Regina, Saskatchewan
Dr. Hastings served as a navigator and observer with the Royal Air Force #98 Squadron during the Second World War. Following a crash in Belgium, he spent 7 months in hospital, three of those in East Grinstead’s Queen Victoria Hospital, where he became a member of the exclusive “Guinea Pig Club” reserved to those patients who required extensive plastic surgery. He retired at the rank of Flying Officer and studied dentistry which he practiced in Ontario and Saskatchewan. Dr. Hastings has been a longstanding member of the Air Force Association of Canada having served on the executive as a director, Vice-President and President. He currently represents 600 (Regina) Wing of the Association as a member of the Regina Airport Authority. His community involvement extends to his work with many organizations including the Royal Canadian Legion, the Kiwanis and the Canadian Club of Regina. Dr. Hastings has also been active in sharing his wartime experiences with Canadians. As a result of his efforts, the book entitled, "As for the Canadians - the Remarkable Story of the RCAF's Guinea Pigs of World War II”, is now available in book stores. He was also instrumental in a video production which told the story of the Queen Victoria Hospital and the Veterans who were treated.