Robert Learmonth Melville

Propaganda also played a role in encouraging young Canadians to enlist. Posters and other media made war seem exciting or presented it as a duty, making men feel like they needed to join to avoid being seen as not doing their part. These posters often portrayed enemy leaders as tyrants, which also fueled the desire to enlist. Any of these factors could have influenced Robert, as well as many others.

Robert's enlistment occurred soon after the significant Battle of Britain in 1940. Furthermore, on December 17, 1939, the first group of Canadian troops arrived in Scotland, starting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. This extensive program trained pilots and aircrew in Canada, away from the fighting. It remains the largest aviation training plan in history, employing 104,000 Canadians and training 72,835 Canadian pilots and aircrew.

In interviews, Robert was noted for his pleasant personality, making him well-suited for roles like pilot or observer. From September 1942 to June 1943, he trained to become a pilot, including a seven-week initial flying training course followed by a seven-week elementary flying training course. Sadly, he never reached service flying training as his plane tragically crashed.