Norman Harold Wettlaufer

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Pete Colley, Curator, Wickenby Museum. Additional information and photo from the WWII Records and Service Files of War Dead, Libraries and Archives, Canada

Remembering Norman Harold Wettlaufer, Pilot Officer, navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force, aged 23, son of Peter and Mary Margaret Wettlaufer of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He was born on the 1st March 1921 in Waterloo, Ontario. He was killed on his 13th mission attacking Vierzon, when his aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter and fell onto the road leading from Vernou-en-Sologne (Loire-et-Cher).

Norman was born at Waterloo, Ontario on 1st March 1921. His father was born in Perth, Ontario and worked as a Furniture Worker, and his mother was born at Grey County, Ontario. He had three brothers, Arnold, Edwin and Lorne and four sisters, Hazel, Evelyn, Audrey and Phyllis. At the time of Norman's enlistment, Lorne was a Captain, serving in the Canadian Army.

The schools he attended were Victoria Courtland Ave, Kitchener, from 1926 to 1935 and Kitchener College from 1935 to 1940. Norman enjoyed gymnastics, skiing, baseball, basketball and swimming. On leaving college, Norman worked as a Bookkeeper for Neeb's Plumbing in July and August 1940 and then worked for Dominion Rubber Co., Merchants, Kitchener as a Shipping Clerk from September 1940 until he enlisted on 9th April 1942.

When he had finished his training in Canada, Norman was posted to the U.K. and embarked on 9 March 1943. He arrived at 3PRC on 18 March and then went to 10 (0)AFU on 20 July 1943, 83 OTU on 17 August 1943, 1667 Con Unit on the 28 November 1943 and 12 Squadron on 9 March 1944. It was from there that Norman sadly lost his life on 1st July 1944.