Sergeant William John Barriskill (1126133) served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. Born on 12th September 1915, he was the son of David Barriskill and Charlotte Barriskill (née Knipe) of Ballyworkan, Portadown, Co. Armagh.
William enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1940 and began training as a pilot. During training, the R.A.F. rejected the Portadown man as a pilot and he retrained as an Air Gunner. He died on 8th August 1943 while serving with R.A.F. 104 Squadron. At this time, the squadron was at Hani West Airfield, Tunisia. He was part of the crew on Vickers Wellington HE613 that went down on an operation bound for Cap Barbi.
The plane came down in flames over Sicily and Italy. Vickers Wellington HE657 was also lost on the same raid.
Remembering the crew of Wellington HE613
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Role | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barriskill | William John | Sergeant | R.A.F.V.R. 1126133. | |
| Bristow | Kenneth Frank | Sergeant | R.A.F. 658662. | |
| Ellis | Reginald Arthur | Flight Sergeant | R.A.A.F. 416554. | |
| Holmes | Frederick Glyndwr | Sergeant | R.A.F.V.R. 1315697. | |
| Smith | Daryl Hamilton | Warrant Officer | R.A.A.F. 411953. | |
| Veale | Richard Samuel | Sergeant | R.A.A.F. 421140. |
William John Barriskill has no known grave. His name is on Panel 8, Column 1 of the Malta Memorial and the Tandragee War Memorial, Tandragee, Co. Armagh.