David Hegler McGibbon was born in Sarnia, on November 4, 1897, the son of David Christie McGibbon (of Halton, Ontario) and Agnes Ada (nee Ferguson, of Ingersol, Ontario) McGibbon, of 366 Christina St., Sarnia. His siblings included Finlay Ferguson (born 1895) and Kenneth Charles (born 1901). At the age of 12, David would lose his father, David Christie McGibbon, who died in August of 1910. David Hagler would enlist in mid-1917 and would become a member of the Air Force, Royal Flying Corps, 42nd Training Squadron, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
Only in England for about two months, on September 15, 1918, David would lose his life in a flying accident. In late September of 1918, the sad news of Flight Lieutenant David McGibbon’s death was received in Sarnia via two telegrams: one from the Secretary of Air Ministry, London, England; the other from Major James G. Merrison. Besides expressions of sympathy, the messages contained very little information beyond the fact that David had been killed in an airplane accident on September 15th. Twenty-year old David McGibbon is buried in St. Gregory and St. Martin Churchyard, Wye, Kent, United Kingdom, Grave 125. On David McGibbon’s headstone are inscribed the words, In Loving Memory of 2nd Lieut. D.H. Mc Gibbon, R.A.F. Sarnia, Canada. Killed in a flying accident Sept 15th 1918. Aged 20 years & 10 months.
On the Sarnia cenotaph, his name is inscribed as H. Mc Gibbon.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, L, N, 2D, 2G