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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Gordon Frederick Humphrey

In memory of:

Pilot Officer Gordon Frederick Humphrey

August 17, 1944

Military Service


Service Number:

J/89694

Age:

23

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

183 Sqdn.

Additional Information


Son of Francis Gordon Humphrey and Helen Ann Humphrey, of Jasper, Ontario, Canada.

Commemorated on Page 340 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Surrey, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

Panel 250.

Location:

During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometers by road west of London.

The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen. Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:

IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE

In the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation, contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott."

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Circumstances of death registers– Circumstances of crash.  LAC Ottawa
  • Document– Investigation closed into location of Humphrey and Typhoon 1B JR148.  LAC Ottawa
  • Document– Witness Report.  LAC Ottawa
  • Photo of Fred Humphrey– LAC, Ottawa
  • Document– Witness report of death of Fred Humphrey, LAC, Ottawa
  • Document– Document indicating 'case closed', LAC, Ottawa
  • Document– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of GORDON FREDERICK HUMPHREY– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Attestation paper– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Merrickville Remembers– This project was sponsored jointly by the Canadian Legion Branch 245 and the Merrickville District Community Health Centre.  Serving on the Committee were Jack Jessop, Past President of Legion Branch 245;  Joyce McKay, who lost a brother in the Second World War;  Peter McKenna, Executive Director of Merrickville and District Community Health Centre;  and Jack Wilcox, who upon discharge from the Canadian Army in 1945, prepared the Sydney Academy Memorial Booklet honouring the students of the Academy who gave their lives in the Second World War.
  • Memorial Page– Gordon F. Humphrey is honoured on page 34 of the Merrickville Remembers booklet, published in January 2003.

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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