Williams, Gordon Ivan

Date of birth:: March 19th, 1922 (West Manitoba, Canada)
Date of death:: January 31st, 1944 (Haarlemmerliede, The Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves Communal Cemetery Zwanenburg
Plot: B. Row: C. Grave: 15.
Service number:: R/119950
Nationality:: Canadian (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy)

Biography

Gordon was born on March 19 1922 in 28 8-10-14 West Manitoba, the son of Fred Williams and Daisy Williams nee Yates (both English) of Elkhorn, Manitoba. He had three sisters.

He was farming and member of the United Church and his sports were running, track and hockey and his hobby was woodworking. He spoke English fluently and also Latin.

He enlisted on July 30 1941 in Winnipeg and he went thereafter on November 5 1942 overseas to the UK.

Gordon was killed in action on Monday January 31 1944 age 21 due to a crash at the Machineweg 10 in Haarlemmerliede before or after an attack on Berlin in Germany. They crashed then at a farmhouse and six members of the van der Bijl family were also killed then. The crashed airplane was so deeply embedded in the ground that it was not uncovered till 2001 when the six missing and killed crew members including Gordon Williams were yet found in the aircraft. They were buried on November 29 2001 then finally at the general cemetery in Zwanenburg.

The other fallen RCAF crew member was F/Sgt Charles M. Price age 30 in grave B-C-15. The other fallen RAF Volunteer Reserve crew members were Sgt Leslie Clifton age 20 in grave B-C-15, Sgt William J. Jones age 21 in grave B-C-15 and Sgt Douglas F. Hicks age 24 in grave B-C-15. The other fallen RAAF crew members were P/O Allan R. Hart age 22 in grave B-C-15 and F/Sgt Harold J. Boal age 20 in grave B-C-15.

On his headstone: HE GAVE HIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT BE FREE ALWAYS REMEMBERED

There is a monument near the crash site.

He served with the 97 (R.A.F.) Squadron, Pathfinder Force Royal Canadian Air Force.

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