Page 11 - December 2018
P. 11
Against that background I found it difficult to decide
what occupation to try for as a lifetime career. I
finished four years of high school in June 1939, with
my Dad pushing me to go on and qualify as a
teacher.
This had no appeal for me, and two events attracted
my attention to flying. One was the almost daily
flights of Harvard training planes from Camp Borden
over our area. The second was that in May of 1939,
my Dad paid for me to have a trip as a passenger in
one of the private planes at Brantford Airport.
During this ride, the pilot permitted me to take the
controls for a while and coached me as to how the
control the airplane, and what to do with both the
foot and hand controls. This fired my enthusiasm for
becoming a pilot and I felt that the coming war
would give me a chance at this.
World War II, Liberator pilot, Ernest Allen details Germany invaded Poland at the end of August 1939,
herein his memoirs of service on the coastal and a few days later, Canada, following England's
command in the 59th Squadron for the Royal lead, declared war on Germany.
Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in conjunction with
the Royal Air Force (RAF). For his achievement, Canada's Army and Navy went into action, but the
Ernie Allen was awarded the Distinguished Air Force was my interest, and the R.C.A.F. was
Flying Cross. In post-war years, E. Allen went on chosen by the allies to operate what was termed the
to become a successful land developer Empire Air Training Plan. Hundreds of airdromes
including founding the Seaway Mall in Welland were built for training of pilots, observers
Ontario Canada. (navigators), wireless operators and air gunners.
Part One - Pilot Training R.C.A.F. recruiting offices were set up in major cities,
including Hamilton. Although I would not reach the
This history of my R.C.A.F. years as a pilot is being minimum age for enlistment (eighteen), until May of
written at the request of my son Michael, who, I suggest,
1940, I went down to Hamilton in February 1940 to
asked me to write it in hopes that I would then not feel
"get my name on the list". The recruiting officer told
the urge to tell him line-shooting stories about my war- me that I could apply but could not be called until I
time experiences.
turned eighteen. Part of the enlistment application
Since my targeted readers are mostly of the generations was to fill out a medical history and have a medical
that were either infants during the 1939-45 war or were examination. In the medical history I showed
born since, I feel some background is justified. rheumatic fever as one of my previous illnesses.
When the doctor saw that, he said sorry, a past
I turned 17 on May 6, 1939, so I have a good memory of
what was and still is called the Great Depression, but history of rheumatic fever was a no-no for any
aircrew and he would not be able to approve my
having been fortunate enough to have been born on a
application. After some discussion, in which I
farm, food was never a problem, but clothing sometimes
was. pointed out that the rheumatic fever diagnosis was
by a country doctor and that I had only been out of
During the years 1935 to 1939, there were constant school for one week, the doctor solved the problem
articles in the newspapers of the likelihood of war in by telling me to fill out another medical form and
Europe with Germany making repeated aggressive make no mention of the rheumatic fever. On this
moves against neighbouring countries. basis I passed the medical and went on the waiting
list.
