slammed into the terraced southwest face of Carreg Goch in the Brecon Beacons mountains in Wales. The cause of the crash was listed as pilot error.

Commemorated on Page 236 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Cheshire, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

Sec. A. Grave 143.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flight Lieutenant William Joseph Allison is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Flight Lieutenant William Joseph Allison is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flight Lieutenant William Joseph Allison is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

    Details

    Memorial
    Memorial – Flight Lieutenant William Joseph Allison is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Photo of WILLIAM JOSEPH ALLISON– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

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    Photo of WILLIAM JOSEPH ALLISON
    Photo of WILLIAM JOSEPH ALLISON – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Montreal Star. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Montreal Star. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of William Allison– Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of McGill University from their web site, 'McGill Remembers'

    Details

    Photo of William Allison
    Photo of William Allison – Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of McGill University from their web site, 'McGill Remembers'
  • Group Photo– Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of Lashburn Saskatchewan Legion Branch #73 from their web site, 'Lashburn Legion Branch #73'

    Details

    Group Photo
    Group Photo – Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of Lashburn Saskatchewan Legion Branch #73 from their web site, 'Lashburn Legion Branch #73'
  • Group Photo– Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of Lashburn Saskatchewan Legion Branch #73 from their web site, 'Lashburn Legion Branch #73'

    Details

    Group Photo
    Group Photo – Photo submitted for the project Operation Picture Me with the permission of Lashburn Saskatchewan Legion Branch #73 from their web site, 'Lashburn Legion Branch #73'
  • Cemetery– Photo of Blacon Cemetery, Chester, England (CWGC) Wellington MF509 was flying out of #22 Operational Training Unit in Warwickshire. On November 20, 1944, the crew were on a night cross-country exercise when it began to lose height due to icing. All the crew were killed when it struck Gareg Goch in the Black Mountains, Wales. The crew were: Sgt. (P) Charles Hamel Sgt. (N) Jules Villeneuve F/O (BA) William Allison Sgt. (AG) Arthur Groulx Sgt. (AG) Gerald Du Sablon Sgt.(WAG) Joseph Burke (Courtesy "They Shall Grow Not Old", Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba.)

    Details

    Cemetery
    Cemetery – Photo of Blacon Cemetery, Chester, England (CWGC) Wellington MF509 was flying out of #22 Operational Training Unit in Warwickshire. On November 20, 1944, the crew were on a night cross-country exercise when it began to lose height due to icing. All the crew were killed when it struck Gareg Goch in the Black Mountains, Wales. The crew were: Sgt. (P) Charles Hamel Sgt. (N) Jules Villeneuve F/O (BA) William Allison Sgt. (AG) Arthur Groulx Sgt. (AG) Gerald Du Sablon Sgt.(WAG) Joseph Burke (Courtesy "They Shall Grow Not Old", Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba.)
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Montreal Gazette. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Montreal Gazette. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

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