WILLIAMS, Maldwyn Wyn

NAME                     WILLIAMS                        Maldwyn Wyn Armor
RANK                     Pilot Officer / Observer     7204                                                                                                                                   Group 1    Bomber Command                                                                           
SQUADRON          RAF No. 103 Squadron 
                               “touch me not”                                                                                                                                                             RAF Elsham Wolds - Lincolnshire                                                                                             Born                       December 18, 1916 - Betws Cedewain - Monthomeryshire - Wales                                Residence              Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                    Died                       May 19, 1942          25 years   7 months
Cemetery               Escoublac-La-Boule - Loire – Atlantique - France
                               2   C   3
WIfe                       Mrs. Joan Williams – Merlin/Toronto - Ontario/ Calgary - Alberta / Vancouver - British                                              Columbia                                                                                                                            Parents                  Mr. William and Annie Williams - Merlin - Ontario  with Valetta Presbyterian Church in Merlin    Brother                   William serving with RCAF 443 Squadron - 2nd Tactical Air Force                                      Sister                      Miss Cluned Williams - Merlin - Ontario

 Maldwyn was born on October 18, 1916 in Bettus – Montgomeryshire in Wales. He was named after the old Welsh name of Monthomeryshire. He stayed in Wales until 1920 when he and his family moved to Pennsylvania from 1920-1925. The next residence was Oxford - Iowa from 1925-27 before they moved to Brussels / Cranbrook area from 1927-39. Maldwyn enjoyed wrestling, and playing baseball and tennis His hobbies were photography, reading and character studies. Our research tells us that after Grade 4 the family arrived in Huron County. He attended SS No. 7 in Grey Township for grades 5-6 from 1927-29. From 1929-32 he took his Junior Matriculation at the Brussels Continuation School and then attended Listowel High School from 1932-34.  After his education he attended the University of Toronto from 11934-38 and was a graduate of the Arts with a BA degree. He then attended Knox College from 1938-40 and then graduated from the U. of T. Knox College as a Presbyterian Minister. He was able to speak English, French, Hebrew, Greek and Welsh. From December 5, 1939-1940 he had been in the the Canadian Officer Training Corps until enlistment. He and his family would have attended Melville Presbyterian Church.

Canada

Immediately after his graduation from the University of Toronto this he enlisted into the RCAF on August 21, 1940. When he enlisted he stood 5' 8" and weighed 169 pounds. He had a dark complexion with brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was given the rank of Aircraftman 2 and assigned to No. 1 Manning Depot - Toronto. Eleven days later on August 31 he was posted to No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School - Jarvis. On November 8 he was posted to No. 1 Initial Training School. He placed 9 out of 198 men with an average of 87%. He received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman while here. A month later on December 8 he was posted to No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School in St. Catharines.  He could only achieve 58% in his flying. He achieved77% in ground training.    He had hoped to be a pilot but his training performance during pilot training was discontinued and on January 23, 1941 the next posting was back to No. Manning Depot - Toronto. Then, it was to the prairies on March 30 to No. 5 Air Observer School. While here is average was 75% in Air Training and 87% in Ground Training. Following this it was to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School based at Dafoe - Saskatchewan. He placed 1st out of 41 men with an average of 78%.The next posting took him to No. 1 Air Navigation School in Rivers - Manitoba on August 6. He placed 4 out of 103 men and his  average was 82%. He received his Air Observer Bade.  Then it was to the Atlantic coast to No. 31 Operational Training Unit at Debert Nova Scotia. On September 20 he reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre with the rank of Pilot Officer.

Overseas

He embarked from Canada on September 21, 1941 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on October 4. On October 28 he was posted to No. 22 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford - Warwickshire and here he trained on Wellington bombers for RCAF Group 6. .                                                        He was posted to his squadron on May 7, 1942 which was RAF No.103 Squadron based in Lincolnshire at RAF Elsham Wolds.

In the Field

The night of May 18/19 the mission was to be to St. Nazaire in France. No. 103 Squadron had 5 aircraft on the mission with total aircraft involved being 65. St. Nazaire was a target because it was a German submarine Base and it contained a large railway facility. Wellington Z 1141 lifted off the tarmac at 22:48 hours ON ITS 27th mission and Pilot Officer Williams was the Observer. This was his first mission. As they crossed the English Channel there was patchy fog  but the darkness was intense. Over the target there was very heavy flak. They were bombing from 10,000'. This aircraft was shot down over the target and crashed at La Briere, an extensive marsh north of St. Nazaire. Upon impact the aircraft exploded, burned then sank into the marsh.
When the crew was buried on May 24, 1942, the entire population of Trignac attended the funeral and all were
carrying red white and blue flowers.

Pilot Officer's Williams wife and mother both received the Memorial Cross with his wife receiving hers in February of 1950 and his mother receiving hers in November 1943. In  April 1946 Pilot Officer Williams was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Air Crew Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp and these were sent to his widow. At this time his widow also receivedher husband's Operational Wings.

Pilot Officer is not named on the Brussels Cenotaph but should be. He is honoured and remembered on the Listowel High School Memorial Plaque and on the Memorial Plaque of Melville Presbyterian Church. He is honoured and remembered in the University of Toronto Tower Arch on the Memorial Plaques as well as on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Also he is honoured and   remembered on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial.