STRACHAN – William Arthur Watkin (Billy)

Flight Lieutenant – wireless operator/air gunner – 99 Sqn, Waterbeach (one tour) and 101 Sqn (half tour) then pilot training: pilot in 156 Sqn, Wytton Cambridgeshire (pathfinders)

[Source: CG, AE]

Service no. on enlistment  1375058
Service no. on commission  115567

[Courtesy AD]

Entry Memorial Gates Trust (with picture)

Pilots of the Madras Squadron.  Group including Sgt. (later Flt. Lt.) Billy Strachan (extreme left).  Billy’s plane was named Vizagapatam after the town in India which paid for it.

[Source: AD – Copyright  Imperial War Museum, ref. CH 4361]

5 additions to “STRACHAN – William Arthur Watkin (Billy)”

  1. Spitfire Site adds:

    I’m preparing an article about Billy Strachan. Would you pls contact me via email.

    July 31st, 2010 at 12:20 am
  2. Christopher Warren adds:

    I am trying to get info. about my uncle who also served his name is Grandville Chapman can you help me?

    August 25th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
  3. Liz Smith adds:

    Hi – I don’t know if anyone will read this but I ended up on this website a few years ago, along with several others which mentioned William Strachan. At the time I was putting together a unit of work for year 6 children about the Battle of Britain – I wanted a range of stories about lesser known heroes that children could write biographies about.

    The children at my school write about him every year now. I know he had children and I wish I could tell them that their dad’s story is so inspiring to the children I teach!

    November 19th, 2017 at 10:21 pm
  4. S.Singh adds:

    For anyone looking for additional sources about Bill Strachan heres a contemporary pathe newsreel where he makes an appearance. Its particularly useful because it juxtaposes the arrival of the windrush generation with their contribution to british society. It also points out they are all british – something that needs to be highlighted given the recent ‘windrush scandal’.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2VyKtfByXk

    April 24th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
  5. Anonymous adds:

    I worked under Billy Strachan at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in the late 1970s. I found him a lazy, nasty bully who revelled in his position as boss.

    I suppose you can be both a genuine war hero and a thoroughly nasty piece of work.

    April 3rd, 2019 at 12:45 am

Leave a Reply