Robert MacFarlane Graham was born on December 15th, 1917 in Ottawa. Ontario. His current address is 231 Clemow Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario. His parents are Lucille MacFarlane (Mother) and William Graham (Father). Robert was a single man, with no spouse and no siblings.
His personality type was listed as domineering, confident, mature and pleasant. He graduated when he was 19, and did four full years of highschool. Four years of matriculation course. Passed in two subjects of junior matriculation.
His religion is Anglican. Both of his parents are Canadian.
He was in the Cadet Corps for three years while attending Ashbury College. He was 23 years old when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F), and his division is 158(R.A.F), his service number is J/6306. The air force trade he did was wireless operator air gunner.
Robert MacFarlane Graham tragically passed away on May 9th 1942. He had previously gone missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead. He was buried at The BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY in the district of Charlottenburg, 8 kilometers west of the city center, on the south side of the Heerstrasse.
Robert MacFarlane Graham est né le 15 Décembre, 1917 en Ottawa, Ontario. Dans la Deuxième Guerre Mondial, il était un officier pilote, un artilleur aérien, opérant sans fil. Il vivait à 231 Clemow avenue, avec ses parents, William McCullough Graham et Lucille Macfarlane Graham. Robert Graham était la deuxième plus jeune de cinq frères et sœurs: William Fuentes Graham, Margaret Graham, Frederick Stitt Graham et Joan Lucille Graham. Il pesait 150 livres, mesure 5 pieds et 9 pouces, il avait les yeux noisette et les cheveux bruns. Il n’était pas marié. Il était un homme confinant, mature et agréable, et il aimait le travail du bois et du métal.
Graham est enrôlé pour la force aérienne le 7 Octobre 1940 en Ottawa, Ontario, quand il avait 22 ans. Il est enrôlé dans le deuxième bataillon, le 158eme escadron, les Cameron Highlanders, dans la division Aviation royale canadienne. Son numéro matricule était J6306. Le 21 Juillet, 1941, il a eu le Badge de mitrailleur d'Air. Il a volé pendant 26 heures au total. Pendant cette période, il a passé 11 heures à Calgary, Alberta et 15 heures à Paulson, Manitoba. Il aurait pu enrôlé pour sa famille ou les attentes de la société.
Graham meurt tragiquement le 9 Mai 1942 en Allemagne. Il a disparu en combat pour un peu de temps, mais son corps a été retrouvé. Il reste maintenant à la Cimetière de guerre de Berlin a Charlottenburg, Allemagne, avec des membres de 11 autres équipages, dans la tombe numéro 16 à 32, parcelle 8, rangée A.
Honour roll – In memory of the Ashbury College alumni and staff who gave their lives in Word War I, World War II and the Korean War. Plaque erected in the Ashbury College Chapel, 362 Mariposa Avenue, Ottawa
Newspaper Clipping – From the Charlottetown PEI newspaper The Guardian.
Newspaper Clipping – From the Ottawa Citizen
Newspaper Clipping – Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail.
Memorial – St Matthew's Anglican Church Ottawa
Works Cited
Robert MacFarlane Graham- The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2201335?Robert%20Macfarlane%20Graham . Accessed 1 November 2023.
“Second World War Service Files – War Dead, 1939 to 1947.” Collection Search, http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=kia&id=13691&lang=eng . Accessed 26 October 2023.
The biographies appearing on this website have been written by students, roughly the same age as the soldiers they are studying, using primary source evidence from Library and Archives Canada, in addition to primary source documents from The Virtual War Memorial on veterans.ca. We welcome any corrections or additions you may have to these biographies.
'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'
- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.
Glebe Collegiate Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada