Scared To Death

Heroes Remember

Scared To Death

Transcript

Interviewer: What did you know about the air force at that point? Nothing. Except they wanted a navigation instructor, and I could kind of imagine what navigation was. It was mathematics in which it is, so I knew nothing. I didn't know what a pilot officer was, or a flying officer or a wing commander. But you learn fast. Went down here … I was very impressed with Trenton. I was very impressed with Trenton and the officer's mess there. You got all you could eat and, oh boy, they treated you great. So, I thought it was a pretty good deal. So, we took 6 weeks …or was it 8 weeks? Forget. …in the course and we did some flying. We flew Norsemen and Ansons to give us some training, and I got airsick a few times. The pilot flew under the Gananoque Bridge. Not over it, under it, and scared me to death. Interviewer: That's the bridge over the St. Lawrence River? Yeah, the one right down on the river here.

Description

Mr. Campbell describes being treated quite well at training in Trenton, Ontario. He also tells of a frightening flying experience in Gananoque, ON.

David Robert Campbell

David Robert Campbell was born on May 16, 1916. Mr. Campbell grew up on the family farm with his brother and sister in Elgin County, Ontario. He attended a one-room schoolhouse, then went to Western University on a scholarship, studying math and physics, later becoming a high school math teacher. Mr. Campbell joined the Royal Air Force as a navigational instructor in 1940. He taught navigation to many students and flew numerous operational missions as a navigator. Though he was never wounded, Mr. Campbell saw many of his colleagues fall. After the war Mr. Campbell returned to teaching math.

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