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Air bomber Flying Officer Joseph William Tucker was just 21 years old when he was killed in a training flight over Scotland during the Second World War.
He was only 19 years old when he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“The year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – it is fitting that even so many years later we recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by so many so that we may continue to enjoy the freedoms they secured for us,” said Brig.-Gen. Ryan Deming, who also serves as director of general air and space readiness, as RCAF and family members gathered to honour Joseph during a special ceremony at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton.
The ceremony was meant to honour Joseph’s legacy. He was killed in a Whitley bomber crash over Scotland on Aug. 30, 1944.
During the event held on June 27, 2025, Deming – also a previous wing commander at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton – presented Joe Tucker – Joseph’s nephew – with the bomb aimer’s handle artifact, which was only recently recovered from the crash site near Stirling, Scotland.
Joe was one of three nephews who attended the ceremony, along with additional family members. He made the trip from Washington, while nephew George Tucker came from Vermont in the U.S. Nephew Wayne Shepherd, along with his wife Gail, and their daughter Crystal and her son Cohen Shepherd Pollock, all of Kincardine, Ont., also made the trip to the museum as the RCAF honoured Joseph.
“Today, we remember the brave legacy of Flying Officer Joseph William Tucker,” said Col. Andy Bowser, 8 Wing/CFB Trenton’s current commander. “His courage, dedication and sacrifice in the skies above a world at war laid the foundation for the peace and freedom we all cherish today.
“May his legacy continue to inspire all 8 Wing members to serve with the same unwavering commitment and bravery. We will remember him.”
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
