That's right, 25¢. That's how much Dad earned for each day of his 287 days of qualifying overseas service with the RCAF. That's a whopping $71.75. Add to this supplement another $397.50 earned for his total of 1609 days in the Air Force. This 26-year-old veteran returned to Canada with $509.87. (Actually, these staggering riches were paid out in five installments of $101.97 monthly.)
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| Dad labelled this photo "At home." No doubt that's No. 6 Repair Depot, RCAF Trenton, where Dad spent three and a half years. |
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| Dad earned $7.50 for each period of 30 days with the RCAF, and an additional 25 cents per diem for overseas service. |
Dad enlisted in the RCAF on April 25, 1941. His Statement of War Service Gratuity form allows us to calculate that he joined Squadron 426 in Linton-on-Ouse on or about March 18, 1945. The Thunderbirds flew their final bombing operation just weeks later, on April 25, only 13 days before VE (Victory in Europe) Day on May 8.
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| In Trenton, Dad did get the occasional day off to see the sights, like nearby Niagara Falls. |
Dad rarely spoke of his wartime service (although he did tell Myrna that his RCAF barrack-mates were smelly). He admitted that the war was an honourable route off the farm. The training he received launched his successful career in aerospace. It was a natural fit for his mechanical, engineering mind.
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| Like these fellows, Dad celebrated VE Day with a pint at the local pub in York. He later discovered his bicycle had been stolen, but that day he didn't really mind. |
I recall being in Pilot Mound with Dad a few years ago, when they were holding a memorial service for local servicemen lost in the two wars. It was an annual event Dad recalled from his own school days. Veterans would march from the Legion Hall on Railway Street a block or two to the cairn in their memorial park.
Clare Geddes, standing straight and proud in his Legion blazer, urged Dad to join the procession. Dad resisted, and needed prodding, relenting only when Clare pleaded, "But you're one of the few who can still march!"
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| Dad with fellow RCAF veteran Clare Geddes and his wife Dorothy |
I was surprised how shy and reluctant Dad was to join in. When I admired Clare's CVSM medal, he pointed out that Dad was eligible for this, too, and should contact Veterans Affairs if he didn't have one. Again, Dad was not inclined to do so.
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| Pilot Mound appreciates its veterans. |
Dad's humility was not surprising, but I was prompted to learn more about his RCAF service. Luckily, he was a packrat, and the story can be gleaned from the papers he kept.
Most of Dad's war years were spent safely in Canada, and as an airframe mechanic overseas he never experienced the terror and danger his airborne squadron mates faced. Indeed, the war was over within weeks of his arrival at Linton-on-Ouse, and he spent the rest of 1945 waiting to return home.
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| July 1, 1945. Yorkminster choirboys pose with a touring Murray Fraser. Photo by Clare Geddes. |
Cpl. Fraser, R.101661, arrived back in Canada early in January, 1946. Before returning to civilian life, the RCAF gave its servicemen an exit interview of sorts, recorded on R.C.A.F. form R307 H.Q.885-R-307, below:
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| Dad's post-service intentions were to attend university and pursue a career in aero engineering. |
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| The War Service Badge |
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| Illegally wearing a Service Badge can earn you six months in jail. |
Dad was issued the Canadian War Service Badge on February 7, 1946, when he was "honourably released and transferred to the Reserve, General Section, Class E." The badge was established in 1940 "for members of the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who have declared their willingness, or who have engaged, to serve in any of the said forces on active service beyond Canada and Overseas, and who have been honourably ceased to serve on active service."
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| Dad returned home on the RMS Mauretania. Not long after her maiden voyage in June 1939, the Cunard luxury liner was requisitioned by the British Government as a troop ship, and was armed and painted grey. During the war she travelled 540,000 miles and carried over 340,000 troops. |
Dad's certification of active service notes that he was awarded the "C.V.S.M. & Clasp." This is the award Clare wore proudly and urged Dad to wear.
The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal was established on October 22, 1943 and is granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who voluntarily served on Active Service and completed 18 months (540 days) total voluntary service from September 3, 1939 to March 1, 1947. A silver bar (often called a clasp) featuring a maple leaf was awarded for 60 days service outside Canada. The medal itself is of .925 fine silver, 1.42 inches in diameter. One side depicts seven marching service personnel, the other the coat of arms of Canada. The ribbon was issued during the war; the medal after the war.
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| CVSM and clasp (Photo: Veterans Affairs Canada) |
The Government of Canada announced the Bomber Command Bar in April of 2013. They were criticized for being so late. Indeed, the application form included a checkbox to identify whether the veteran was deceased or living; those still alive were given priority. Dad certainly qualified for the award, and we did receive his Bomber Command Bar in the spring of 2014.
The government's announcement of the new award reads as follows:
Second World War Veterans who served with Bomber Command or their next of kin can apply for a new honour. The Bomber Command Bar recognizes the contributions and bravery of those who served in the air campaign that played such an important role for the Allied victory in the Second World War.
This bar honours the Canadian airmen who fought for peace, freedom and democracy through their service in Bomber Command, and in particular the approximately 10,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice. The bar can be attached to the ribbon of the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (CVSM). It was unveiled by the Government of Canada in April 2013.
All Canadian Veterans, regardless of rank, who were awarded the CVSM and served a minimum of one day with Bomber Command are eligible for the Bomber Command Bar. Family members of a deceased Veteran who served in Bomber Command and received the CVSM may also apply to receive this bar.
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| The Bomber Command Bar, to be worn on the CVSM ribbon. |
Sadly, Dad never lived long enough to learn of the Bomber Command Bar. He might have been too humble to display his CVSM medal and clasps, but he would have liked the bomber design. He often wore a gold Lancaster lapel pin, and a Lockheed L-1011 tie clip.
