Paul David & RCAF Remembrance
On 23 June 1943, a Lancaster of 97 Squadron crashed on the Dutch city of Utrecht. Amongst the dead were James Mansfield, David Williams, and Sydney Blackhurst, together with two Canadians – the pilot George Armstrong and the bomb aimer Paul David, pictured below.
The RAF Pathfinders Archive is most grateful to the nephew of Paul David, Claude David, for recently donating the family archive of his uncle. More than anything else perhaps, this extensive personal archive tells the story of how the Canadian people and their government honoured their volunteers for war service overseas.
When war broke out in 1939, it was agreed by the main federal political parties in Canada that there would be no overseas service conscription. After the fall of France in June 1940, conscription was introduced for service but in Canada only. It was not until late in 1944 that some home defence conscripts were sent overseas, but only a few thousand were in combat before the war in Europe ended. [Source: the Canadian War Museum]
However well before this, many Canadians had volunteered for overseas service with the RCAF, and amongst these were George Armstrong (below) and Paul David.
Their deaths were marked by the Canadian government by a number of awards to the families. These included a memorial plaque and the Operational Wings of the Royal Canadian Air Force (or in the French Canadian version sent to to Paul David’s family the Les Ailes Emblematiques). This was awarded for those killed whilst on RCAF war service; a letter accompanied an embossed certificate and the pin.
On the left, the English version of the certificate (George Armstrong); centre, the French version of the certificate for French Canadians (Paul David); right, the pin.
Perhaps the most important memorial award was the Memorial Cross, given to mothers and wives who had lost their loved ones. This beautiful silver cross with a purple ribbon could be worn at any time by the recipient. Paul David’s mother Marguerite was the one who received and preserved this fine cross, which is now in the RAF Pathfinders Archive.
- You can see the RAF Pathfinders Archive catalogue entries for Paul David on our new Catalogue page.
George Armstrong photographs courtesy of Chuck Garneau; the others are from the RAF Pathfinders Archive.
POSTCRIPT
Brock with his adoptive parents, Charles and Ella Ferris
Although it is noted on their service records that the mothers of George Armstrong and Paul David received the Memorial Cross,the mother of another member of 97 Squadron, Brock Robertson, did not. Brock Robertson’s service records shows that his adoptive mother was – in a somewhat mean and pedantic ruling – refused her request to have the Cross. The reason for this is given in the letter below; it seems most regrettable that an exception could not have been made in this sad case. For more on Brock Robertson, see Brock Robertson & His Crew
JENNIE MACK GRAY
Brock Robertson images courtesy of Dalton Ferris.
