WW2 KILLED IN ACTION MEDAL GROUP TO SGT DONALDSON, ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE

Offered is a poignant group of 5 medals to Flight Sergeant W. R. Donaldson, Royal Canadian Air Force, who was killed in an air crash on the 8th February 1942

1939 – 45 Star; Defence Medal 1939-45 War Medal; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp (these 4 all original Canadian issue medals in silver); Canadian Memorial Cross, (G.VI.R) engraved on rear SGT. W. R. DONALDSON R-78064, stamped STERLING BM CO. Period Swing mounted as worn. Comes with copy service records, a photograph of the grave and a B&W photo of Donaldson.

Sergeant William Robert Donaldson was born at Lakeview, Ontario 11/4/1919, his father Percy Roy Donaldson had been badly injured in WW1. He was working as a stock keeper when enlisted into the R.C.A.F 8/10/1940. Posted to England in July 1941, he successfully completed his Air Gunners and Signalers course when he was posted to 12 OTU at RAF Benson (Operational Training Unit whose role was to train light bomber aircrew) 4/11/1941.

On the night of 8/2/1942, he was flying in Wellington (X9954) when it crashed 1 mile northeast of Wardington, just after take-off on a transit flight back to base. At the time it was carrying flares, ammunition, cameras and practice bombs. The entire crew was killed instantly when it went into the ground at high speed. Sgt Donaldson is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.