Sergeant Wilfred Turley was born on 4 April 1915 in Thornaby, Yorkshire, Engeland. His family moved to Montreal, Canada some time before World War 2. He went to St. Dominic's High School in Montreal. Wilfred was good at public speaking and had organisational skills. He had a keen interest in different sports like tennis, skiing and swimming. He had several jobs in Montreal, mainly as an office clerk, before he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on 7 November 1940. He received his sergeant's stripes and Air Gunner's Badge on 18 August 1941.

407 Squadron

He was posted as a wireless operator to 407 squadron on 28 October 1941 and lost on a mission less than two months later, on 15 December 1941.

Sgt Turley and his American/Canadian crew, consisting of P/O Percy Ford, P/O Leonard Almquist (an American from Brooklyn, New York who had joined the RCAF) and P/O James Bitcon flew Hudson III, coded AM731, on an anti shipping mission along the Dutch coast. At this time it is not known how or where they were lost.

This was Sgt Turley's 18th operational mission.Sergeant Turley's body was recovered and buried in Usquert. P/O Ford is buried in Vlieland General Cemetery. P/O Almquist and P/O Bitcon are still missing and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

(picture courtesy of Mrs Heather Clitheroe)

(picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Usquert, The Netherlands

See also:
P/O Percy Ford
P/O Leonard Almquist
P/O James Bitcon

Sources:
Mrs Heather Clitheroe
Gerrit Zwanenburg, En Nooit Was Het Stil, Deel I. ny.
Chris Timmer
Mr. Frits Tijssen
 

Directions to Usquert General Cemetery

Updated 5 October 2008

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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