No. 263 Squadron, R.A.F. - Roll of Honour
This page lists as many members of the Squadron who lost their lives during World War II as I can reliably identify, either when serving with the Squadron or later when serving with other units. The list includes two American officers who had served with the Squadron as part of the RCAF before transferring back to the USAAF in September 1942, and three members of the ground crew who were killed during the Norway campaign in 1940. All ranks and awards are 'final', i.e. as stated in CWGC and other sources.
The details below are based on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records and other sources, and link directly to these sources.
133547 Flying Officer Basil Courtney ABRAMS d. 17 April 1943.
124908 Flight Lieutenant John Norman Payne ARKLE d. 26 November 1944. Aged 22
40660 Wing Commander Ernest Reginald BAKER DSO, DFC & bar d. 16 June 1944. Aged 30
655794 Flight Sergeant John McGowan BARCLAY d. 31 July 1943.
J/26504 Flying Officer Alexander BARR d. 14 October 1944. Aged 24
169061 Flying Officer Robert Charles BEAUMONT d. 18 August 1944. Aged 22
115406 Flight Lieutenant David Patrick Murray BELL d. 21 May 1944. Aged 21
42184 Pilot Officer Michael Amor BENTLEY d. 09 June 1940.
147757 Flying Officer Norman Peter BLACKLOCK d. 05 February 1944.
111980 Flight Lieutenant Herbert John BLACKSHAW DFC d. 16 May 1943. Aged 26
J/15157 Flying Officer Edgar BREARLEY d. 16 April 1943. Aged 26
72033 Flying Officer Allan Walter Naylor BRITTON d. 12 December 1940. Aged 23
J/36786 Flying Officer Allan William CAMPBELL d. 25 August 1944. Aged 26
1530111 Flight Sergeant John CHARLTON d. 24 June 1944. Aged 22
408204 Pilot Officer Maxwell Tylney COTTON DFC d. 15 June 1943. Aged 22
41672 Pilot Officer Michael Alexander CRAIG-ADAMS d. 22 May 1940.
40678 Flight Lieutenant David Alexander Cummings CROOKS DFC d. 01 April 1941. Aged 28
106035 Pilot Officer Vivian Lester CURRIE d. 23 July 1942. Aged 22
32074 Squadron Leader John William DONALDSON DSO, AFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 29
80820 Pilot Officer Alan Richard DOWNER d. 21 July 1940. Aged 22
33307 Flying Officer Herman Francis Grant EDE DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 23
102145 Flight Lieutenant David Frederick EVANS d. 14 October 1944. Aged 24
41688 Pilot Officer Jack FALKSON d. 08 June 1940.
80817 Flying Officer Roy Frederick FERDINAND d. 12 June 1941. Aged 21
150141 Flying Officer Kenneth James Forrester FUNNELL d. 24 December 1943. Aged 21
J/15111 Flying Officer Donald Ross GILL d. 07 November 1942. Aged 27
81635 Squadron Leader Henri Alphonse Clement GONAY DFC, CdG (Belgium), CdG (France) d. 14 June 1944. Aged 30
76314 Pilot Officer Cornelius Desmond GORDON-WILSON d. 21 April 1940.
78737 Pilot Officer Kenneth Alfred George GRAHAM d. 08 February 1941. Aged 20
102571 Flying Officer Philip HARVEY DFC d. 17 April 1943. Aged 23
156653 Flying Officer William Whittaker HEATON d. 09 June 1944.
408207 Flight Sergeant Francis Leslie HICKS d. 19 February 1943. Aged 30
133670 Flying Officer John Alfred HODGSON d. 07 July 1944. Aged 25
69485 Pilot Officer Ormonde John Horace HOSKINS d. 09 October 1941. Aged 26
33427 Flying Officer Bernard HOWE d. 20 April 1941. Aged 22
37285 Squadron Leader Caesar Barraud HULL d. 07 September 1940. Aged 26
1001262 Sergeant Thomas HUNTER d. 29 September 1941. Aged 21
150009 Flying Officer Robert Charles HUNTER d. 22 February 1944.
41423 Pilot Officer Louis Reginald JACOBSEN DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 25
711019 Flight Sergeant Peter Alastair JARDINE d. 21 September 1942. Aged 20
114169 Flying Officer Douglas St. John JOWITT d. 31 October 1942.
128999 Flying Officer Cecil Percy KING DFM d. 17 April 1943. Aged 23
J/28384 Flying Officer Frederick Stanley LE GEAR d. 10 September 1944. Aged 21
107258 Flight Lieutenant Stuart James LOVELL d. 29 January 1944. Aged 27
1113286 Sergeant John MACAULAY d. 14 April 1943. Aged 23
45726 Pilot Officer Dennis William MASON d. 10 September 1941. Aged 23
41599 Pilot Officer Sidney Robert McNAMARA DFC d. 09 June 1940.
R/67887 Warrant Officer Class I Donald Burton McPHAIL d. 07 December 1942. Aged 25
127883 Flying Officer Paul Thomas Richard MERCER d. 24 October 1943.
87030 Pilot Officer George Stanley MILLIGAN d. 30 April 1941. Aged 22
33466 Pilot Officer Darrell Edward David MILSOM d. 29 March 1940. Aged 20
123605 Flying Officer Douglas Edwin George MOGG d. 26 December 1943. Aged 23
580250 Sergeant Frank MORTON d. 09 January 1941. Aged 24
R/79587 Warrant Officer Class I Harvey Donald MUIRHEAD d. 17 February 1943. Aged 24
33483 Pilot Officer Patrick John Muriel NETTLETON d. 29 March 1940. Aged 21
J/20227 Flying Officer Leon PARENT d. 07 June 1944. Aged 21
927360 Sergeant Reginald Gunn PASCOE d. 11 June 1941. Aged 20
655554 Warrant Officer Charles George POINTS d. 14 February 1945 . Aged 25
1485878 Flight Sergeant Jack Donnelly PRINGLE d. 28 May 1944. Aged 21
166018 Sergeant Derrick Ellis PRIOR d. 15 December 1941. Aged 21
159873 Flight Lieutenant Harold Medd PROCTOR DFC d. 24 August 1944. Aged 23
40131 Wing Commander Thomas Patrick PUGH DFC d. 02 August 1943. Aged 23
41738 Pilot Officer Phillip Hannah PURDY DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 22
77340 Pilot Officer Walter Philip RICHARDS d. 21 May 1940. Aged 24
1057469 Sergeant John Joseph ROBINSON d. 06 November 1941. Aged 21
84001 Squadron Leader David George ROSS DFC d. 05 June 1944. Aged 24
565278 Sergeant Ernest Frederick William RUSSELL MM d. 09 June 1940. Aged 25
R/149115 Warrant Officer Class II Alton James RYAN d. 24 June 1944. Aged 23
155239 Pilot Officer James Ian SIMPSON DFM d. 08 October 1943. Aged 24
1112034 Flight Sergeant Douglas Francis SMALL d. 09 November 1942. Aged 22
416719 Pilot Officer Graham Natt SMITH d. 12 March 1944. Aged 21
152262 Flight Lieutenant James Arthur SMITH d. 05 July 1945. Aged 22
37366 Flight Lieutenant Wynford Ormonde Leoni SMITH d. 29 December 1940. Aged 25
84299 Flying Officer David STEIN d. 30 October 1941.
81639 Squadron Leader Patrick Glynn THORNTON-BROWN DFC d. 21 December 1943. Aged 24
175972 Pilot Officer John THOULD d. 13 October 1944. Aged 24
177663 Pilot Officer Sayana Puram Duraiswamy THYAGARAJAN d. 25 August 1944. Aged 26
409257 Flying Officer Robert Bruce TUFF MiD d. 22 February 1944. Aged 21
134115 Flight Lieutenant Donald James Stanley TURNER d. 26 December 1944. Aged 20
J/10393 Flight Lieutenant Leonard Arthur UNWIN d. 24 December 1944. Aged 27
39143 Flying Officer Harold Edward VICKERY d. 08 June 1940. Aged 26
566236 Sergeant Kenneth Primrose VICKERY d. 07 April 1940.
83718 Pilot Officer Donald Martin VINE d. 29 December 1940. Aged 23
119013 Pilot Officer John James WALKER d. 23 July 1942. Aged 22
78429 Squadron Leader Geoffrey Berrington WARNES DSO, DFC d. 22 February 1944. Aged 29
42170 Pilot Officer James Leon WILKIE d. 02 June 1940. Aged 20
40276 Flying Officer Alvin Thomas WILLIAMS d. 09 June 1940.
1314587 Sergeant David John WILLIAMS d. 12 February 1943. Aged 20
1502741 Flight Sergeant George WILLIAMS d. 13 February 1944.
J/12065 Flying Officer William James WINDELER d. 15 June 1944. Aged 25
J/20138 Flight Lieutenant Norman Paulle Courtney WOODWARD d. 17 April 1945 . Aged 23
74698 Squadron Leader Robert Sinckler WOODWARD DFC d. 07 December 1942. Aged 23
The following American officers who served with 263 Squadron as part of the RCAF were later killed in action with the USAAF:
(details © USAAFdata.com and 4th FG Association)
R/67827, O-885326 1st Lieutenant Richard Irl REED, Jr. Air Medal, Purple Heart d. 20 February 1944. Also here.
O-885238 2nd Lieutenant William Albert LOVELL Air Medal d. 11 January 1943.
The following members of 263 Squadron's ground crew were killed in action or on active service in the Norway campaign:
(details © the Commonweath War Graves Commission)
522985 Leading Aircraftman Squire HURLEY d. 27 May 1940. Aged 26
545400 Leading Aircraftman Rhys Penry JONES d. 27 May 1940.
366128 Warrant Officer Harold Alfred JAMES d. 17 May 1940. Aged 31
This page lists as many members of the Squadron who lost their lives during World War II as I can reliably identify, either when serving with the Squadron or later when serving with other units. The list includes two American officers who had served with the Squadron as part of the RCAF before transferring back to the USAAF in September 1942, and three members of the ground crew who were killed during the Norway campaign in 1940. All ranks and awards are 'final', i.e. as stated in CWGC and other sources.
The details below are based on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records and other sources, and link directly to these sources.
133547 Flying Officer Basil Courtney ABRAMS d. 17 April 1943.
124908 Flight Lieutenant John Norman Payne ARKLE d. 26 November 1944. Aged 22
40660 Wing Commander Ernest Reginald BAKER DSO, DFC & bar d. 16 June 1944. Aged 30
655794 Flight Sergeant John McGowan BARCLAY d. 31 July 1943.
J/26504 Flying Officer Alexander BARR d. 14 October 1944. Aged 24
169061 Flying Officer Robert Charles BEAUMONT d. 18 August 1944. Aged 22
115406 Flight Lieutenant David Patrick Murray BELL d. 21 May 1944. Aged 21
42184 Pilot Officer Michael Amor BENTLEY d. 09 June 1940.
147757 Flying Officer Norman Peter BLACKLOCK d. 05 February 1944.
111980 Flight Lieutenant Herbert John BLACKSHAW DFC d. 16 May 1943. Aged 26
J/15157 Flying Officer Edgar BREARLEY d. 16 April 1943. Aged 26
72033 Flying Officer Allan Walter Naylor BRITTON d. 12 December 1940. Aged 23
J/36786 Flying Officer Allan William CAMPBELL d. 25 August 1944. Aged 26
1530111 Flight Sergeant John CHARLTON d. 24 June 1944. Aged 22
408204 Pilot Officer Maxwell Tylney COTTON DFC d. 15 June 1943. Aged 22
41672 Pilot Officer Michael Alexander CRAIG-ADAMS d. 22 May 1940.
40678 Flight Lieutenant David Alexander Cummings CROOKS DFC d. 01 April 1941. Aged 28
106035 Pilot Officer Vivian Lester CURRIE d. 23 July 1942. Aged 22
32074 Squadron Leader John William DONALDSON DSO, AFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 29
80820 Pilot Officer Alan Richard DOWNER d. 21 July 1940. Aged 22
33307 Flying Officer Herman Francis Grant EDE DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 23
102145 Flight Lieutenant David Frederick EVANS d. 14 October 1944. Aged 24
41688 Pilot Officer Jack FALKSON d. 08 June 1940.
80817 Flying Officer Roy Frederick FERDINAND d. 12 June 1941. Aged 21
150141 Flying Officer Kenneth James Forrester FUNNELL d. 24 December 1943. Aged 21
J/15111 Flying Officer Donald Ross GILL d. 07 November 1942. Aged 27
81635 Squadron Leader Henri Alphonse Clement GONAY DFC, CdG (Belgium), CdG (France) d. 14 June 1944. Aged 30
76314 Pilot Officer Cornelius Desmond GORDON-WILSON d. 21 April 1940.
78737 Pilot Officer Kenneth Alfred George GRAHAM d. 08 February 1941. Aged 20
102571 Flying Officer Philip HARVEY DFC d. 17 April 1943. Aged 23
156653 Flying Officer William Whittaker HEATON d. 09 June 1944.
408207 Flight Sergeant Francis Leslie HICKS d. 19 February 1943. Aged 30
133670 Flying Officer John Alfred HODGSON d. 07 July 1944. Aged 25
69485 Pilot Officer Ormonde John Horace HOSKINS d. 09 October 1941. Aged 26
33427 Flying Officer Bernard HOWE d. 20 April 1941. Aged 22
37285 Squadron Leader Caesar Barraud HULL d. 07 September 1940. Aged 26
1001262 Sergeant Thomas HUNTER d. 29 September 1941. Aged 21
150009 Flying Officer Robert Charles HUNTER d. 22 February 1944.
41423 Pilot Officer Louis Reginald JACOBSEN DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 25
711019 Flight Sergeant Peter Alastair JARDINE d. 21 September 1942. Aged 20
114169 Flying Officer Douglas St. John JOWITT d. 31 October 1942.
128999 Flying Officer Cecil Percy KING DFM d. 17 April 1943. Aged 23
J/28384 Flying Officer Frederick Stanley LE GEAR d. 10 September 1944. Aged 21
107258 Flight Lieutenant Stuart James LOVELL d. 29 January 1944. Aged 27
1113286 Sergeant John MACAULAY d. 14 April 1943. Aged 23
45726 Pilot Officer Dennis William MASON d. 10 September 1941. Aged 23
41599 Pilot Officer Sidney Robert McNAMARA DFC d. 09 June 1940.
R/67887 Warrant Officer Class I Donald Burton McPHAIL d. 07 December 1942. Aged 25
127883 Flying Officer Paul Thomas Richard MERCER d. 24 October 1943.
87030 Pilot Officer George Stanley MILLIGAN d. 30 April 1941. Aged 22
33466 Pilot Officer Darrell Edward David MILSOM d. 29 March 1940. Aged 20
123605 Flying Officer Douglas Edwin George MOGG d. 26 December 1943. Aged 23
580250 Sergeant Frank MORTON d. 09 January 1941. Aged 24
R/79587 Warrant Officer Class I Harvey Donald MUIRHEAD d. 17 February 1943. Aged 24
33483 Pilot Officer Patrick John Muriel NETTLETON d. 29 March 1940. Aged 21
J/20227 Flying Officer Leon PARENT d. 07 June 1944. Aged 21
927360 Sergeant Reginald Gunn PASCOE d. 11 June 1941. Aged 20
655554 Warrant Officer Charles George POINTS d. 14 February 1945 . Aged 25
1485878 Flight Sergeant Jack Donnelly PRINGLE d. 28 May 1944. Aged 21
166018 Sergeant Derrick Ellis PRIOR d. 15 December 1941. Aged 21
159873 Flight Lieutenant Harold Medd PROCTOR DFC d. 24 August 1944. Aged 23
40131 Wing Commander Thomas Patrick PUGH DFC d. 02 August 1943. Aged 23
41738 Pilot Officer Phillip Hannah PURDY DFC d. 09 June 1940. Aged 22
77340 Pilot Officer Walter Philip RICHARDS d. 21 May 1940. Aged 24
1057469 Sergeant John Joseph ROBINSON d. 06 November 1941. Aged 21
84001 Squadron Leader David George ROSS DFC d. 05 June 1944. Aged 24
565278 Sergeant Ernest Frederick William RUSSELL MM d. 09 June 1940. Aged 25
R/149115 Warrant Officer Class II Alton James RYAN d. 24 June 1944. Aged 23
155239 Pilot Officer James Ian SIMPSON DFM d. 08 October 1943. Aged 24
1112034 Flight Sergeant Douglas Francis SMALL d. 09 November 1942. Aged 22
416719 Pilot Officer Graham Natt SMITH d. 12 March 1944. Aged 21
152262 Flight Lieutenant James Arthur SMITH d. 05 July 1945. Aged 22
37366 Flight Lieutenant Wynford Ormonde Leoni SMITH d. 29 December 1940. Aged 25
84299 Flying Officer David STEIN d. 30 October 1941.
81639 Squadron Leader Patrick Glynn THORNTON-BROWN DFC d. 21 December 1943. Aged 24
175972 Pilot Officer John THOULD d. 13 October 1944. Aged 24
177663 Pilot Officer Sayana Puram Duraiswamy THYAGARAJAN d. 25 August 1944. Aged 26
409257 Flying Officer Robert Bruce TUFF MiD d. 22 February 1944. Aged 21
134115 Flight Lieutenant Donald James Stanley TURNER d. 26 December 1944. Aged 20
J/10393 Flight Lieutenant Leonard Arthur UNWIN d. 24 December 1944. Aged 27
39143 Flying Officer Harold Edward VICKERY d. 08 June 1940. Aged 26
566236 Sergeant Kenneth Primrose VICKERY d. 07 April 1940.
83718 Pilot Officer Donald Martin VINE d. 29 December 1940. Aged 23
119013 Pilot Officer John James WALKER d. 23 July 1942. Aged 22
78429 Squadron Leader Geoffrey Berrington WARNES DSO, DFC d. 22 February 1944. Aged 29
42170 Pilot Officer James Leon WILKIE d. 02 June 1940. Aged 20
40276 Flying Officer Alvin Thomas WILLIAMS d. 09 June 1940.
1314587 Sergeant David John WILLIAMS d. 12 February 1943. Aged 20
1502741 Flight Sergeant George WILLIAMS d. 13 February 1944.
J/12065 Flying Officer William James WINDELER d. 15 June 1944. Aged 25
J/20138 Flight Lieutenant Norman Paulle Courtney WOODWARD d. 17 April 1945 . Aged 23
74698 Squadron Leader Robert Sinckler WOODWARD DFC d. 07 December 1942. Aged 23
The following American officers who served with 263 Squadron as part of the RCAF were later killed in action with the USAAF:
(details © USAAFdata.com and 4th FG Association)
R/67827, O-885326 1st Lieutenant Richard Irl REED, Jr. Air Medal, Purple Heart d. 20 February 1944. Also here.
O-885238 2nd Lieutenant William Albert LOVELL Air Medal d. 11 January 1943.
The following members of 263 Squadron's ground crew were killed in action or on active service in the Norway campaign:
(details © the Commonweath War Graves Commission)
522985 Leading Aircraftman Squire HURLEY d. 27 May 1940. Aged 26
545400 Leading Aircraftman Rhys Penry JONES d. 27 May 1940.
366128 Warrant Officer Harold Alfred JAMES d. 17 May 1940. Aged 31