Gordon James Barraball was born September 21, 1918 to Theophilus and Corona (Tucher) Barraball who resided in a farm property on the outskirts of Bowmanville. He was educated in Newcastle, and immediately after worked on his family farm. He married Frances Reynolds in Whitby and they had their first child in July 1941. At which time the family moved to Peterborough where Barraball found employment with DeLaval, as a machine hand.
On August 23, 1943 he enlisted at the #11 RCAF recruiting centre in Toronto. He was attached to the #1 Manning Depot situated on the CNE grounds, where he underwent basic training. With his experience as a machinist, he was selected for training as an aircraftman, responsible for maintaining and repairing aircraft and motorized equipment, moving between Camp Borden, Edenvale and Penetang, before being sent to Halifax on April 24.
Barraball landed in Bournemouth, England on May 11, 1944, and was assigned to the No. 62 (Beaver) Base at RAF Linton-On-Ouse in Yorkshire, the home base of the RCAF 408th Squadron, known also as the Goose Squadron.
On September 11, 1944, a Halifax bomber took off from the base, and soon after experienced engine failure. After jettisoning the bombs onboard, the plane was returning to base when the pilot lost control during landing, overshooting the runway and hitting a building in the mechanical transport yard. All seven airplane crew were killed, as well as Barraball who was in the building at the time of impact.
Gordon Barraball’s name is inscribed on the Orono Cenotaph. The banner in his honour is sponsored by the Orono Farmer’s Market.
We remember these men of Orono this Remembrance Day and every day.
We are grateful for the files supplied to us by Doug MacCheyne.
Courtesy of the Orono Weekly Times with special credit to Carol-Ann Oster
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