PL - William Skinner KIA

ABOUT
CASPIR Data Archive Mission & Data Sources Significant Canadian Historians Our Team RCAF Assistance CASPIR Volunteering
CASPIR contains documents, images and history of Canada's military aviation. The personnel and aircraft data has been compiled using data provided by trusted Canadian military aviation historians and original source documents. Where possible source documents are linked.
RESEARCH
CASPIR Resources
RCAF Accident Cards (1939-1945)JA Griffin Documents 1968 and 2005 Obtaining a World War II Service File
External Resources
RCAF.info: Research Resources RCAF.info: Finding Your Family Records
Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg
John Griffin was a significant historian, documenting Canada's Military aircraft
AIRCRAFT
Military Aircraft Associated with Canadians Choose a Specific Aircraft Serial
Lancaster FM213
CWHM flies one of the two airworthy Lancasters in the world. FM213 is usually marked as KB726 honouring Andrew Mynarski, VC.
PERSONNEL
Name or Home Town Search Unit (Squadron) Search Aircraft Type or Serial Search Browse by Letter This Day in History Choose a Day in History
Prisoner of War Evaded Capture Interned in a Neutral Country Catastrophic Losses (Ships Hotels Aircraft)Choose Specific Military Cemeteries (WW1 WW2 and Beyond)
Andrew Mynarski, VC
We Shall Remember Them.
HISTORY
✅ Start Here ✅ Glossary ✅ Canada and World War II ✅ Combatants & First Airmen Casualties ✅ Air Force Operations ✅ Battle of Britain ✅ Women in War ✅ War Artists
"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
CONTACT
Click here for Information Requests & Data Submissions
NEW & INTERESTING
Exceptionally Interesting Stories and Aircraft What is new in CASPIR?

Click on CASPIR logo to go to the entire CASPIR system.

Use the panel to:

select Optional Sections
Remove Page Breaks, that is, return to the non-print formatted document.
Click on the ⇩ to go directly to that section.

Skinner, William (Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1942-November-10

Male Head

Birth Date: 1916 (age 26)

Son of Edward and Ann Skinner

husband of Elizabeth Selina Skinner, of Stepney, London, England.

Service
RAF

Unit
53 Sqn- Squadron

Rank

Sergeant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position

Service Numbers
1310678

Ken, No.53 Squadron was an RAF Squadron. The following from my notes, extracted from squadron ORB, etc. Date: November 10th, 1942. Approx 1030 GMT (06.30 local). Location: approx 107nm East of Edinburgh Field, Trinidad. Aircraft: Lockheed Hudson Mk.III, V9253, PZ-L. Fatalities Pilot: F/Sgt. Ronald Rasleigh Sillcock, AUS. 400840. Observer: Sgt. Patrick George Nelson, NZ. 411726. WOP/AG: Sgt. Robert Millar, RAFVR. 1057521. WOP/AG: Sgt. William Skinner, RAFVR. 1310678. Additional: Sea. 1c Harold Lewis Drew, USN. 6461768. It subsequently emerged that V9253/L and its crew had caught U-505 on the surface at 1010N 5904W and made a surprise attack on the vessel with great accuracy before it had time to crash dive. The U-boat commander Klt. Peter Zschech would appear to be have been rather incautious in not keeping a better watch. Possibly the Sillcock crew had located the target without the use of radar, because the U-boat's Metox system does not appear to have warned its crew of the Hudson's approach. It seems in keeping with determination Sgt. Sillcock showed in his previous encounters with U-boats that he came in very low and very fast. Three depth charges must have been near misses but because the vessel was still on the surface their detonation at a depth of 25 feet did not render a fatal blow. The fourth depth charge actually struck the rear gun platform and exploded on impact, carrying away the gun, severely injuring two members of the crew. The Hudson would appear to have been hit by shrapnel and debris from the explosion, as it crashed into the sea - a fireball - about one hundred yards beyond the badly damaged vessel. The Hudson's crew had no chance. The standard practice was not to send a signal to base until completing their first attack because of the risk of alerting the U-boat's radio watch. Therefore no one was aware of the tragedy, nor of U-505 lying damaged and stranded on the surface. This silence gave Zschech eight hours to get his act together and execute temporary repairs and limp away from the area. Hope this helps, Tony Broadhurst .

Britain Source RAF Commands Database

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Sergeant William Skinner has no known grave.

Google Map

Ottawa War Memorial, Canada
Panel 1 Column 4

Crew on Hudson V9253

Male Head

Sergeant Millar, Robert (RAFVR)

Missing in Action
Age: 20
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 1 Column 4

Male Head

New Zealand

Sergeant Nelson, Patrick George (RNZAF)

Missing in Action
Age: 21
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 2 Column 1

Male Head

Australia

Flight Sergeant Sillcock, Ronald Rashleigh (RAAF)

Missing in Action
Age: 30
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 2 Column 1

Male Head

Sergeant Skinner, William (RAF)

Killed in Action
Age: 26
Ottawa War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Panel 1 Column 4

Lockheed Hudson A-28 A-29 AT-18

Lockheed Hudson
Source National Air Force Museum of Canada.

The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons. National Air Force Museum of Canada.

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Hudson

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrek Publications Hudon - Kestrel Publications

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF On Strength (247), RCAF 400 Squadron (2), Canadian Aircraft Losses (245), Canadian Ferried (1)

last update: 2021-12-21 01:36:53

Hudson V9253

No.53 Squadron. Date: November 10th, 1942. Approx 1030 GMT (06.30 local). Location: approx 107nm East of Edinburgh Field, Trinidad. Aircraft: Lockheed Hudson Mk.III, V9253, PZ-L. Fatalities Pilot: F/Sgt. Ronald Rasleigh Sillcock, AUS. 400840. Observer: Sgt. Patrick George Nelson, NZ. 411726. WOP/AG: Sgt. Robert Millar, RAFVR. 1057521. WOP/AG: Sgt. William Skinner, RAFVR. 1310678

© Canadian Warplane Heritage 2024