Military Service 1943-45

Although Keith was only 15 when World War II broke out, he was familiar with the call to serve his country. His father served in The Royal Canadian Signalling Corps in France during World War I, in the Reserve Force during peacetime, and reported for active duty as part of No. 6 District Signal Company on September 1, 1939. 

Keith enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in the fall of 1942, remembering his fascination with the early aircraft that used to fly over his school as a child. 

While Keith had no off-Island travel experience, the  family did have a car, but it was mostly driven locally – to pick berries or deliver produce to the local markets. He was fortunate in that his entire childhood experience was one of home and family in the safety of country living. But major changes were about to happen, and  Keith was about to step into the unknown—towards adventure, danger, challenge and opportunity. 

In March 1943, Keith was called to report for duty at No. 5 Manning Depot in Lachine, Quebec. After four or five weeks, a selection committee decided whether the trainee would be placed in the aircrew or groundcrew stream. Keith advanced to the aircrew which confirmed he had good pilot potential and a sincere interest in flying.

During the next two years the sequence of pilot training took him to Western Canada. After four weeks at No. 7 Initial Training School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he entered No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and came face to face with his first airplane - the famous Tiger Moth. After eight hours of flying instruction a student pilot was supposed to be ready for his first solo flight - an important milestone in a pilot's career. This single-engine biplane light aircraft looks so fragile. Years later, Keith reflected on the training and said the country boys had some advantages because they were used to balancing farm equipment while working with horses and equipment. They were also experienced in adjusting to sudden changes or lurches while keeping the load steady and level. He advanced to the next milestone at No. 17 Service Flying Training School in Souris, Manitoba, and the giant step up to the mighty Anson – a twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. This training oriented Keith toward bomber, coastal, or transport operations. 

Keith graduated in April 1944 with the Commission of Pilot Officer and was posted to No. 7 Bombing & Gunnery School in Paulson, Manitoba as a pilot instructor. He had advanced rapidly as a competent pilot. His even temperament, quick thinking, and calm approach to emergencies helped diffuse many impending disasters.  At Paulson he flew the Lysander which was designed to land and take off from places normally unrecognizable as airfields. The aircraft operated comfortably from pastures, fields, and even clearings in the forest. 

There were times when he returned to PEI and somewhere between November 1943 and July 1944 his sister Doris introduced him to Jean MacLean. Doris and Jean were good friends and both attended Young People's meetings at Trinity United Church in Charlottetown. Jean was working as a Lab Assistant at the Provincial Sanitorium. There were many common threads: they grew up on family farms, attended rural schools, were willing to work hard and help others, and both gave service during WWII. Read more about Jean’s early years here:  “Jean and Family”.

Keith’s last posting to Summerside, Prince Edward Island, in May 1945 brought him much closer to home. After the nine-week General Reconnaissance Course he graduated with a Navigator’s Certificate. The navigator’s task was to get the aircraft to the target and back again. These flying hours also gave Keith an amazing aerial view of Prince Edward Island – the fields, trees, harbours, and towns – and a deep appreciation for its beauty. Although he was preparing for further operations, Keith did not serve overseas. The war in Europe was over in May and there was a slow down on the Japanese front with the dropping of the atomic bomb. On September 2, 1945 World War II ended with Japan’s formal surrender.

Keith’s years of service included over 1500 hours as an Air Force pilot. He flew in all kinds of conditions, and many times made decisions that affected himself and others. He prepared for battle in more ways than one, and when he returned to Prince Edward Island, he was a changed man with a new outlook on the future. He was prepared to seize opportunities, take calculated risks, make timely decisions, and move forward in his personal life.

Read more about Keith's next ventures Draftsman to Architect 1945-1953