ULENS, Rayburn William Thomas

NAME                    ULENS          Rayburn William Thomas
RANK                    Flight Sergeant                          191540                                                                                                                      RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force - No. 2 Group - 137 Wing                                                          SQUADRON         RAF No. 226 Royal Air Force
                              “for country not for self”
                              RAF Swanton Morely in Norfolk
                              Squadron markings MQ                                                                                                          Born                       April 30, 1923 - Corbett - Township of McGillivray - County of Middlesex - Ontario                                                                                             Township of Stephen - County of Huron - Ontario                    Residence             London - Ontario                                                                                                                            Died                       June 19, 1944           21 years   1 month             
Memorial               Runnymede Memorial.-Englefield Green – Egham - Surrey - England.
                              Panel 255
Parents                 Mr. Gordon and Gertrude Ulens - London                                                                            Brother                  Mr. Dorman Ulens - London                                                                                                          Sisters                   Miss Irno and Ula - London                                                                                                        Girlfriend               Miss T. Volk - London

Rayburn was born in Corbett on April 30, 1923 and he was employed as a milk truck driver before he enlisted.
He enjoyed swimming, hunting and skating. The family was United and would have attended the United Church in either Corbett or Greenway. He attended public school at SS No. 17 in Corbett 1929-37 and completed Grade VIII.

Canada

On September 7, 1942 he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force in London. He received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. When he enlisted he stood 5' 8" and weighed 154 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. The day of enlistment he was sent to Toronto to No. 1 Manning Depot.                              Between November 5 - March 20, 1943 he was assigned to No. 1 Technical Trade School - St. Thomas - Ontario  Following his time in St. Thomas he was then assigned to RCAF Station Trenton on March 21 to Air Gunner Ground Training School. He placed 53 in a class of 116. While at Trenton he received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. At the end of May his next posting sent him to the prairies to MacDonald - Manitoba where No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School was based. While at MacDonald he received the rank of Sergeant and obtained his Air Gunner Badge. Then on July 24 he was posted to New Brunswick at Pennfield where RCAF No. 34 Operational Training School was based. In early October he was assigned to "Y" Depot in Halifax - Nova Scotia in preparation for going overseas. At some point about October 6-7 Sergeant Ulens embarked from Halifax by train and arrived in New York City before embarking for overseas on October 8. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on October 16 and reported to RAF No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth - Dorset. He remained here until March 28, 1944 when he was posted to RAF Bicester - Oxfordshire to No. 13 Operational Training School where he trained on the Bristol Blenheim. With his training now completed he was posted to RAF No. 226 Squadron . He was given the rank of Flight Sergeant.                                                                          Flight Sergeant Ulens’ final mission was in Mitchell FL 192. This aircraft had been detailed to attack a
Normandy target in the battle area on the beachhead at 01:00 hours. It is felt that the aircraft had reached the
target safely and completed its bomb run but had been damaged by enemy fire. On the return leg it was last
seen at 02:15 hours over the English Channel. It crashed into the Channel off of the north coast of Guernsey
in the Channel Islands. Flight Sergeant Ulens had been on service with 226 Squadron for about a month and had completed in that time 21 missions both day and night.

In the month of February 1945 Rayburn's mother Gertrude received the Memorial Cross and then early in 1947 the family received the medals awarded to Rayburn which included the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp. His parents also received Rayburn's Operational Wings in early 1947.

Rayburn is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of the church he attended and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is also honoured and remembered on the Allied Airmen Memorial located on the island of Guersney at the airport and at the Runnymede Memorial. His name is written in the Books of Remembrance which are located in the Centre Block of Canada's Parliament and on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial.