Letter to Reg MacArthur's Father

Letter to Reg MacArthur's Father

The letter advises that his son is missing after his aircraft was shot down in France.

1944-07-25

One typewritten sheet

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SKnoxRW[Ser#-DoB]v50009

R174841 (R.O.4)

[underlined] AIRMAIL [/underlined]

OTTAWA, Canada, July 25th, 1944.

Mr. G.A. MacArthur,
19 Melrose Street,
Amherst, Nova Scotia.

Dear Mr. MacArthur:

It is with deep regret that I must confirm our recent telegram informing you that your son, Flight Sergeant George Reginald MacArthur, is reported missing on Active Service.

Advice has been received from the Royal Canadian Air Force Casualties Officer, Overseas, that your son and the entire crew of his aircraft were shot down over Forget-du-Croc, which is approximately five miles north west of Neufchatel, France, on July 20th, 1944.

The term “missing is used only to indicate that his whereabouts is not immediately known and does not necessarily mean that he has been killed or wounded. He may have landed in enemy territory and might be a Prisoner of War. Enquiries have been made through the International Red Cross Society and all other appropriate sources and you may be assured that any further information received will be communicated to you immediately.

Your son’s name will not appear on the official casualty list for five weeks. You may, however, release to the Press or Radio the fact that he is reported missing, but not disclosing the date, place or his unit.

Permit me to extend to you my heartfelt sympathy during this period of uncertainty and I join with you and the members of your family in the hope that better news will be forthcoming in the near future.

Yours sincerely,
[signature]
R.C.A.F. Casualty Officer,
for Chief of the Air Staff.

EG

[inserted] [two signatures] 26-7 [/inserted]