Gates, William Ralph (Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1941-December-30
Birth Date: 1916
Born:
Parents: Son of Ralph Byard Gates and Honora Elizabeth Gates, of Centralia, Ontario, Canada
Spouse:
Home: Weston, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
76 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Resolute
Base
Middleton-St-George
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/59718
Weston, Ontario
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Finadagrave.com
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Halifax L9615
Mission
Halifax B.Mk.II L9615
Bombing Brest France 1941-December-30 to 1941-December-30
76 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Middleton St George
76 Squadron (Resolute) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax aircraft L 9615 MP-X failed to return from a daylight attack on the German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Hit by flak, the Halifax crashed into the sea off the coast near Brest, France
Pilot Officer DS King (RCAF), Sergeant WR Gates (RCAF), Sergeant L Blair (RAFVR), Sergeant F Eaton (RAFVR), Sergeant PD Randall (RAF), Sergeant HJ Toski (RAFVR) and Sergeant SM Wilson (RAAF) were all missing, presumed killed in action
The missing have no known grave and are all commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial
Aviation Safety NetworkHalifax L9615 B.Mk.II - Bombing Brest France - 1941-12-30 to 1941-12-30
Squadron: 76 (B) Sqn (RAF)
Start Date: 1941-12-30
Completion Date: 1941-12-30
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Brest France
Target Specific: Gneisenau and Scharnhorst
Base: RAF Middleton St George
Take Off Time: 11:22
Squadron Code: MP-X
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: into the sea
Crash Specifics: off the coast near Brest, France
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flak
Flak Battery: Unspecified Marine Flak
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
76 Squadron (Resolute) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax aircraft L 9615 MP-X failed to return from a daylight attack on the German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Hit by flak, the Halifax crashed into the sea off the coast near Brest, France
Pilot Officer DS King (RCAF), Sergeant WR Gates (RCAF), Sergeant L Blair (RAFVR), Sergeant F Eaton (RAFVR), Sergeant PD Randall (RAF), Sergeant HJ Toski (RAFVR) and Sergeant SM Wilson (RAAF) were all missing, presumed killed in action
The missing have no known grave and are all commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial