Templeton, Arthur Moore

Sergeant Arthur Moore Templeton (known as Moore)

Templeton was born in Bangor on 28th July 1912 to James Templeton, Commercial Traveller and Mary Colville Templeton nee Dugan. They had married on 10th January 1900 at Cliftonville Presbyterian Church, Belfast.

The 1901 Irish Census records James Templeton (30) and Mary Templeton (23) residing at house 45 Sandymount Street, Cromac, Belfast with their daughter Elizabeth (5). Elizabeth was born on 4th April 1895 at 27 Shankill Road to James Templeton and Maggie Templeton nee Suffern. They had married on 25th December 1894 at Fitzroy Avenue Presbyterian Church, Belfast. Maggie Templeton died on 31st October 1897 at 27 Shankill Road, Belfast.

James Templeton, a widower married Mary Dugan on 10th January 1900 at Cliftonville Church.

The 1911 Irish Census records James Templeton and Mary Colville Templeton residing at house 59, Brunswick Road, Bangor with their children; Elizabeth Suffern (15), Margaret Scott (14), Mary Colville (6) and James Stanley (5).

Known as Moore, Templeton joined the Belfast Banking Company on 1st April 1930 and served in Head Office. James Templeton of 64 Southwell Road, Bangor signed his Bankers Guarantee.

Belfast Bank - Bankers Guarantee ledger sheet

Soon after the war started, he volunteered and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) with Service Number 1071533. Having been promoted to Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gunner), he was serving with the 427 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (R.A.F.V.R.) when he was killed on 4th February 1943.

Templeton flew in a Wellington bomber (III BJ668 ZL-X) out of RAF Croft, Neasham, North Yorkshire, England. His plane crashed at Ploemeur, Brittany, NW of Lorient, France. All but one of the crew were killed. The survivor became a Prisoner of War.

The LostAircraft website records details of the incident here.

Templeton is buried in Guidel Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France. The family have remembered him on this gravestone:

Thanks to Nigel Henderson

He is also remembered on the findagrave website here and on the War Dead of North Down and Ards website.

There is a memorial to Templeton in the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bangor.