Page 13 - November (Remembrance)2020

After graduating from the The global pandemic
University of Saskatchewan has directly affected
in 1942, Howdy MacPhail the execution of this
enlisted in the Royal Air year’s National
Force, he was shot down on Remembrance Day
a mission over Germany but Ceremony at the
escaped injury and finished
his tour with 30 flights. National War Memorial
in Ottawa.
When he returned home to North Battleford, he established
However, The Royal Canadian Legion is still planning
McPhail Air Services in 1953. Over the next thirty years, he for a much smaller yet heartfelt ceremony, which
grew the business into the biggest spraying operation in
western Canada. will include a maximum of 100 participants.
“The importance of a live ceremony honouring our

Veterans and their sacrifices is considered
W. Barry Needham was th
paramount by the Legion, especially during the 75
sent to the RCAF manning anniversary of the end of the Second World War,”
depot at Brandon, Man..,
says Danny Martin, National Ceremony Director. “At
then was posted to guard
duty at the new RCAF a time when we have all been isolated for months
station at Prince Rupert, by the pandemic, ensuring the symbolism of the
B.C., which was being built Legion and community leaders paying homage to
because there was some our Veterans is more important than ever.”
concern that the Japanese For the first time, spectators will be discouraged
were going to invade the
from attending in person, due to the limited space
west coast.
Barry's next stop was the RCAF's No. 2 Initial Training School and requirement to physically distance. The smaller
in Regina's Normal School, where selections were made for number of people participating will be required to
aircrew trades. After graduation, he was sent to 11 Service remain 2m apart and will need to wear masks
Flying Training School (11 SFTS) at Yorkton, where he was unless performing certain duties related to the
part of the new school's first class. He graduated June 30 as ceremony.
a sergeant pilot. With a total of 150 hours, they sent us
overseas, it was just a year after the Battle of Britain and Anticipated significant changes to this year’s
they were still short of fighter pilots." commemoration include:
 No Veteran’s parade
Then came July 7, 1944. It was the day he was shot down.  No Canadian Armed Forces parade
 A reduced colour party
He was part of a section that had spotted and strafed a large
German transport truck and dispatch rider. Barry was pulling  Wreaths pre-positioned such that no wreath
up from an attack when "a big ball of fire about the size of a bearers or assistants will be required
beach ball came up between my legs!"  No members of the Cadets or Junior Rangers
present
All this ended around the 4th or 5th of August, 1944, when Similarly-scaled back ceremonies will be organized
the troops of General George Patton arrived in the area. by many Legion Branches across the country, to the
Barry was handed over to a U.S. Army hospital unit, then
bundled onto a DC-3 and flown back to Britain. best of their abilities given the current restrictions.
Please contact your local Legion Branch for updated
As a former PoW, he could not go back on operations, so he information as the weeks progress. The Legion’s
returned to Canada and was assigned to a ferry squadron at National Headquarters will also continue to release
Montreal, flying (among other things) Hurricanes into national updates as more details become available.
storage. He then was posted to 170 (Ferry) Squadron in
Winnipeg, helping move training aircraft out of small The Legion will offer a Facebook Live presentation
airfields on the Prairies into storage centres. of the National Remembrance Day ceremony, and
additional broadcast plans are under consideration