Desire to Join the Air Force

Heroes Remember

Desire to Join the Air Force

Transcript

At the tender age of 20, I was working at what became Avro. It was called National Steel Car, and I was a lead hand, I guess. I think I had about seven or eight girls rivetting. I think we were ... Lysanders, at that time, they were making, and I worked there until almost December of 1941. I knew that they were recruiting people, friends of mine had joined. I wasn’t that interested at the time. And I had a chance to go home to Winnipeg for Christmas, and the foreman said, “Well, you got a closed occupation. You’ll lose that.” I said, “Well, that’s too bad. I’m going home for Christmas.” And while I was there, I happened to drop into a tavern, and ran into a friend of mine that I had gone to school with. He’d gone overseas with, I think, 113 Squadron from Winnipeg, and was back in Canada, recruiting. And we got talking, and so I joined the air force. I liked the idea of going to university. I was going to go to university, university training there, and so that’s it. I came home and just, I think it was Christmas Eve. My mother was quite shocked. I said, “Mom,” … she thought I was quite safe punching rivets. I said, “Mom, I’ve joined the air force.” It wasn’t quite a good Christmas present for her, but she had two boys overseas - my younger brother and myself. So that’s how I got into the air force.

Description

Mr. Linden shares his story of going home to Winnipeg for Christmas and telling his mother that he was joining the air force.

Robert Linden

Mr. Linden was born on March 14, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a young boy, he always had a great fascination for air planes, which led him to seek employment in that field. When the Second World War broke out, Mr. Linden decided to join the Air Force. In 1941, he enlisted in Winnipeg as a radar mechanic, and trained in radio physics at the University of Toronto. He was later posted overseas for service with the Royal Air Force under the 537 (Night-fighter) Squadron. In 1943, he received a commission and held RCAF Officer rank, later reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant at 236 Wing RAF. In August, 1945, Mr. Linden married in England, and returned to Vancouver to study engineering at the University of British Columbia and later his M.Sc. at MIT. In 1956, he resigned his commission and began a long career working with the federal government in Ottawa. He retired in 1978, but continued to studied history for MA at Carleton University. Mr. Linden’s keen desire to recognize the importance of radar during the Second World War led him and many other radar personnel to form the Canadian Radar History Project in 1987. This project was exhibited at Canada's War Museum in Ottawa.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 1:42
Person Interviewed:: Robert Linden
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Branch:: Air Force
Rank:: Sergeant
Occupation:: Weapons technician

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Desire to Join the Air Force

Heroes Remember