BUCKINGHAM, Eldon William

NAME:                   BUCKINGHAM         William Eldon
RANK:                   Flight Sergeant                   259697                                                                                                                            RAF Bomber Command - No 5 Group                                                                                        SQUADRON         RAF No. 227 Squadron                                                                                                                                              RAF Balderton - Nottinghamshire & RAF Strubby - Lincolnshire                                                                                Squadron Codes  9J                                                                                                                Born                      January 4, 1926 - Lucknow -  Lot 3  Concession 13 - Township of Ashfield  - County of Huron Residence             Lucknow - Ontario                                                                                                                  Died                       March 22, 1946          20 years   2 months                                                                      Cemetery              Lucknow South Kinloss Cemetery -  Lucknow - County of Bruce                                      Parents                 Mr. William and Lorena Buckingham - Lucknow 

William was born in Lucknow on January 4, 1926. The family attended Lucknow United Church. He attended public school at SS No. 7 Ashfiled Township from 1932-1938 and he attended high school in Lucknow from    1938-40 leaving school at age of 13 after Grade IX. His hobbies were radios and writing. He enjoyed playing softball and bicycling and dancing. Growing up he had the measles and the mumps. He was employed by Maple Leaf Aircraft Corporation - Lucknow - Ontario as a sheet metal worker. They were sub-contactors for the Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft. They also produced hydraulic systems for the landing gear of aircraft along with other war products.He was a volunteer in the Militia with the 99th Field Batter - Royal Canadian Artillery from January to June 1943.

Canada

He went to London at the age of 17 tears 6 months and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 8, 1943 and at that time the RCAF requested that he obtain a statement from his parents stating that he had their permission to enlist. When he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force he was 5' 9" in height, weighed 130 pounds, had a medium complexion, had brown eyes and brown/black hair. Upon his enlistment at the London Recruitment Centre he was given the rank of Aircraftsman 2nd class and ten days later on July 19 he was on his way to No. 3 Manning Depot in Edmonton and while there obtained the rank of Air Gunner. On September 6 he is one his way to No. 9 Pre Aircrew Education Detachment. This was a unit for men who did not have the proper education who would probably have been turned away from enlisting. On November 10 his next posting him to No. 13 Service Flying Training School - St. Hubert - Quebec. A little more than two weeks later he was posted to No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School at Mount Pleasant - Prince Edward Island.                                                  On the last day of January 1944 and in the very early spring on March 24, 1944 he leaves Prince Edward Island and is posted to Air Graduate Training School and here he received his Air Gunner Badge along with the rank of Sergeant.. On April 23 he was sent to No. 1 "Y" Depot in Lachine - Quebec.                                  

Overseas 

On May 3 he is assigned to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre while on board ship and embarks from Canada for overseas. On May 10 he disembarks in the United Kingdom and the following day reports to NO. 3 PRC in Bournemouth - Dorset. On June 13 he is posted to Raf No. 14 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Market Harborough - Leicestershire. From there it was to RAF 51 Base on September 20 while still attached to No. 14 OTU. Between October 2 - November 27 he was posted to RAF No. 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Swinderby - Lincolnshire. He then went to RAF No. 5 Reserve Flying School on November 27 which was based at RAF Hanworth - London. He obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant while posted here. 

In the Field         

Close to the end of January 1945 he reported to RAF No. 227 Squadron and while with the squadron they used RAF Balderton - Nottinghamshire & RAF Strubby - Lincolnshire.

Canada

Then on July 8 he was posted to the RCAF Repatriation Depot - Torquay - Devon. On August 21 Flight Sergeant Buckingham arrived at RCAF No. 1 Repatriation Depot in St Hubert - Quebec. His final posting was to No. 4 Release Centre in Toronto - Ontario.                                    

Flight Sergeant Buckingham was Honourably Discharged from the service of the Royal Canadian Air Force on November 23, 1945 as he was medically unable to continue with his service. He had been diagnosed with tuberculosis and meningitis. He then entered a hospital in Peterborough - Ontario where he spent his last days. He died on March 22, 1946.

In  August of 1946 his parents received the Memorial Cross which was then followed by the medals awarded to William which included the 1939-45 Star, the France - Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

William is honoured and remembered on both the Goderich and Lucknow Cenotaphs. He would be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of Lucknow High School and Lucknow United Church. He is remembered in Ottawa in the Books of Remembrance that sit in the Centre Block of Parliament and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is also honoured and remembered in the Bruce County County Museum Memorial.

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