Douglas was Canadian by birth with dual nationality. It had been his intention to go to Christ’s College, Cambridge and to enter the Army as a University candidate. However, with the war imminent in the summer of 1939 he entered RMA Sandhurst on leaving school, being commissioned in 1940 into the Dorsetshire Regiment. He was seconded in April 1941 to the Army Co-operation Branch of the RAF and he gained his “wings” four months later in August 1941.

Based at RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk, he flew the Bristol Blenheim twin-engined light bomber. As the pilot of Blenheim V5762 Douglas lost his life, along with his three crew, at Tebbs Farm, Flagg Fenn House near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire when his aircraft flew into the ground on Tuesday 7^th October 1941: he was 20 years old. Douglas was buried at Castleton (St.Mary Magdalene) Churchyard, Sherborne, Dorset.

Only son of Lt-Col Alan Copland Alan-Williams & Violet Mabel Alan-Williams of Chester, Cheshire.

As a Canadian national Douglas is also commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War memorial (CVWM), a registry to honour and remember the sacrifices of more than 118,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who, since Confederation, have given their lives serving in uniform.

A copy of this story is also available to download here.

See also the Commonwealth War Graves Commission permanent digital memorial, ‘Evermore: Stories of the fallen’  relating to: P/Officer Douglas Blundell ALAN-WILLIAMS