WATSON, Irene
Age at Death: 26
Rank Section Officer
Unit Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division
Service Number V30285
Place of Burial Ottawa Memorial, ON
Date of Birth 1916.12.20
Place of Birth Wallsend-on-Tyne, UK
Enlistment 1942, Toronto ON
Date of Death 1943.11.08
Daughter of of Margaret and Jeremiah Watson
Irene was born in England, and moved to Canada with her family during the war. Before enlisting, she was a correspondent for the Globe and Mail, and hoped to continue in reporting after the war. She received high praise during her training and postings. In particular, while working as a recruiting officer in St. John’s, Newfoundland, she was commended by her officers for “perseverance in the face of many serious obstacles” and “exceptionally good work… in spite of unusual difficulties,” although the nature of the challenges she faced are not specified.
On November 8, 1943, she was a passenger on a transportation flight from Torbay to Botwood, Newfoundland. On landing, the aircraft crashed in the ocean. Although most of the crew survived, Irene and six other passengers sank with the aircraft. Their bodies were never recovered, and they are commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial. A week after the crash, the Robert Simpson Company of Toronto wrote to the RCAF Estates Officer, offering to refund $200 that Irene’s fiancé had sent her from England to buy an engagement ring.
