William “Bill” Cameron was born on March 28, 1921, the son of Donald Gordon Cameron and Ellen (nee Pollock) Cameron, of Thedford, who were living at 206 Maria Street, Sarnia. William’s father, Donald, was an employee of the Pumping Department at Sarnia Imperial Refinery. William was a graduate of Sarnia Collegiate. Prior to enlisting, William was employed with the Sarnia Imperial Refinery. On August 29, 1941, William, single at the time, enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and subsequently received his air force training at Toronto, Trenton, St. Thomas and Hagersville. He received his wings at Hagersvillle almost a year after he enlisted. Of his graduating class of 80, two graduates were chosen for immediate service overseas, and William Cameron was one of them. He would leave for overseas in September of 1942. In November of that year, he was a member of RCAF #419 Moose squadron “Moosa Aswayita” (Beware the moose), attaining the rank of Warrant Officer Class II-Pilot.

In early August of 1943, the Canadian (Sarnia) Observer reported on an attack over Germany in which William Cameron was involved. In heavy attacks made by the R.A.F. and the R.C.A.F. on Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on an August night, William Cameron piloted a Halifax bomber with Sgt. Bev. Scharf, another Sarnian, a member of his crew. Sgt. Scharf was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Scharf of 267 Cobden Street.

On September 1, 1943, his Halifax aircraft JD270 was in a mid-air collision with an enemy fighter aircraft just after completing the bombing run over the target of Berlin, Germany. Perishing with Warrant Officer II-Pilot William Donald Cameron were FS.s V.J. Wintzer and G.E. Birtch; and Sgt. J.T. Mullany (RAF). Two Canadians, FS.s R.E. Boos and B.W. Scharf, and L. Duggan (of the RAF) bailed out and were taken as Prisoners of War.

Not long after, Donald and Ellen Cameron in Sarnia would receive a telegram informing them that their son, Sergeant William Cameron was reported missing in action after his nineteenth operational flight over Germany. In February of 1944, Donald and Ellen would receive another telegram from Ottawa advising them that their son, Sergt. William Cameron has been promoted to Flight-Sergeant, dating from February 14. No further details were received by his parents. William Cameron would later be officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead, overseas (Germany). Twenty-two year old William Cameron is buried in Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery, Charlottenburg, Germany, Coll.grave 6.A.2-4. On William Cameron’s headstone are inscribed the words, Psalm XXIII.4.

SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, O, 2C, 2D