Rusted Watch Inspires Burma Mission

In November, 1990, a local hunter reported that he came across the wreckage of an aircraft in remote northwestern Burma (also known as the Union of Myanmar). He retrieved a watch with the name and service number of Flying Officer William Kyle. Kyle was a member of a C-47 Dakota aircraft crew that left Tulihal, India, on the morning of June 21, 1945, to drop supplies to the British 14th Army at Myitkyina, Burma, approximately 250 away. It never returned. The crew were declared missing, presumed dead and are commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.

The hunter gave the watch to a Christian missionary who, in December, 1990, took it to the Taukkyan (pronounced Chuckchan) cemetery, of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), just outside Rangoon. A visiting British women pointed out that the "R" preceding the service number indicated a member of the RCAF. After several attempts by the CWGC to pursue the issue through conventional channels, the matter was brought to the attention of Veterans Affairs Canada in July, 1995. That fall, the CWGC acquired the watch from the missionary and it was sent to Canada, when it was promptly returned to the family of William Kyle by Veterans Affairs Canada .

Once notified of the discovery of the watch, Veterans Affairs and the Department of National Defence began organizing a mission to try and find and identify the aircraft wreckage and endeavour to identify and recover the remains of the Canadian servicemen. On November 22, 1996, a Veterans Affairs - National Defence - Foreign Affairs and International Trade recovery team arrived in Rangoon (also known as Yangon) to mount a reconnaissance / recovery mission in the jungle of northwest Burma. The recovery was successfully accomplished in early December, 1996, and the remains of the crew were entrusted to the CWGC in Rangoon pending the organization of a proper burial.

In early March, 1997, Veterans Affairs will lead an official delegation of family members, veterans and Canadian forces personnel back to Burma to provide the crew of KN 563 with a formal burial in the Taukkyan cemetery to honour them for making the supreme sacrifice on behalf of Canada.

Flying Officer William Kyle's Watch

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