William Francis Pocock

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 Willaim Francis Pocock, Pilot Officer, pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), aged 20, son of Alfred Branwood Pocock and Mary Etta Pocock (née Wismer), of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He was killed on his first mission attacking Vierzon.

William was born at Windsor, Essex, Ontario on 22 June 1924. His father, who was deceased by the time of William's enlistment, worked as a Salesman and was born at London, Ontario and his mother was born at Point Edward, Ontario. His father had died in 1928. He had a sister Ann Marie, and two brothers - LAC Joseph Aylward and half brother John Joseph, both in the RCAF overseas. His brother, Joseph became a Q.C. after the war.

The schools Wiliam attended were: Holy Name, Windsor 1929-1937 (General), and Patterson Collegiate, Windsor 1937-1942 (Senior Matric). His sport interests were mainly tennis but also played football and baseball. His hobby was radios and photography. William spent three months in 1942, farming at the Ontario Farm Service Force in Leamington until he enlisted on 22 June 1942.

After training he embarked from Canada on 16 July 1943 and arrived in the U.K. at 3 PRC on 23 July. He was at 14 (P) AFU 14 September 1943, 28 OTU 18 January 1944 and 626 Squadron on 15 June 1944. Sadly William was to lose his life from here on 30 June 1944 at the age of just twenty years.

His aircraft was first reported missing as a result of air operations. His brother LAC J Pocock visited the Air Ministry in London to try and find out what had happened but he was unsuccessful in finding anything out. Enquiries continued after the war and a letter from the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit, RAF of June 7, 1946 stated that the aircraft was believed to have crashed at Gouleterie near Illiers (Eure et Loir) based on a photo found at the crash site which bore a strong resemblance to one of the crew, Sgt Gordon. The bodies from the aircraft were buried in Magny Cemetery, 6km from the crash site. Six years later his mother received a letter from the Canadian Dept of Defence, dated 5 June 1952, which stated that they were unsuccessful in locating his grave. As a result, William Pocock is commemorated on the Runnymede Royal Air Force Memorial to the Missing.