Born in 1922 at Elliston, ON. The son of Franklin Albert and Marion Kathleen (nee Dorrofield) Ruthven, of 20 Charteris St., Chatham, Ontario, Canada. He attended Chatham Collegiate Institute and was employed by the Union Gas Co., in art display before enlisting. Also in the RCAF where his brother Albert McKenzie (DOAA 1/10/43) and Lorne Ellison. Sgt., they had a sister Mrs. Wilfred Groombridge.

James enlisted in August of 1942, on his twentieth birthday and trained at Lachine, PQ., Trenton, ON., and McDonald MN before going overseas to England in June of 1943.  Roy was reported training at RCAF Lachine, PQ. in August, 1942 to be an air gunner. CDN 27/08/42 and 29/08/42(P).

Roy trained in Canada and went overseas in 1943. Where he graduated in May 1943.

He had done a number of operational flights prior to 29 November, 1943 when his aircraft failed to return and he was reported MIA while on air operations over Europe in the CDN 3/01/44 he was later presumed dead.

Age: 21, KIA – Date of Death: 29/12/1943, In Halifax bomber # LK 659 on Air Ops. target Berlin, Germany. The aircraft and crew went missing and presumed killed.

Royal Canadian Air Force, 431 Iroquois Sqdn. Bombers.

A letter from the Air Marshall was received by Roy’s mother:

“Dear Mrs. Ruthven,

I have learned with deep regret that your son, Flight Sergeant James Roy Addison Rutnven is now presumed to have died on active service overseas on December 29, 1943.

I wish to offer you and the members of your family my sincere and heartfelt sympathy.

It is most lamentable that a promising career should be thus terminated and I would like you to knowthat his loss is greatly deplored by all those with whom your son was serving.”

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 7. G. 18-20.

Cemetery: BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

Chatham Fire Fighters 1944 Field Day Booklet 7 to 12/08/1944. CWGC. Index of Overseas Deaths. They Shall Grow Not Old IODE(P).

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