|
William
Lloyd Edwards Fulford, known as Lloyd, was born in Clinton, Ontario, on September the 12th
1923.
He enlisted in the RCAF on the 30th December 1942, his
postings included:
Basic
training at No 1 Manning Depot, Toronto.
No. 23 Pre-Aircrew Education Detachment University of Toronto
No. 6 Initial Training School, Toronto (AC2,AC1,LAC) September 21st
1943
No. 8 Bombing & Gunnery School, Lethbridge,Alberta December 1943 to
March 1944
No. 2 Air Observer School, Edmonton,Alberta, graduating as Air
Bomber on May 19th 1944
No. 3 Air Graduate Training School, Trois Riviere, Quebec
July 1944-Shipped overseas from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the
“Isle de France” to No 3 Personnel Receiving Centre, Bournemouth,
England
No 1 Advanced Flying Unit(Observers) - Wigton,Scotland
October-December 1944-No 20 OTU Lossiemouth/Elgin Scotland (Course
108 “A” Flight) where he joined the crew of Flying Officer
I.W.Sumner and flew in Wellington Mk.X
In January of 1945,the crew were granted six weeks leave as there
were no posting vacancies at an HCU and he spent his leave in
London.
Assigned to No4 Battle School at RAF Acaster Malbis, February 1945.
March 15th to May 14th 1945-No 1663 HCU,
Course No 11, ”D” Flight at RAF Rufforth in Halifax Mk III
Promoted to Flight Sergeant
May 24th-June 19th 1945-No 1668 HCU, Course No
22B “B”Flight at RAF Bottesford, Lancaster B.I/III
.
The crew consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
|
F/O “Bill” Sumner |
RCAF |
Pilot |
London, Ontario |
|
Sgt Jim “Jock” Oliver |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
|
F/O Jim O’Neil |
RCAF |
Navigator |
London, Ontario |
|
F/Sgt William Lloyd Fulford |
RCAF |
Bomb Aimer |
Clinton, Ontario |
|
F/Sgt T. "Yogi" Merchant |
RCAF |
W/Op/AG |
Toronto, Ontario |
|
W/O Harry Armstrong |
RAAF |
M/U Gunner |
Allendale, Australia |
|
F/O Bill Gordon |
RCAF |
Rear Gunner |
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario |
After June of 1945 the crew was to split up and some returned home
to Canada. F/Sgt Fulford remained overseas and had volunteered for
Tiger Force as well as taking part in relief food drops into
Rotterdam, Holland in a scratch crew. In August 1945 he attended the
Canadian Repatriation Depot at Torquay and embarked home to Canada
in January 1946.
 |
|
F/Sgt Fulford in Bomb Aimer's position in a Halifax. |
After the war he returned to his studies and obtained his B.A, from
the University of Western Ontario in 1952,his Bachelor of Education
in 1954 and his Masters in 1957.He became a school teacher and
principal. On August the 20th 1949,he married Lilian
Dobson and settled in Oakville, Ontario in 1950.
Their daughter Linda was born in 1959,followed by son Robert, (a
Toronto Fire fighter for twenty years), in 1962 & another son
Douglas in 1963.
The crew held a reunion in the early 90’s and remained in frequent
contact until Lloyd and his Navigator passed on. Three of the
original Canadian crew remain.
William Fulford passed away on July 7th 2002. |
