William Robinson Morrison

William Robinson Morrison was a soldier in WW2. He was born on November 11, 1923 in London, Ontario and lived at 70 Third street, Ottawa, Ontario Canada. He was born to Alfred Leleand Morrison and Jessie Robinson. His sister’s name was Mary Morrison. (Later Mary Maclaren) He worked at Loblaws as a butcher part time for two years. William never married, and never had any kids. William started at Glebe in 1936 and left in 1942. William applied for the Air Force the summer he finished at glebe. While he was at glebe, the principal was Mr. W.D.T Atkinson.

On June 3rd, 1942, William bravely decided to sign up for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF for short) and was recommended by his medical examiner to be a pilot. He was shipped in June of the next year to Britain. At first he wanted to be a pilot, but later switched to being an air observer on the Handley Page Halifax MK III Heavy Bomber under the 158 RCAF bomber squadron. His main job was reconnaissance and navigation, but would engage in combat if needed. He was later promoted to flying officer. (Two ranks below lieutenant) William probably enlisted looking for money. After being an unremarkable student for his high school career, he most likely went looking for financial stability like many other men.

On July 18th, 1944 while conducting air operations over France, the Handley Page Halfiax never returned. Everybody on the aircraft went missing in action and later presumed dead, William being one of them. It was estimated that the plane went down around Caen, France. Even though they never found a body, he was buried in the Ranville War Cemetery. William was 20 when he died.

Primary Source Documents : https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2343413?William%20Robinson%20Morrison

Work Cited

Commonwealth War Graves Commission. “William Robinson Morrison.” CWGC, www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2343413/william-robinson-morrison/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

Veterans Affairs Canada. “William Robinson Morrison.” Canadian Virtual War Memorial, www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2343413?William%5C%. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

“No. 158 Squadron RAF.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._158_Squadron_RAF. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

“Personnel: William Robinson Morrison.” 158 Squadron, www.158squadron.co.uk/personnel/detail/1607. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission. “Ranville War Cemetery.” CWGC, www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/2033500/ranville-war-cemetery/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

“Books of Remembrance.” Veterans Affairs Canada, Government of Canada, www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/books/page?page=399&book=2&sort=pageAsc. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

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

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