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Riley, Virgil Lee
Flying Officer
Royal Canadian Air Force
Castlegar, British Columbia
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Died: Oct 15,1944

Commemorated at
Idum Churchyard, Denmark

Virgil ‘Virg’ Lee Riley, born April 26, 1911 at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, completed his education in 1932 and married a year later in Constance, Saskatchewan. Riley worked on his father’s farm in Saskatchewan before moving to British Columbia in 1937. Living at Castlegar, British Columbia, Riley worked for Consolidated Mining & Smelting at Trail, British Columbia, enlisting at Calgary, Alberta July 10, 1942. Commissioned September 5, 1943, Riley served with the Royal Canadian Air Force attached to No. 424 (City of Hamilton) Squadron (Castigandos Castigamus) as a Flying Officer (Air Bomber) during the Second World War. Part of Bomber Command and assigned to No. 63 Base RCAF at RAF Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, England, the No. 424 Squadron operated Handley Page Halifax aircraft in night offensives over Germany. On October 15, 1944, Flying Officer (Air Bomber) Virgil Lee Riley died after his Halifax bomber crashed near Idum, Denmark during a mining operation over Kattegat, Denmark. He is commemorated at the Idum Churchyard, Denmark, on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall, Nanton, Alberta and on the Rockglen War Memorial, Saskatchewan. Son of Arthur Scott and Thelma Anna ‘Annie’ (nee Talley) Riley of Rossland, British Columbia; brother of Ralph LaFonde, Lester Floyd, Carl Ray, Charles Edgar, Alexander Warren, Velma Areta, Oliver Arthur (died 1901), DonaMae Mildred (died 1919) and Flying Officer George Wilfred Riley; husband of Ivy Kazia (nee Belbeck) Riley of Castlegar; father of Sherrel Anne and Carol Lee Dawn Riley; he was 33 years old. Citation(s): 1939-1945 Star, France-Germany Star, Defence Medal, General Service Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp 'When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.'

With Help From
Walmart Moose Jaw Supercentre / CMAW Local No. 2300
Memorial: Castlegar, British Columbia