Campbell River Genealogy Society

~ LOST FAMILIES FOUND ~

WILLIAM GRAHAM MUIR 



			
Service Personnel Information 1939–1945






Address on Enrollment:
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada




Birthplace:
Bellshill, Scotland




Date of Birth:
5 April 1917




Next of Kin:
Stewart Muir (father) & Jeannie (Graham) Muir (mother)




Racial Origin:
Canadian Citizen, Scottish




Marital Status:
Single at time of Attestation





22 May 1943 – Married Irene Farina Steeves at Edmonton, Alberta with permission




Trade or Calling:
Bank Accountant




Previous Service in a Military Force:
No




Date of Enlistment:
31 march 1942




City and Province of Enlistment:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada







		
			
Military Service Record 1914–1918






Force:
Royal Canadian Air Force




Unit:
Number 8 Air Observer School




Rank:
Flying Officer




Service Number:
J/24212




Posted Overseas:
No




Honours and Awards:
Air Navigator’s Badge; CVSM (Canadian Volunteer Service Medal) & Ribbon




Date of Death:
30 October 1944




Age (at death):
27




Country of Burial:
Canada




Cemetery:
Nanaimo Public Cemetery




Grave Reference:
Plot 137. Range 57.




Location:
Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia




Book of Remembrance:
William Graham Muir’s name can be found on page 400 of the 1944

Second World War Book of Remembrance		






 



		
			
His Story








William Graham Muir was born in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland on April 5, 1917 and immigrated to Canada at the age of five years. He was the son of Stewart Muir and Jeannie Graham of 96 View Street, Nanaimo. His brothers were Andrew and Stewart Muir.


William Muir joined the RCAF Special Reserve at Vancouver, BC for the duration of the war on March 31, 1942. His address at the time of his attestation was Port Alberni, BC where he was employed as a Bank Accountant. He had been educated at Nanaimo Public School and Nanaimo High School, graduating in 1935. While employed at the Royal Bank of Canada in Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Port Alberni, he completed an Associates Course in Banking from Queen’s University via correspondence.


William Muir completed basic and flight training at Edmonton, Alberta and Rivers, Manitoba until he was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer and appointed as a Navigation Instructor in March 1943 at #2 AOS (Air Observers Navigators School), Edmonton. His initial official number was R157957 and his official number as an officer was J0242121.














On July 15, 1944 Pilot Officer Muir was transferred to #8 AOS at Ancienne Lorette, Quebec, as a Navigation Instructor. He had married Irene Farina Steeves at Edmonton on May 22, 1943 and upon his transfer, she accompanied her husband to his new post in Quebec. On October 30, 1944 Pilot Officer Muir was killed during an air navigation exercise. The Report of Accidental Death by a Medical Officer gave the details of the accident: “Date of accident 30 Oct 1944 0015 hours, 9 miles north of Megantic at Mont Ste Cecile de Frontenac. Flying accident during very bad weather. Aircraft struck mountain side at Ste Cecile de Frontenac. Type and RCAF No. of aircraft: Avro Anson Mk V – No. 11705. Pilot George E. Fedush. Number in aircraft five; weather, snow storm. Immediate death while on air navigation exercise.”


William Muir’s remains were transported to Nanaimo for burial at the Nanaimo Cemetery. Following his death, his 24-year-old widow gave her address as Willows Hotel, Campbell River, BC. Honours and Awards: Air Navigator’s Badge, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.