Born 10/09/1921 in Chatham, ON.  The son of Bessie and Frederick William Watson of 66 West St., Chatham, ON., brother of Frederick A. and Naomi (Brown). He was a member of Park Street United Church, Chatham, ON.  Harry attended Chatham Collegiate Institute and Chatham Vocational School.  He was an active member of the Boy Scouts.  In his collegiate years he was a star at hockey and other sports. CDN 13/11/42 and 21/11/42

Harry enlisted with the RCAF 22/04/1941 at Windsor, ON. He did his flight training in Eastern Canada and received his Air Gunner wings at #6 Bombing & Gunnery School, “RCAF Station Mountain View” in Prince Edward County near CFB Trenton. (#6 B&GS was closed in 1946). Flt. Sgt. Watson left for England in October of 1941. After his arrival in England he began his training on ‘Heavy’s’, four engine bombers (Sterling’s, Lancaster’s, Halifax), attaining the rank of WO2 the major operations at this time was against the area of the Ruhr Valley, where much of Germany’s heavy industry was located.

Serving as Air Gunner, with 83 Squadron RAF on the night of 10-11 September 1942.

Several weeks before his death “he wrote an enthusiastic letter telling of his new job and describing air attacks that he had participated in. He labeled the thousand plane smash on Cologne as a fountain of fire.” He commented that a ‘traffic cop’ was needed to keep the airways clear of the tremendous number of bombers participating in the assault.”

Sgt. Watson stated that the men of the Pathfinder Group were required to make sixty flights before taking any lengthy rest. Formerly they had been only required to make thirty trips. Harry observed his 21^st birthday in August of 1942. CDN 21/10/42 

Appearing in the CDN 4/09/42 Flt. Sgt. Watson in his letters home gave some impressions of what he had been involved in over Germany.

“Our squadron had quite an honour last week, it was chosen as the best in Number 5 Group of the Bomber Command. We are known as the Pathfinder Squadron. It will be our job, duty or whatever you want to call it, to go in and find the target and then set it ablaze. We will lead all of the other squadrons in.

Formerly it was the policy to do 30 trips, take six months rest and do another 30. But now in our new job, we have to get in 400 hours or 60 trips. When we have finished 30 we will have three weeks leave and then another thirty and then we are finished.”

“Bud” had recently been on a mission to Cologne which he describes as a “fountain of fire”, after the RAF and RCAF were through with it. The airways he said were so congested that they need a ‘traffic cop’. Beside the bombing missions they also dropped leaflets on the French patriots.

In his most recent letter Sgt. Watson tells about the attitude of flying:

“Well our veteran flyer has two more trips to his credit. These were made a couple of weeks back. I went to a place called Osnabruik on a Sunday night and then on Tuesday night I went to Mainz. Both were a ‘piece of cake’ – there was a little more excitement at the last place.

Golly it was cold. My thermos bottle froze up and then my oxygen mask started to freeze. Of course all of this was taking place over 20,000 feet – nearly four miles up – just try and picture it.”

“Bud” did have praise for the excellent meals by the RCAF they were getting. A few days after this was in the Chatham Daily News, Flt. Sgt. Bud Watson was killed in action.

The CDN 8/02/3 reported, “Ray” as he was popularly known by young and folk throughout the city.  When he arrived in England he took a special course and after months of hard work had just completed for the commission which would have made him a Pilot Officer.    

KIA – Date of Death: 11/09/1942, age 21 years, his 21^st birthday was the day before his death. In Lancaster Q 4104 bomber Pathfinder RAF 5 Group, was shot down over Dusseldorf, Germany on night Ops. All of the crew was lost. He received the 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal with Clasp. RCAF Operational Wings in recognition of Gallant service in action against the enemy.

KIA – Date of Death: 11/09/1942, age 21 years, his 21^st birthday was the day before his death.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead : Air Gunner was buried at Dusseldorf, Germany, exhumed and reburied in the  Grave/Memorial Reference: 11. D. 8. Cemetery:

REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY, Grave: 11.D.8 Kleve, Germany,.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal with Clasp
Sources	Found in Chatham Fire Fighters 1944 Field Day Booklet 7 to 12/08/1944. CWGC. Park St. Church, Chatham, ON. Roll of Honour. Index of Overseas Deaths. StAUC-RH. They Shall Grow Not Old. CCI-RH. VR. IODE(P) Elizabeth (Watson) Morrison (neice).
Supplemental Information	Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: 11. D. 8. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY.

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