GRACE UNITED CHURCH
William Andrew Henderson

Name: Henderson, William Andrew B135411
Born: 23 Jul 1924
Died: 03 Dec 1944
Family: Son of Rita Trought of Inglewood, Ontario, Canada.
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Military Service Number: B135411
Age: 20
Force: Army
Unit: Governor General's Horse Guards, R.C.A.C.
Cemetery: Ravenna War Cemetery, Italy
Grave Reference: VI. D. 9
William Andrew Henderson was born on July 23, 1924 in Inglewood, Ontario James R. Henderson, and Rita Henderson. The Brampton Book of Remembrance says William enlisted in the Canadian Army, No 5., Company in November 1942 where he served in Canada and overseas.
William’s service record describes him as 5 foot, 8.5 inches tall, 131 pounds in weight, with Brown eyes, Brown hair and reasonable health. At the time he enlisted, he states he was working as a structural fitter for the Toronto Shipbuilding Co. in Toronto, Ontario, as part of the war effort in Canada. He had received training in War Emergency Sheet Metal course (3 months in 1941), National Steel Car Assembler (6 months in 1941-1942), Shipyards fitter (1 month in 1942), Wartime Housing Co. utility man (3 months in 1942) and at the Toronto Shipbuilding Co as a Structural Fitter (4 months in 1942), until he enlisted. He liked lacrosse, hockey, softball and favorite hobby was photography.
He is commemorated on Page 333 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
The CWGC War Graves Registration Report Form shows that on August 8, 1945, William was re-buried in the Ravenna War Cemetery in Italy, in Section VI, Row D, Grave 9.
The CWGC Headstone schedule displays the information that is to be engraved upon a soldier’s gravestone. For William Andrew Henderson, it shows;
Line 1: B.135411 TROOPER
Line 2: W. A. HENERSON
Line 3: THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S
Line 4: HORSE GUARDS
Line 5: 3RD DECEMBER 1944 AGE 20
Cross
Line 6: AT THE GOING DOWN
Line 7: OF THE SUN
Line 8: AND IN THE MORNING
Line 9: WE WILL REMEMBER HIM




The slideshow displayed above includes all of the documents that I have found related to this soldier’s death. Click on the arrows on either side of the picture to move to the next picture or wait as it will change on its own. This slideshow may include a copy of his page in the Canadian Book of Remembrance; a page from the Brampton Book of Remembrance; from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission you may find a picture of this soldier’s CWGC Headstone, CWGC Certificate, CWGC War Graves Registry, CWGC Circumstance of Causality, and photos of the cemetery where he is commemorated.

William Andrew Henderson is remembered on his family gravestone in the Brampton Cemetery.
Web Site Links for Service Records
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Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Book of Remembrance – Second World War
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/books/page?page=333&book=2&sort=pageAsc
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2222964/HENDERSON,%20WILLIAM%20ANDREW
Service Files of the Second World War Dead 1939 – 1947
Find-A-Grave Web Site
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56499560
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=137374032
The War Grave Photographic Project