Sampson Private is dedicated to Group Captain Frank Augustus Sampson OBE, CdeG (France), Legion of Merit.
Frank Augustus Sampson was born in 1905 in Toronto. He studied engineering at the University of Toronto and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Reserves before his appointment to the permanent Air Force as a pilot, in 1927. From 1937 until 1939, Sampson was attached to the Royal Air Force overseas, where he had extensive service in flying boat operations out of the UK, Malta, and Singapore.
In 1940, he was appointed to Air Force HQ, Ottawa, where he was responsible for the return to the United States of all US nationals serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. For his effectiveness in carrying out this work, he received the United States Legion of Merit. In 1942, he was appointed Commanding Officer of No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Ottawa (Uplands) with the rank of Group Captain. In 1943, he was posted to the UK and served as Commanding Officer of several stations in the RCAF’s No. 6 Bomber Group.
Early in 1945, he was posted to the staff of “Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces,” where he carried out duties in connection with the liberation of prisoners of war and remained overseas with RCAF Overseas HQ until repatriated to Canada in 1946. On his return, he became Chief Staff Officer, Northwest Air Command HQ in Edmonton before being appointed Air Attaché to Argentina followed by Air Attaché to France. He retired in 1955.
