William Thomas Watson (b.1918 - d.2000)

William Watson was my uncle. He served for two years with the R.C.A.F. as a navigator with the 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron of the Coastal Command during WWII.

William Watson

William was a member of the famous "Demon night squadron", as the 407 eventually came to be known. This unit made a great name for itself early in the war by its operations to disrupt enemy shipping along the Dutch coast.

This squadron destroyed over 500,000 tons of enemy shipping during 1941 and '42, and earned the nickname "the Demons", for the tenacity with which they carried out their attacks. The 407 Squadron also sunk 4 German U-boats and damaged seven others between 1943 and 1945, making it one of the most successful coastal units of the war. William flew over 500 hours with the Squadron, with most of his missions in the vicinity of the Bay of Biscay.

After the war, William attended the University of Waterloo where he graduated as an optometrist. He set up his office in Hanna, Alberta where he practiced optometry for forty years until he retired in 1990.

Ian Watson - nephew