Lt Claude Edmund Watchorn was born to George and Julia Ann Jakes Watchorn in Merrickville, ON on Sept 12, 1897. He was the second of three children including Bessie and Hubert and the grandson of Justice RW Watchorn of Merrickville and Samuel Jakes, innkeeper in Merrickville. In 1909, his family had moved to Calgary, Alberta at 636 5th Ave. W. He was still living with his family for the 1916 census having attended public and high school in Calgary. He was a student at Queen’s University for 1916 and 1917 in the science program. His parents had moved to 1232 15th Ave. West Calgary, AB. He was described a one of the best-known members of the Calgary Flying Corps having been in command of some 1500 members and had attended a meeting of the Bisley Team in 1913 where he traveled to England with five other Canadians and competed against other pilots from around the world.
Lt. Watchorn initially enlisted for the Queen’s Battery in the spring of 1917 but was declared medically unfit. In the fall of 1917, he was accepted into the RAF and sent to Camp Borden in Toronto. He then went to Fort Worth, Texas to learn how to fly and returned to Canada in April 1, 1918 where he received his commission. He left for England in May and began his training on bombers with the 131 Squadron in Shawbury. Lt. Watchorn had only been in England for about a month before his accident. Lt CE Watchorn and Lt. AG McGillivray were part of the 131 Squadron in Shawbury, UK. He was in the right plane that hit the wire support of the flagstaff cutting away a portion of the plane and proceeded to nosedive into ground. Lt. Watchorn was offservice riding with Lt. McGillivray when the accident occurred. The 131 Squadron was formed at Shawbury on 1 March 1918 as a training squadron. It was planned that it should become a DH9 day bomber unit and to this end it was to have moved to Kenley on 26 August, but on 17 August 1918 it was disbanded.
Lt. Watchorn died on June 17, 1918 after being in a coma for 12 hours while with the Royal Air Force and was buried at All Saints Cemetery in Cheshire, England with Lt. AG McGillivray from Hamilton, ON beside the Siddington Church as one of three casualties at the age of 20. His name is listed on a plaque at Holy Trinity Church in Merrickville. He is commemorated on page 595 of the Book of Remembrance.
Lt. Watchorn initially enlisted for the Queen’s Battery in the spring of 1917 but was declared medically unfit. In the fall of 1917, he was accepted into the RAF and sent to Camp Borden in Toronto. He then went to Fort Worth, Texas to learn how to fly and returned to Canada in April 1, 1918 where he received his commission. He left for England in May and began his training on bombers with the 131 Squadron in Shawbury. Lt. Watchorn had only been in England for about a month before his accident. Lt CE Watchorn and Lt. AG McGillivray were part of the 131 Squadron in Shawbury, UK. He was in the right plane that hit the wire support of the flagstaff cutting away a portion of the plane and proceeded to nosedive into ground. Lt. Watchorn was offservice riding with Lt. McGillivray when the accident occurred. The 131 Squadron was formed at Shawbury on 1 March 1918 as a training squadron. It was planned that it should become a DH9 day bomber unit and to this end it was to have moved to Kenley on 26 August, but on 17 August 1918 it was disbanded.
Lt. Watchorn died on June 17, 1918 after being in a coma for 12 hours while with the Royal Air Force and was buried at All Saints Cemetery in Cheshire, England with Lt. AG McGillivray from Hamilton, ON beside the Siddington Church as one of three casualties at the age of 20. His name is listed on a plaque at Holy Trinity Church in Merrickville. He is commemorated on page 595 of the Book of Remembrance.