Joining up with Bomber Command

Heroes Remember

Joining up with Bomber Command

Transcript

Like a lot of other young people like me, we were afraid the war would be over before we got into any action so we figured the air force would be pretty good. Well, I was in Granby, Quebec which was fifty miles away from Montreal. So in order to be enlisted in the air force I had to go through a medical and other tests in Montreal. First of all I had to pass a complete and pretty thorough medical and then I had other tests to go through as to whether my system was adaptable to air force life, as air crew life where the changing of the altitude and pressure and so on. So I had to have a pressure test where they put several of us in a large chamber and would reduce the pressure and so on and increase it andif you didn't pass, you were scratched.

Description

Mr. McDonald speaks about the testing he underwent during training for Bomber Command.

Graham McDonald

Bernard Graham (B.G.) McDonald was born on December 26, 1920, and raised in Granby, Quebec. His family enjoys a long history in Granby. His grandfather, John Sr, who had emigrated from Ireland, was the first chief of police in the late 1800's. Bernard joined the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1936 and when war broke out, he attempted to enlist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in September 1939, but was turned down because there were too many volunteers. Mr. McDonald successfully enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Montreal, Quebec, in October 1940, but had to delay his entry until February 1941 due to an outbreak of measles. He served with the Royal Air Force 103 (Black Swan) Squadron in Elsham Wolds, England, and completed 31 successful operations. Mr. McDonald was honourably discharged on June 26, 1946, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, as a flying officer and was stationed in Gander, Newfoundland, as the transport officer in charge of 164 Squadron. Shortly after this posting, he returned to civilian life to work as the advertising manager for the Miner Company in Granby. He married Connie, originally from London, England, in 1946 and together they raised three children. Mr. McDonald has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 65 years.

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