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Aylmer and St. Thomas Graduates
St. Thomas, 10 April 1942 (Special) — Three Toronto men headed the class of airmen who graduated from No. 14 Service Flying Training School, Aylmer, as sergeant-pilots this afternoon. Top man in the class was Russell Gordon Hassard of 864 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, while close seconds with special distinguished passes were James Alexander O'Brian, son of Group Captain Geoffrey O'Brian, A.F.C., former commanding officer of the Hagersville Air School; and John Kelvin Wright of 258 Queensdale Avenue, Toronto. All three were informed immediately after the presentation parade that they had been commissioned as pilot officers.
More than a dozen other members of the class were also given their commissions, the percentage being the highest of any class that has graduated at Aylmer. Pilot Officer O'Brian's older brother, Squadron Leader Peter O'Brian, D.F.C., is on active service in the British Isles. Graduates included: Ontario — H. E. Carling, London; W. N. Dove, Sarnia; J. D. Stratton, London; H. S. Clark, Stirling; D. A. McEachern, Alvinston; J. A. Illman, Chatham; A. Barr, Hamilton; T. E. Reed, Richards Landing; D. W. MacKellar, Brantford; G. G. MacDonald, Niagara Falls; H. M. Misener, St. Catharines; I. F. Keegan, Sudbury; A. B. I. Hillman, Dutton; C. W. Jukes, Paris; A. W. Campbell, Strathroy; L. E. Bowerman, R. G. Hassard, J. A. O'Brian, J. K. Wright, G. E. Hatch, Toronto; A. H. Gilchrist, D. M. Flack, J. A. Malloy, Ottawa; R. E. Henderson, Spencerville; R. R. Richards, Kirkland Lake.
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No. 1 Manning Depot, Toronto, July 11 to Aug 8 1941
No. 14 SFTS, Aylmer, Aug 8 to Sept 1 1941
No. 5 ITS, Belleville, Sept 1 to Oct 27 1941
No. 3 EFTS, London, Oct 27 to Dec 21 1941
No. 14 SFTS, Aylmer, Dec 28 1941 to April 10 1942
No. 10 SFTS, Dauphin, April 27 to May 21 1942
CFS, Trenton, May 24 to July 15 1942
No. 2 SFTS, Uplands, July 17 1942 to June 24 1943
No. 1 OTU Bagotville, June 26 1943 to Aug 28 1943
No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Sept 8 to Sept 14 1943
No.128 (F) Sqn, Torbay, Sept 14 1943 to March 15 1944
Headquarters, Torbay, March 15 1944 to April 30 1944
No. 1 "Y" depot, Lachine
H.M.T. Andes, June 1 to June 10 1944
No. 3 PRC (RCAF), Innisworth Park, June 10 to Aug 3 1944
No. 54 OTU, Charter Hall, Aug 4 to Aug 7 1944
Satellite Drome, Winfeild, Berwick, Aug 7 to Aug 14 1944
No. 61 OTU (RAF), Rednall, Aug 15 to Sep 27 1944
Satellite Drome, Montfort Bridge, Sep 27 to Oct 24 1944
No. 83 GSU (RAF), Thorney Island, Oct 27 to Nov 6 1944
No. 83 GSU, Tangmere, Nov 6 to Dec 1 1944
No. 403 Squadron:
Dec 1 - B56, Evere, Belgium until 2 March 1945
Mar 2 - B90, Petit Brogel
Mar 31 - B78, Eindhoven, Holland
Apr 11 - B100, Goch, Germany
Apr 14 - B114, Dummer Lake, Germany
Apr 28 - B154, Luneburg, Germany
May 15 - General Hospital, Brussels
No. 421 Squadron:
Jul 2 - B152, Fossberg, Germany
Jul 5 - B174, Utersen, Germany
No. 412 Squadron:
Jul 23 - B174, Utersen, germany
No. 416 Squadron:
Aug 3 - Warmwell, England
No. 412 Squadron:
Aug 19 - B175, Utersen, Germany (until Sep 10)
No. 3 PRC (RCAF), Sep 15 to Dec 2 1945
S.S. Queen Elizabeth, Dec 2 to Dec 7 1945
No. ? Lachine, Dec 8 & 9
No. 4 Release Depot, Toronto, Jan 10 1946 |
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Sitting on his Spit "Buzz II" at a bombed out Drome in Europe
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"Me and my Spitfire"
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Victories Include :
| 23 April 1945 |
one FW190 |
destroyed* |
KH-L |
1 / 0 / 0
* "The Luftwaffe appeared again for a brief while on April 23rd. Returning from an early morning patrol of the Bremen-Hamburg area the Wolves met twelve long-nosed FW190s. Eight of the aircraft were milling about low over an autobahn, the other four acting as cover at 3,000 feet. The squadron engaged the four flying as cover and F/Ls H. R. Finley and W. N. Dove each destroyed one. F/O A. McLaren experienced engine failure southeast of Bremen and crash-landed but called up to say that he had got down safely. He eventually was released from a prisoner-of-war camp." [RCAF Overseas 3]
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