In July of 1941 Douglas was at the RCAF manning depot at Toronto. The 27^th of November it was reported that Douglas and a Miss Edna Gilbert of Chatham spent the weekend at his mother’s home along with his sister Mrs. Earl Stowe of South Woodslee. 

He did his basic training at No. 12 BTC. in Chatham, ON. After soloing with only ten hours, 25 minutes of training he discovering that he didn’t like being a pilot Douglas transferred to Navigation training school at No. 7 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School), Rivers, Manitoba where he scored a 95% on his tests.

In June of 1942 Sgt. Observer Kay was granted a fortnight furlough to visit his mother Mrs. H. J. Gordon-Kay before he was posted to Halifax, NS.

Doug arrived in England 29 July, 1942, joining RAF, No. 10 Operational Training Unit flying in Armstrong, Whitworth and Whitney bombers.

It while returning from a bombing mission in a flak damaged Whitley aircraft that Sgt. Gordon-Kay was in it crashed at Ferryman’s Farm, Nothmoor, Oxfordshire, England.Douglas was seriously injured in a crash and died.

Date of Death: 07/11/1942

On the 14^th of November, 1942 his mother received the following;

”Deeply regret to inform you that advice has been received from the R.C.A.F. that your son R1095311, Sgt. Douglas Gordon-Kay was killed on active service on Nov. 6, 1942. Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. November 11 at Brockwood Woking, Surrey, England. Please accept profound sympathy.”

Inscription on his grave marker:

 “He gave his life

That others might live

Always remembered

By his loving “Mom”. “

 Age: 23, DOAA – Date of Death: 07/11/1942. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: 33. G. 4.

Memorial – Sergeant Douglas Gordon-Kay is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens.

Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY. Found in “The Tilbury Story 1887 -1987”.

Douglas was buried just a few miles from his friend, also from Tilbury and who was also working at the Imperial Bank, Roy Bradley.  CDN 14/11/42

Surviving relatives of Douglas Gordon-Kay are: Mrs. Frances Gordon-Kay – mother, Bert Gordon-Kay – brother, Mrs. Clarence Paul, Mrs. Earl Stowe, Miss Jesse Gordon-Kay – sisters.

A memorial service was held for Douglas was conducted in St. Andrew’s Anglican church on the following Sunday by the Ven. Archdeacon T. Dobson. CDN 19/11/42

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

The Tilbury Story 1887 -1987, Index of Overseas Deaths, CDN (14-11-1942) (TSGNO) (ATNCB) (TT), 27-11-1941, CDN-Tilbury (16/06/42), CDN (11/08/42)

Supplemental Information

Born 23 September 1919 in Tilbury, ON. Son of Mr. Herbert J . Gordon and Mrs. Frances Kay, he had one brother and three sisters, Ontario, Canada. A member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Douglas also attended Tilbury district schools for his junior matriculation. Attended Chatham Vocational School before gaining employment with the Imperial Bank in Chatham as a ledger-keeper, where he worked for three years and became best of friends with Roy Bradley, who also worked at the Bank, before enlisting in the RCAF the 17th of June 1941. Douglas was buried just a few miles from his friend, also from Tilbury and who was also working at the Imperial Bank, Roy Bradley.

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