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‘Kewp’
R.C.A.F. No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron Pilots & Hurricanes: Battle of Britain, 1940
‘Kewp’
Flight Lieutenant George Gordon Hyde,
R.C.A.F. No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron,
& The Battle of Britain
Michael R. Hyde
2020
‘KEWP’
Copyright © 2020 by Michael R. Hyde
Standard Copyright License
First Printing 2020
ISBN 9798644267705
Michael R. Hyde
92 Blackdome Crescent
Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2T 1B1
hydegenealogy.wordpress.com/
Ordering Information: Contact the publisher at the address above, or go to:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=1281496
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE ..................................................................................................................... 7
EARLY YEARS ............................................................................................................. 9
KEWP’S FAMILY & GROWING UP IN MONTREAL ......................................................11
Gordon Hyde & Lilian Boronow, and Kewp’s Ancestors ...................................11
Kewp’s School Years ............................................................................................15
Powter’s Camp: The Watermelon ........................................................................19
High School and the Pre-War Years .....................................................................23
Kewp’s Trip to Scotland & England ....................................................................27
The Fish Dinner ....................................................................................................34
The Montreal Light Aeroplane Club ....................................................................37
R.C.A.F. NO. 1 (F) SQUADRON & THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN .....................................39
The War in the Sky ...............................................................................................39
August 31st 1940 ...................................................................................................49
The Battle is Won .................................................................................................53
R.C.A.F. NO. 402 (F) SQUADRON .............................................................................55
METHERINGHAM: THE “WAR WEAPONS WEEK” CAMPAIGN ....................................59
The Accident .........................................................................................................59
Scopwick ...............................................................................................................61
Postscript ...............................................................................................................63
AFTERWARD ..............................................................................................................67
No. 1 (F) Squadron Pilots Who Lost Their Lives in the Second World War ......67
No. 1 (F) Squadron Pilots Who Survived the War ...............................................77
Kewp’s Family Following the War ......................................................................93
NOTES ABOUT SOURCES ...........................................................................................95
6
7
PREFACE
GEORGE GORDON (KEWP) HYDE was my father’s brother, which of course made
him my Uncle. Regrettably, I never met him: He was a fighter pilot in the Royal
Canadian Air Force, and he was killed in a flying accident during the Second World War.
I was born sixteen years later, in 1957.
I first learned about Kewp when I was about ten or eleven years old. I was poking around
in the basement of our home in Montreal and I found a Family Bible that originally came
from my Great-grandfather, John Hyde (1853-1936). It contained a lot of information
about some of my Hyde family ancestors and (of particular interest to me at that time) it
included several newspaper clippings from1940 and ‘41 about Flying Officer (and later,
Flight Lieutenant), George G. Hyde. I didn’t have any recollection of my father talking
about him, but I quickly realized that he must have been my father’s brother.
For about the past fifteen years, genealogy and family history have been a big hobby of
mine. Looking back now, I realize that this great interest probably originated from that
day, so many years ago, when I came across the Family Bible and all its fascinating
contents.
My father, J. Richard (Dick) Hyde, was a very quiet, private and reserved man. As I will
be explaining in more detail, he was different in this respect from his brother Kewp, and
their father, Gordon. Even though the press clippings and other information in the Family
Bible were of great interest to me, I did not press my father for more information, and
other than a handful of humorous anecdotes, he didn’t have very much to say about
Kewp, the War and the rest of his family.
As we will see, Kewp had no use for any label such as ‘hero’, and it is not my intention to
portray him as especially “noble” or “heroic”. I think it is natural though to have a desire
to look for virtue in, and feel admiration for our ancestors. And, I think Kewp’s
accomplishments are deserving, at the very least, of attention and preservation.
Fleet Admiral William F. (Bill) Halsey (USN) said that “There are no great men, there
are only great challenges which ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.” I
submit that Kewp Hyde was a man who rose to a great challenge. His story is worth
telling and his sacrifice is worth remembrance.
8
Kewp (at right in both pictures), with
his brother, J. Richard (Dick) Hyde.
Above right: An early Kewpie doll
illustration - - You can decide for
yourself if you see a resemblance…
9
EARLY YEARS
George G. Hyde was born in Montreal,
Quebec on February 11th 1914. He was
the second child of G. Gordon Hyde and
Lilian Boronow. His older brother, J.
Richard (Dick) Hyde, was my father.
He was known throughout his life, and
to virtually everyone who knew him, as
“Kewp”. The story behind this is that
his family saw, in him, a resemblance to
the Kewpie Dolls that were just
beginning to become popular right
around the time that he was born - - and
the nickname stuck forevermore.
Although I didn’t ask enough questions
about him, and don’t have as much
first-hand information as I wish I did, I do feel fortunate to have quite a few
pictures of Kewp and his family through all his years. I think it is notable that in
most of the pictures Kewp has a great big smile or grin on his face: He always
looks happy and a little bit like he has just gotten into some mischief, or has a plan
to get into some as soon as he can!
From this, and the few anecdotes that my father related to me, I have a strong sense
that Kewp had a great sense of adventure, a great love of life, and really liked to
have fun - - I think that this is borne out in the paths he chose as he made his way
through life in the years ahead.
Kewp (at right) with his Grandfather,
John Hyde (The other child is unknown)
10
In the photo at right, Gordon is
standing at the left and Kewp is next to
him (hiding his face). Dick is in the car
and Lilian is standing at right.
Below, Kewp is at left, and Lilian is
sitting to his right. Dick is behind them,
in the car. I cannot identify the man
and woman who are sitting to the right.
These photos were taken in 1921.
11
KEWP’S FAMILY & GROWING UP IN MONTREAL Gordon Hyde & Lilian Boronow, and Kewp’s Ancestors
Kewp was named after his father, G. Gordon
Hyde, but I never heard of them being referred
to as “Junior” and “Senior”: The younger
George Hyde was always known as Kewp and
his father went by Gordon, so I guess there was
never any confusion.
Gordon was a lawyer who, when Kewp was
born in 1914, was just beginning to make a
name for himself. Born in Montreal on January
24th 1884, Gordon was the third child of John
Hyde and Annie Isabella Gordon. John Hyde
was a chartered accountant of some repute: He
was a founding member of the Dominion
Society of Accountants (which became what is
known today as the Canadian Institute of
Chartered Accountants), and he founded an
accounting firm that would later become Hyde-
Houghton & Company. Gordon had two older
brothers, James Clark and Charles Edwards. A
younger sister, Eva Jeannie was born in October
1887, but she died only three month later. A
younger brother, John Alexander, was born in
November 1888. Their mother Annie Gordon
died in 1890 when she was just 35 years old,
and Gordon was only six. The next few years
must have been difficult for John who was a
widower with five young children, but in 1894
he re-married to Adelaide Hyatt Gorham.
G. Gordon Hyde, abt. 1909
Lilian Boronow
12
Clockwise from top left: G. Gordon
Hyde at his law office on St. James
Street; Lilian Boronow; John Hyde
with his Grandson, J. Richard Hyde,
in the back yard of his home at 340
Wood Avenue in Westmount.
13
Adelaide was the widow of Edward Luce Gorham (1852-1881). Adelaide had a
fifteen-year-old daughter, Jennie Hyatt (Queenie) Gorham (It is worth noting here
that Queenie was later married (in 1903) to John’s nephew, James Reid Hyde. Reid
was the eldest son of John’s brother, George Hyde (1848-1916)). John and
Adelaide had one more daughter together,
Adelaide Isobel Hyde, who was born on February
16th 1895.
Kewp’s father, Gordon, attended high school in
Montreal and then went to McGill University. He
graduated with an Arts degree in 1905, and a law
degree in 1908. He was called to the Quebec Bar
in August 1908 and joined the law offices of
Robert C. Smith, K.C. on St. James Street.
In 1911, Gordon was engaged to be married to
Lilian Boronow, eldest daughter of Richard
Boronow (1859-1912) and Ida Meyer (1863-
1937). Richard and Ida had emigrated from
Germany to Montreal about 1884, and they had
six children after coming to Canada: Robert
Richard, Erna (who died in infancy), Lilian,
Marguerite, Anna and Paul. The family was
prosperous enough that all the children except
Paul were sent to schools in Europe. Richard and
Ida both came from Jewish families; in fact,
Richard’s father Josef Boronow, was quite a
prominent Jewish community leader in the
family’s hometown of Oppeln, Germany. Richard
did not practise the Jewish religion and I don’t
think that Ida did either. Richard identified as a
‘Free-Thinker’, and their children’s births were
recorded at the Unitarian Church in Montreal.
Richard Boronow
Ida Meyer
14
At right: Kewp & Dick; looking
like they are ready for school,
about 1922.
Below: Victoria School, Montreal
15
Richard Boronow came from a very large and industrious family: He was the
youngest of fifteen children, eight of whom emigrated from Germany to Canada
and the United States. Richard, and other members of his extended family,
operated numerous businesses of varying size, including importing and
merchandising firms, and at least two large textile factories. Two of his relatives
were part owners of an asbestos mine in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. In
Montreal, Richard worked (at different times) with two of Ida’s Uncles, and Ida’s
brother Hans Moritz Meyer. At one-point Richard owned a company that had a
contract to supply the original carbon streetlights in Montreal.
Lilian and Gordon were married on December 6th 1911, at her parent’s home on St.
Matthew Street, by Rev. R.W. Dickie of the Crescent Presbyterian Church. Lilian
was given away by her father, but Richard was in poor health by that time: He had
contracted tuberculosis, and soon after the wedding he went to a health resort at
Asheville, North Carolina to seek treatment. Richard died in Asheville just a few
weeks later, on February 7th 1912.
Less than a year after Gordon and Lilian were married, my father was born on
November 15th 1912. His name was John Richard Hyde, but throughout his life he
was known to everyone as ‘Dick’ (There was only ever one variation of this
nickname, by one person: John Hyde’s youngest daughter, Aunt Isobel (Hyde)
Reckitt, called him ‘Dickie’). Kewp was born just 15 months later. There would
not be any more children until 1926.
Kewp’s School Years
In 1919, Kewp would have been five years old and ready to begin his school
years. At that time, his family lived in the Queen Mary Apartments on Oldfield
Avenue, just to the south of the Grey Nuns Convent on Dorchester Street. The first
school that he (and my father) attended was the Victoria School on de
Maisonneuve Boulevard, which was just a few blocks from their home. I believe
the same building is still there today. The school is literally in the very heart of
downtown Montreal. Even in 1920, it must have been quite a busy place.
Kewp and Dick were at Victoria until about 1923 when the family moved to their
16
Shirley Anne Hyde with Lilian & Gordon, and their Packard
automobile. My father told me that one of Gordon’s sayings was: “We
may end up in the poorhouse, but we’ll drive there in the Packard!”
The Argyle School, Westmount (Quebec National Archives).
17
new house at 12 Grove Park, in Westmount. After the move to Westmount, Kewp
attended the Argyle School. Argyle was a primary school that was located on Cote-
St.-Antoine Road, in a building that, until 1914, had housed a high school called
the Westmount (or Second) Academy. Argyle was situated across from Westmount
City Hall, at the same place where Selwyn House School is currently located (The
current building was constructed in 1934).
In 1926, Kewp (who was 12 years old) and Dick (who was 14) got what must have
been a bit of a surprise: Shirley Anne Hyde was born to Lilian & Gordon on
December 31st of that year. There had been a strange lack of female children born
to the Hyde family in Montreal: Gordon’s father, John Hyde had four sons and
only one daughter who survived infancy. John’s brother, Richard Hyde (1843-
1926) had three boys and a girl. Another brother, George Hyde (1846-1916) had
three boys and just one girl. So it seems that having a daughter (who came along
twelve years after Kewp!) was a
watershed moment for Gordon:
My mother told me that Gordon
had wanted to take out a full page
announcement in the Montreal
Star - but apparently Lilian put a
stop to any such inclination.
Anyway, Gordon was well and
truly smitten: He called Shirley
his “Box-of-Diamonds”.
Kewp finished his primary school
years at Argyle in 1928. Before
moving on to Kewp’s high school
years, I think that this is a good
point in the narrative to relate a
story about Kewp that my father
liked to tell:
Shirley Anne Hyde
18
Powter’s Camp: The beach on Lac Archambault with the dining hall and tuck
shop in the background. This picture is from about 1970. The buildings would
not have been as elaborate when Kewp was at Powter’s, but this is the same
beach where Gordon Hyde made his arrival on that fateful Saturday.
19
Powter’s Camp: The Watermelon
Powter’s was a summer camp for boys near Saint Donat-de-Montcalm in the
Laurentian mountains, north of Montreal. Kewp and his older brother, Dick (my
father), spent at least a few summers there, between about 1924 and 1928. I went
there myself in the summer of 1970. It was an idyllic kind of place- I loved the
Laurentians, and I know that Kewp and my Dad did too. The camp must have
changed a lot between their time and mine, but it was probably the same in some
respects: we lived in large, rather elaborate tents that had wooden foundations. The
mosquitoes in July were legendary (for both their size and appetite) and since they
roamed freely inside the tents, we slept under mosquito netting that was suspended
over and around our beds. The camp was located on the north-eastern end of Lac
Archambault and it had a nice beach, so a lot of time was spent in the water, or on
the lake in boats and canoes. The lake itself is quite large, and it extends quite a
long way south toward Sainte Agathe-des-Monts. We will be coming back to the
significance of the lake in a moment.
By 1970, when I was at Powter’s, getting to the camp from Montreal was an easy
drive of about two hours. It would have been a completely different undertaking in
the 1920’s: There were few, if any paved roads north of the city, and not many
people would have ventured so far in a car anyway.
So it was that one summer, Kewp and Dick were at camp, and their father decided
that he was going to visit them one weekend. Gordon asked them if there was
anything they wanted him to bring. Kewp’s reply was that he wanted a
watermelon!
Kewp’s wish, evidently, was Gordon’s command. A watermelon it would be.
Gordon set out for his visit on a Saturday morning in July. He probably went first
to a grocery on Greene Avenue, a couple of blocks from his home in Westmount,
where he would have bought a watermelon. Then it would have been off to the
train station; probably Windsor station on Rue de-la-Gauchetiere, to get a train to
20
Lac Archambault from the beach at Powter’s in 1944. Photo
credit: Conrad Poirier; Quebec National Archives
Campers tents in 1944- it was much the same when I was there in
1970. Photo credit: Conrad Poirier; Quebec National Archives
21
Ste. Agathe. Ste. Agathe is about 100 km north of Montreal, so I would guess that
part of the trip would have been close to two hours. When Gordon got off the train
in Ste Agathe, there was still a fairly long trip to St. Donat (about 36 km – but it
must have seemed much longer to someone carrying a watermelon). According to
my father, you might get a taxi, or more likely a horse drawn cart, to make the trip
on a dirt road from Ste. Agathe to the south end of Lac Archambault where the trip
would be completed by boat, across the lake, to the beach at Powter’s. So that is
what Gordon did, that fine Saturday morning - - with the watermelon.
The Laurentian hills and mountains are very beautiful in the summer, and Gordon
probably had quite a pleasant boat ride across the lake that day. Approaching the
beach, Gordon could probably see his two young sons even from some distance,
waiting there for him. Kewp must have been glad to see his father and even
happier to see that he had the watermelon that Kewp had been looking forward to
all week!
The boat hit the beach and Gordon started to get himself out. Kewp excitedly ran
into the water to greet him and grab the watermelon. His little (and probably wet)
arms went around the watermelon as far as they could - - but not quite far enough.
The watermelon slid through the wet arms and dropped on the beach with the kind
of splat that a falling watermelon makes when it hits the ground…. So, I guess that
they enjoyed a few bites of (slightly sandy) watermelon before getting on with the
rest of the day!
22
This page is from a book called “T.C.S. Old Boys at War”,
published by Trinity College School in 1948
23
High School and the Pre-War Years
High school for Kewp was Westmount High, and he would have entered there in
1928. I think that Kewp had a lot of fun during his high school years – and maybe
he had a bit too much fun, because my father inferred (at the least) that Kewp
eventually wore out his welcome with the teachers and principal there! I do not
know any of the details, or precisely what happened in Kewp’s third year at
Westmount High, but Kewp ended up completing his high school years at Trinity
College School (T.C.S.) in Port Hope, Ontario. Kewp was at T.C.S. for two years,
so he must have entered the school early in 1931, because he graduated in 1932.
There are some details about Kewp’s time at T.C.S. on the facing page. I guess that
everything was forgiven and forgotten because Kewp re-entered Westmount High
School in 1933 to complete his Quebec High School Matriculation.
Following high school, Kewp joined the stock
brokerage of A.E. Ames & Company and went
to work as an investment dealer on St. James
Street in Montreal.
I believe that even after he started work, Kewp
still lived at home with his parents and sister,
Shirley. The family home at 12 Grove Park
was a very large and comfortable place, and
Westmount was (and is) a very comfortable
and well-to-do neighbourhood. The family
lived well: Gordon had earned considerable
success as a lawyer - his firm, Hyde & Ahern
became well known in the field of company
and commercial law. And, Gordon enjoyed his
success: Over the years, he owned several Packard automobiles and he bought a
Chevrolet roadster for Kewp and Dick to drive. Gordon never drove a car himself,
so he and Lilian had a chauffeur who lived with them. They also had a cook who
lived with the family. The chauffeur’s name was Roget, and the cook was Marie.
24
The Hyde family home at 12 Grove Park, Westmount, about 1933.
12 Grove Park in 2015: The appearance of the house is remarkably
similar to when it was built almost 90 years earlier.
25
(My cousin, Diane Tremaine Leffler reminded me of their names - I regret that I
cannot remember their last names). I think that Kewp and my father were close to
Marie and Roget, and I know that Shirley was especially close to them. This brings
us to a good point in the story to tell you about Kewp’s mother, Lilian (who I knew
as ‘Granny’):
In the first half of the 1900s, the wives of prominent men had certain, significant
social obligations: Like so many of her peers, Lilian became very involved in
many social organizations, and her work (like that of others) was well documented
in the social pages of the Montreal newspapers. The family’s church, Erskine &
American United, on Sherbrooke Street was an important cause, and she was
active as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army, the Canadian Mental Health
Association and the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society. In fact, Lilian
earned a reputation as a very strong, able leader in these organizations, and during
the war she became even more active as president of the Montreal Soldier’s Wives
Club, and as Vice-Chair of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Artillery.
So, from at least the mid-1930s and on, Lilian was more and more active outside
her home. In 1936, Shirley was ten years old, and by this time Marie and Roget
must have been playing important roles as Shirley’s caregivers, and this is
probably why she became so close to them. Shirley’s daughter, Diane (Tremaine)
Leffler, told me that her mother adored Roget and Marie.
*
Coming back to Kewp in 1933, it was probably right about this time, and in the
years that followed, that he learned how to fly at the Montreal Light Aeroplane
Club. This flying club was founded in in the early 1920s at Cartierville airport, in
Ville Saint-Laurent. Although the club had another (new and larger) airfield at the
St. Hubert airport in Longueuil, I believe that Kewp learned to fly at Cartierville.
M.L.A.C was a large and busy club, and many other young Montrealers learned to
fly there during the 1930s. We will be meeting and learning a lot more about eight
of them as this story unfolds.
But there is one more major event to tell you about, first.
26
My Dad in the little car he had while he was at Cambridge. In his
diary, Kewp mentions that Dick let him drive the car during his visit,
and “it seemed very queer to drive on the left-hand side of the road”.
Kewp & Gordon at the Duke of Atholl's Estate in Scotland
27
Kewp’s Trip to Scotland & England
There is one more event from Kewp’s life in the 1930’s that was clearly very
significant to him, and it is worth relating here because it includes his father, his
brother, and several other close family members – and it all unfolded in England
and Scotland.
On April 5th 1935,
Kewp and his father,
Gordon, sailed for
Scotland from St.
John, New Brunswick
on the Canadian
Pacific Steamship
Montclare. They
arrived in Scotland on
April 13th, and they
were in the U.K. for
four weeks, until they sailed home on May 11th. We have a good record of the
whole trip because Kewp kept a detailed diary throughout his time there. My father
kept the diary, and gave it to my sister, Suzanne. The diary is the only written
record that Kewp kept about anything – at least that I know of, and that we still
have.
Kewp notes that during the Atlantic voyage he met a few of their fellow
passengers, and that he enjoyed the food aboard ship, but the first few days were
very quiet. He notes, however, that “The people on board livened-up for the last
few days, and we had quite a good time”.
He was excited to record that Dick met them when the ship arrived in Greenock,
Scotland on April 13th. My father was in England at that time because he was
spending a year studying at Cambridge. They were all very happy to see each
28
Lt. Col. James Reid Hyde, CBE
Maj. Gen. Georges-P. Vanier,
PC, DSO, MC, CD
(Photo by Yousuf Karsh)
29
other, and the three of them took a short train ride from Greenock to Glasgow
where they spent the night at the Central Hotel. Kewp describes driving around
northern Scotland for several days, enjoying the sights, visiting castles and playing
golf with his brother and father. They visited Loch Ness, but Kewp was
disappointed that he did not see the monster. They returned to Glasgow, and then
went to Edinburgh for one or two days of sight-seeing. After Edinburgh, they were
motoring south to England, stopping in Doncaster, and later in Stratford-upon-
Avon, where they saw a play at the Shakespeare Theatre. Kewp notes that they met
several people along the way. Unfortunately, I did not recognize most of the
names, but he does mention meeting his Uncle, (Gordon’s cousin) James Reid
Hyde at Oxford: Reid was the son of John Hyde’s brother, George Hyde, and I
mentioned him earlier because he married John’s step-daughter (Gordon’s half-
sister), Jennie Hyatt (Queenie) Gorham in 1903. (Regrettably, Queenie had died a
year earlier, in London, in March 1934. She was just 56 years old).
Reid was quite an interesting man: He had gone overseas as an Artillery Officer
with the Canadian Army in the First World War, and he stayed in London after the
war. In 1919 he earned a high honour: He was invested as a Commander of the
Order of the British Empire (CBE-Military) for “valuable services in connection
with the war”. By profession he was an accountant, but he held a number of
diplomatic posts during his time in England. He had also spent time in India where
he established an insurance firm for a British company.
By this time it was April 20th, and from there on, most of Kewp and Gordon’s time
was spent in and around London. Kewp mentions meeting with his Uncle Reid
almost every day, either for a meal, to go to a play, or to play golf or bridge –
Kewp, Dick, Reid and Gordon seemed to enjoy playing bridge at almost any
opportunity. Reid and Gordon won these games most of the time, but Kewp repeats
optimistically that he feels that he is continuously improving…
Kewp didn’t seem to have much more success at golf: He mentions playing with
Reid several times, being beaten each time, and finally remarks that he should cut
Reid’s handicap. Gordon accompanied them around the course one day and
remarked that he ‘could have beaten both of them with one club’.
30
Kewp mentions several business meetings that Gordon went to while they were in
London: These included several meetings with Col. Georges-P. Vanier, who at that
time was Secretary to the High Commission of Canada in London. Kewp also
mentions that he and Gordon had a very pleasant dinner, one evening, with Col.
and Mrs. Vanier. There is no mention of what these meetings were about, but I
think it’s safe to assume that they were an important reason for Gordon’s trip to
England. The name Georges-Phileas Vanier may be familiar to some readers:
Colonel (later Major-General) Vanier, was Governor-General of Canada from
1959 to 1967.
The Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary, London, May 6th 1935.
Kewp and Gordon are in this picture, somewhere - see if you can find them.
31
Later pages of the diary reveal another important reason for the trip:
May 6th 1935 was a momentous day in Britain: It marked the Silver Jubilee of King
George V and Queen Mary. The procession and pageantry that the British are
famous for was on full display and drew unprecedented crowds to the streets of
London. Kewp’s own words captured it all perfectly and poignantly:
“ May 6th, the great day arrived and we safely arrived at our stand on the
Mall and saw the parade. One can’t imagine the number of people there
were sitting and standing along the Mall. Some had been there all night to
ensure good places. The various regiments looked marvellous and as the sun
was shining everything was fine. Saw Prime Minister Bennett and also
Ramsay MacDonald on their way to the Palace. The King’s Guard was
dazzling and perfectly trained. The King & Queen drove past us only about
twenty yards away. The Prince of Wales was almost hidden under a ‘Busby’.
The Duke of York and his little daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess
Rose drove past and to say the least the Princesses were sweet. I don’t
imagine I will ever see such a marvellous sight again, but to see it took one’s
breath away”.
Allow me to add a few notes to put some of Kewp’s observations in context:
• The Prince of Wales was the future King Edward VIII - who abdicated in
December 1936 to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson.
• The Duke of York was the future King George VI - who ascended to the
throne when his brother, Edward, abdicated.
• Princess Elizabeth eventually became Queen Elizabeth II.
• Princess Rose was Queen Elizabeth’s late sister, Princess Margaret Rose.
• Prime Minister Bennett was Richard Bedford Bennett, Prime Minister of
Canada in 1935.
• Ramsay MacDonald was Prime Minister of the U.K. in 1935.
32
Pansy (Fleishman) Boronow, Anna (Boronow) Walter and
Robert Richard (Bob) Boronow, Montreal, about 1965
Simpson's-in-the-Strand, where Kewp and Gordon met Pansy and Newton
Boronow for lunch on May 7th. One of London’s oldest traditional English
restaurants, it is known for ‘28-day-aged roast rib of Scottish beef’.
33
Kewp recorded one more interesting meeting that they had before he and Gordon
returned home: On May 7th, Kewp, Gordon (and maybe Dick) went for lunch at
the London restaurant Simpson’s-in-the-Strand with ‘Aunt Pansy and Newton
Boronow’. Pansy was the wife of Robert Richard (Bob) Boronow, who was the
older brother of Kewp’s mother, Lilian Boronow. Newton was Bob & Pansy’s son,
who was twenty-four years old at that time. Bob and Pansy travelled to England
often because Bob had a large importing
business in Montreal called Lansea: He
made regular trips to England to buy the fine
woollen clothing that his company
distributed across Canada.
Newton was in England at the time because
he was studying theatre at the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Newton (who later changed his name to
Richard Newton) went on to become quite
an accomplished stage actor in London, and
later in New York City.
Newton would also earn a remarkable
military record with the British Army
during the Second World War.
*
Kewp and Gordon sailed for Canada, from England on May 11th. Back in
Montreal, Kewp would have resumed his work as an investment dealer, but before
we talk about the rest of the pre-war years, I want to relate one more story that my
father liked to tell about Kewp. I think it probably happened about 1936-38.
Newton Richard Boronow
(Richard Newton)
34
The Fish Dinner
I don’t remember every detail of this
story, such as where it took place,
what it was all about, and exactly
who was present, but Kewp and my
father were at a rather elegant dinner
party in Montreal. Gordon & Lilian
would have been there too. Shirley
could have been with them, and
there would have been some other
guests as well - - probably some
well-to-do friends, relatives, clients,
law office colleagues and/or others
from around Westmount and
Montreal’s ‘Golden Square Mile’. I
have gathered that Gordon and
Lilian liked to entertain, and they
also enjoyed being out with such
friends. Gordon was very outgoing:
Just like Kewp, he looks very jolly
in many of the pictures he appears in, and my sense is that he was quite gregarious.
He enjoyed entertaining guests by playing popular music on the piano, and could
probably have been described as the ‘life of the party’. For her part, Lilian was the
consummate organizer, hostess and social butterfly.
My guess is that this event took place in the mid to late 1930’s when Kewp and my
Dad were about 24 and 26 respectively. Shirley would have been about 10 years
old at that time. I imagine everyone having a very pleasant evening in comfortable
surroundings. Being as outgoing as they were, Gordon and Kewp would have been
having a wonderful time. Lilian was, no doubt, in her element at an event like this.
My father would not have been quite as comfortable: Unlike the rest of his family,
35
he was very private, quiet and reserved. He didn’t hide the fact that he was not
good at small talk and he did not take very much enjoyment from most social
events.
The evening would have progressed from cocktails to supper. With everyone
seated at the table, the meal could begin - - In Montreal, in the 1930’s, even people
who would be described as ‘upper-middle-class’ had live-in maids, cooks,
chauffeurs and other help in their homes. Gordon and Lilian had a cook (Marie)
and a chauffeur (Roget), and they probably would have brought in extra help if
they were entertaining. Rather than putting all the food in the middle of the table,
the way we do today, waiters would bring the food around to each guest so they
could help themselves to what they wanted. Everything proceeded just fine until it
was time for the main course. One of the waiters came in with two whole fishes on
a platter and went first to Kewp, who happily and hungrily helped himself to one
of the fishes… evidently he wasn’t hungry enough to eat both, so he hoped that
someone else would like to have second one. Perhaps not surprisingly, it turned out
that the two fish WERE the main course for all of the guests. Presumably this got
sorted out, but I don’t recall if my father explained exactly how.
Lilian and my father were probably mortified at the time.
I would bet that Kewp and Gordon had a good laugh about it later!
36
This Fairchild 22 is probably similar to the type that Kewp trained in.
Kewp's Private Pilot's License
37
The Montreal Light Aeroplane Club
According to what is recorded in Kewp’s military file, he was with A.E. Ames &
Company from 1933 to 1938. In September 1938 he earned a pilot’s license from the
Montreal Light Aeroplane Club. The M.L.A.C. had several different aircraft - the most
common one seems to have been the de Havilland Gypsy Moth. Kewp’s training
however, had been in a Fairchild 22, a modern, dual cockpit, monoplane. He had
completed 25 flying hours, and he was rated for ‘Light & Medium Land Planes’. The
license also notes that he was rated, later in 1939, for the Fleet Model 7: this was an
R.C.A.F. two seat trainer.
I believe that Kewp resigned from A.E. Ames in August 1938,
to join up with the Royal Canadian Air Force. On September
1st 1938 he was assigned to R.C.A.F. No. 115 Squadron with
the rank of Pilot Officer. No. 115 was an Auxiliary Reserve
squadron based in Montreal.
As I mentioned earlier, many other young men from
Westmount and Montreal had learned to fly at the Montreal
Light Aeroplane Club during the 1930s. They included the
following men who also joined No. 115 Squadron right
around the same time as Kewp: William Patterson Sprenger (a
law student at McGill University), Thomas Burgess Little (a
Montreal businessman), Paul Brooks Pitcher (also a McGill
law student), Gordon Roy McGregor (who was the Montreal District Manager at Bell
Canada), Arthur Deane Nesbitt (son of the co-founder of brokerage firm Nesbitt-Thomson
& Company (now BMO Nesbitt Burns)), Blair Dalzel Russel and Arthur McLeod Yuile.
There will be much more to tell you about each of these young men later in this story.
According to his military file, Kewp seemed to get consistently good reviews for his
flying skills, and his ever-cheerful demeanour made him a well-liked member of the
squadron. On December 8th 1939, he was promoted to Flying Officer. By this time, war
had been declared by Britain, as well as by Canada, and efforts were well under way to
mobilize an operational R.C.A.F. fighter squadron to send overseas.
No. 115 squadron was going to play a central role in those plans and efforts.
38
R.C.A.F. No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Croydon, England, July 1940
Front (left to right): Flying Officer George Gordon Hyde of Montreal; Flying Officer William
Paterson Sprenger of North Bay, Ontario; and Flying Officer John William Kerwin of Toronto.
Middle (left to right): Flying Officer Beverley Evans Christmas of Saint Hilaire, Quebec; Captain
W.D. Rankin (medical officer); Flying Officer Otto John Peterson of Eckville, Alberta; Flight
Lieutenant Gordon Roy McGregor of Montreal; Flying Officer Arthur Deane Nesbitt of Montreal;
Flying Officer S.T. Blaiklock (intelligence officer); Flight Lieutenant Hartland de Montarville
Molson of Montreal; Flight Lieutenant Edwin Michael Reyno of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Flight
Lieutenant Jean-Paul Joseph Desloges of Hull, Quebec; Squadron Leader Ernest Archibald
McNab of Rosthern, Saskatchewan; and Flying Officer Paul Brooks Pitcher of Montreal.
Back (left to right): Flying Officer Ross Smither of London, Ontario; Flying Officer Thomas
Burgess Little of Montreal; Flying Officer Arthur McLeod Yuile of Montreal; Flying Officer Eric
Walter Beardmore of Montreal; Flying Officer B. “Dal” Russell of Montreal; and Flying Officer E.
Carl Briese of New Westminster, British Columbia. PHOTO: DND Archives.
Missing: Vaughn Bowerman Corbett and Robert Lesley Edwards.
39
R.C.A.F. NO. 1 (F) SQUADRON & THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN The War in the Sky
Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party seized power in Germany in 1933. In the years
that followed, there was little effort to conceal the re-armament of Germany, and it
became apparent that another war with Germany was approaching, sooner or later.
Re-armament in Britain proceeded slowly through the mid 1930’s, but was
accelerating quickly by 1938 – particularly as regards the Royal Air Force. The
development and production of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane
fighters were obviously crucial to the defence of Britain, but two other
developments were just as important: The installation of the (top secret) radar
stations on the east coast of Britain, and the development of a very sophisticated,
centralized command and control system (that took full advantage of the new radar
installations). So, when Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd 1939,
the Royal Air Force was at least moving steadily toward a state of readiness.
When Canada declared war on September 10th, it did not have an Air Force with
any meaningful operational readiness. There were training squadrons, but the
R.C.A.F. had only about twenty modern aircraft.
Right before the Second World War, R.C.A.F. No. 1 Squadron was based in
Trenton, Ontario. It was equipped with Armstrong-Whitworth Siskins – a biplane
fighter from the 1920s. In August 1938 the squadron transferred to Calgary,
Alberta where it was re-equipped with new Hawker Hurricanes.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939, the squadron transferred first to St.
Hubert, Quebec and then to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where it conducted convoy
and maritime-reconnaissance patrols on the Atlantic coast.
By the spring of 1940, at least thirty Canadian fighter pilots had gone to Britain to
fly with the British Royal Air Force. In fact, R.A.F. No. 242 Squadron (which had
participated in the Battle of France) was comprised mainly of Canadian pilots. But
the Canadian Government was very eager and anxious to send a fully equipped
Royal Canadian Air Force squadron to England. So, it was at this time that
R.C.A.F. No. 115 Squadron (Including Flying Officers Hyde, Little, McGregor,
40
No. 401 ‘Ram’ Squadron
City of Westmount
Motto: MORS CELERRIMA HOSTIBUS
(Very swift death for the enemy)
R.C.A.F. No.1 (Fighter) Squadron was re-
named No. 401 Squadron on March 1st 1941.
So far as I know, there was no Squadron
badge for the original No. 1 squadron.
The origins of No. 1 Squadron can be traced
as far back as November 1918, but its
operational status was sporadic in the inter-
war years. It became operational as a fighter
squadron in late 1938, but even after the
outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, it
was under-manned.
To create a fully operational unit that could be sent overseas, No. 1 was combined
with R.C.A.F. No. 115 (Auxiliary Reserve) Squadron in May 1940. It was from
No. 115 Squadron’s ties to the Montreal borough of Westmount, that the combined
unit got the name ‘City of Westmount’.
41
Nesbitt, Pitcher, Russel, Sprenger and Yuile) was combined with No. 1 (Fighter)
Squadron to create a unit that was ready in most respects for wartime operations.
The combined unit was comprised of 27 R.C.A.F. officers (including 20 pilots) and
314 ground and support personnel. On June 11th 1940 they departed from Halifax
harbour on the steamship Duchess of Atholl. They arrived in England on June 20th.
Shortly after their arrival, the squadron was assigned to R.A.F. Station Middle
Wallop, in the south of England. This was a new R.A.F. training base where the
unit’s readiness would be evaluated, and training would begin for air and ground
crew.
The pilots and ground crew seem to have measured up quite well to R.A.F.
standards. Their equipment was another story: The R.C.A.F. had shipped the
squadron’s own Hawker Hurricanes from Canada. These were an early version of
the type, and the R.A.F. deemed them to be unsuitable for combat operations. The
squadron was soon re-equipped with British Hurricanes.
Just a few weeks later in early July, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Station
Croydon, Surrey, which was on the southern outskirts of London. This is where the
new unit would complete six weeks of intensive training by R.A.F. instructors on
all aspects of combat fight operations.
All the Canadian pilots had very good flying skills. Their Squadron Leader, Ernest
Archibald (Ernie) McNab had been in the R.C.A.F. since 1926, so he had a very
large number of flying hours. Kewp and his fellow pilots of No. 115 squadron had
been flying for several years at the Light Aeroplane Club, and a few, such as
McGregor and Nesbitt had even won awards as amateur pilots. But flying
Hurricanes in combat was going to be a completely different prospect altogether:
The R.A.F. training (by R.A.F. combat veterans) at Croydon was vital to preparing
No. 1 Squadron to face the Luftwaffe in the skies over Britain.
On July 10th Kewp was briefly detached from the squadron to take a short Radio-
Telephone course at R.A.F. Uxbridge. Others were detached to learn different
skills, and each would return to Croydon to communicate what they had learned to
42
The Globe & Mail, September 27th 1940.
During the Battle of Britain (and
throughout the war) many stories such
as this one appeared in Canadian
newspapers, extolling the courage and
exploits of Canada’s soldiers, sailors
and airmen – and rightly so.
However, the men and women serving
overseas did not always appreciate the
attention as much as might be expected:
Some of their reactions were recorded in
a story that appears on the second-
following page.
43
their fellow pilots. Knowing that their lives
depended on it, the pilots concentrated hard on
their training, and spent as many hours flying
Hurricanes as they could.
By August 17th the squadron had completed
their formal training, and they moved to R.A.F.
Station Northolt, which would be their
operational base. Northolt was on the north-west
outskirts of London. Kewp and his fellow
R.C.A.F. pilots were eager to get into action.
They were incensed that No. 1 Squadron was
held back even as Northolt was attacked by the
Luftwaffe that very day. The explanation for
this probably made them angrier: The Canadian
Government had withheld permission to make
No. 1 Squadron operational until Ottawa had
confirmed all training was complete. The Government was concerned about
negative publicity if a casualty was suffered because of incomplete training.
The squadron became operational the next day and the Canadian pilots went to
their dispersal hut at Northolt. Dispersal huts were very bare, wooden huts close to
the aircraft that were ready to be “Scrambled” as soon as orders were received by
telephone. The long waking hours that were spent waiting for the telephone to ring
were, in many ways, much more wearing on the pilots than the time spent on
patrol, or the short, intense, minutes that were spent in dogfights.
Over the next few days, the squadron saw little action. On at least two occasions
No. 1 Squadron pilots had been on patrol when the Luftwaffe raided nearby
airfields, but they were not allowed to intercept them for fear of leaving the vital
Northolt base unprotected.
On August 26th, Kewp and his fellow Canadians went to North Weald, an airfield
on the north-west outskirts of London, to relieve an exhausted R.A.F. squadron.
44
Kewp and his fellow fighter
pilots made it pretty clear that
they did not consider
themselves ‘heroes’, and were
in fact embarrassed by such
coverage in newspaper
stories. Kewp is quoted in the
sixth paragraph of this story.
This was published in the
Globe & Mail, January 6th
1941.
45
The first patrol of that day was uneventful, but the second would be the first major
enemy action faced by No. 1 Squadron: They were directed to intercept a force of
25 to 30 Dornier 215 bombers, escorted by Messerschmitt fighters, that were
approaching from the north-east at 14,000 feet. The Royal Air Force had a very
precise protocol for this very type of intercept: The Spitfire fighters that flew
faster, higher and had better maneuverability than the Hurricanes, were designated
to ‘draw-off’ and engage the Messerschmitt ME109 and ME110 fighter escorts,
while the Hurricanes would attack the Luftwaffe bomber force.
Squadron Leader Ernie McNab led his pilots to intercept the enemy bombers.
Spotting the Dorniers, the Hurricanes dived, attacking from 16,000 feet. McNab
quickly destroyed a Dornier, but his plane was then hit by return fire, and he was
forced to land the damaged Hurricane.
George Gordon Hyde, Beverley Evans Christmas, Vaughn Bowerman Corbett,
Eric Walter Beardmore, Robert Lesley Edwards & Edwin Michael Reyno.
July or August 1940
46
Ground Crew members of R.C.A.F. No. 1 (F) Squadron. These were the unsung heroes of the
Battle of Britain: They kept the squadron flying by re-arming, re-fueling, repairing and
maintaining the Hurricanes, often several times a day. They were also the ones who bore the
worst of the Luftwaffe’s attacks on R.A.F. airfields every day. They are pictured here, on June 8th
1940, aboard the S.S. Duchess of Atholl, as the squadron prepared to leave Halifax for England.
47
Flying Officer Robert Lesley Edwards of
Roseneath, Ontario fired on another
Dornier from extremely close range and
shot off its tail assembly. But the rear
gunner in the Dornier had also hit
Edwards’s Hurricane, which quickly
spun downward and out of control. The
plane crashed and Flying Officer
Edwards was killed. He was the first
casualty among the No. 1 Squadron
pilots.
Another Hurricane, flown by Flying
Officer Jean-Paul Joseph Desloges, was
hit and damaged, but he was able to
make a safe landing.
Flight Lieutenant Gordon Roy McGregor, along with Flying Officers Hartland de
Montarville Molson and Arthur Deane Nesbitt were next to engage the bombers:
McGregor destroyed a bomber; Molson and Nesbitt each damaged one. Flight
Lieutenant Vaugh Bowerman Corbett and Flying Officer Thomas Burgess Little
each damaged a Dornier 215.
In its first encounter with the Luftwaffe, the squadron had lost one pilot and one
Hurricane, and two planes had been damaged. But they had destroyed three
Dorniers and damaged four more. The squadron returned to Northolt at Dusk.
Over the next few days a lot of time would be spent on patrol, or waiting in the
dispersal huts. There was little contact with the enemy, but that would change on
August 31st.
48
Montreal Gazette,
September 6th 1940 Both
stories reproduced with the express
permission of the Montreal Gazette,
division of Postmedia Network Inc.
Montreal Gazette,
September 4th 1940
49
August 31st 1940
Beginning on August 13th the Luftwaffe had begun an intense campaign to try to
destroy British radar stations and R.A.F. bases. On August 30th and 31st the
Germans launched their largest operations ever against British airfields. Losses
were heavy on both sides, but on August 31st the British suffered their worst losses
of the whole battle with 39 aircraft shot down and 14 pilots killed. On that day,
Kewp had been patrolling the English coast near Dover with No. 1 squadron when
a formation of ME109s dove out of the sun on the Canadians, and three of the
Hurricanes were shot down in the intense dogfight that ensued: Kewp, Vaughn
Corbett and William Sprenger had to bail out as their stricken aircraft plunged
earthward. Eric Beardmore’s Hurricane was badly shot up, but he managed to land
the damaged airplane safely.
Montreal newspaper stories, and reports from
England and Ottawa indicated that Kewp had
suffered burns and an injury to his leg, but
that he was not seriously hurt. William
Sprenger had escaped without injury, but
Vaughn Corbett was reported to have been
wounded - but not seriously. Kewp himself
related that he “made a Happy Landing” after
bailing out of his burning Hurricane. In fact,
this glossed over the fact that both Kewp and
Corbett had suffered serious burns before
bailing out of their Hurricanes. In Kewp’s
case, the burns were to his face, and his legs
were badly injured by shrapnel from the shells
that hit his plane. Hurricanes had, by this time,
earned a bad reputation for cockpit fires: There was a gravity-feed fuel tank right
in front of the cockpit and two larger ones in each wing, right below it. There was
little armouring around the tanks, no solid floor in the cockpit, and the aircraft
Kewp in Hospital after the events
of August 31st 1940
50
Kewp in the cockpit of his Hawker Hurricane
51
was constructed of wood with fabric covering. Consequently, too many Hurricane
pilots were badly burned when enemy shells hit a fuel tank. Spitfires were
somewhat safer in this regard than Hurricanes.
Despite the serious injuries, Kewp was discharged from hospital on September 7th,
and he returned to duty with No. 1 Squadron three weeks later, on October 2nd.
A lot had happened while Kewp was recovering. For two weeks, No. 1 Squadron
was scrambling every day to intercept major German raids. On September 9th the
squadron intercepted over 300 German aircraft. They destroyed a fighter and
damaged two others, but one of their Hurricanes was shot down. The pilot bailed
out and landed safely. On September 11th the Canadians spotted 20 Heinkel
bombers while on a patrol: They destroyed two of them and damaged two more,
but Pete Lochnan and Tommy Little were shot down. Both pilots survived.
On the morning of September 15th, twenty-four squadrons, including R.C.A.F. No.
1, were scrambled to intercept German formations that seemed unbelievable: 120
bombers and 650 Messerschmitt fighters were heading toward London. No. 1
scrambled from Northolt at 11:40AM and was ordered to patrol at 15,000 feet.
Almost immediately they were attacked from above by Messerschmitts: Deane
Nesbitt and Ross Smither were shot down. Nesbitt was able to bail out of his
Hurricane and parachute to safety, but Smither was killed.
The pilots of No. 1 Squadron remained under pressure, but September 15th 1940
(which is now called Battle of Britain Day) marked a major turning point in the air
war: the Germans realized that the R.A.F. could not be defeated. In the days ahead,
the intensity of their attacks on military targets would begin to ease, and Hitler’s
planned invasion of England was cancelled.
No.1 Squadron continued to scramble and patrol through the end of the month: On
September 23rd Otto (Pete) Peterson and Blair Dalzell (Dal) Russel shared credit
for downing a German bomber over the English Channel, but on the 27th Russel,
Peterson and McNab were attacked by ME109s over Gatwick. Russel and McNab
shot down two of them, but Otto Peterson was killed when his plane was hit.
52
Montreal Gazette, October 25th 1940
Material Republished with the express permission of the
Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
53
The Battle is Won
By early October, the squadron’s ranks had been depleted by injuries, as well as
illness: several pilots were out of action with colds and flu. So, Kewp’s return to
action on October 2nd was welcomed by all. Flying Officers Nesbitt and Beardmore
had also recovered from their injuries, and were back with the squadron at the
same time.
There was more good news for No. 1 Squadron in October: three pilots were
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC): S/L Ernie McNab, F/L Gordon
McGregor and F/O Dal Russel had each destroyed at least four enemy aircraft, and
damaged more. These were the first decorations awarded to R.C.A.F. pilots. This
(and the celebration that followed) must have greatly boosted the morale of the
exhausted members of No. 1 Squadron.
Although German bombing of cities (particularly at night) continued after the end
of September, the intensity and frequency of the attacks diminished. This meant
that, after being on duty almost continuously for two months, some of the allied
pilots would finally get a badly needed rest. On October 11th 1940, R.C.A.F. No. 1
Squadron was re-assigned from its base at Northolt to a relatively quiet location at
R.A.F. Station Prestwick, in Scotland.
In fact, this marked the end of the Battle of Britain for No. 1 Squadron. Later in
October, the squadron was moved to R.A.F. Station Castletown in the north-east of
Scotland, near Scapa Flow. Although the squadron was scrambled from time to
time, and continued with coastal patrol duties, there was little direct contact with
the enemy in the weeks that followed.
In February 1941, No. 1 Squadron moved again to R.A.F. Station Digby, in
Lancashire. At Digby, the squadron would begin training and preparing for a new
phase in the air war, and a new role that would be more offensive than defensive.
54
The Globe & Mail, February 21st 1941
55
R.C.A.F. NO. 402 (F) SQUADRON
Kewp remained with No.1 (Fighter) Squadron until the end of 1940. By this time,
Kewp was entitled to return to Canada. In fact, several of the original members of
No. 1 Squadron, who had flown throughout the Battle of Britain, were being
repatriated to Canada to do the important work of training new pilots by passing on
all of the hard lessons they had learned over the past six months.
Kewp decided that he wanted to stay in England – he felt that was where he could
best do his part. So, on January 2nd 1941 he was assigned to R.C.A.F. No. 112
Squadron as a Flight Leader, with promotion to Flight Lieutenant. Kewp’s fellow
pilot from No. 1 Squadron, Gordon McGregor, became Squadron Leader of 112.
The lustre of these assignments and promotions may have seemed a bit dubious at
first: At that time, 112 Squadron was an Army Cooperation unit equipped with
Lysander aircraft - somewhat of a step-down from the Hurricanes that Kewp and
McGregor had been flying - but this did not last long: The squadron was soon re-
equipped with Hurricane fighters and then became known (briefly) as R.C.A.F.
No. 2 (Fighter) Squadron.
Air units from several Commonwealth and allied countries were operating in
England by this time, and Air Force commanders had realized that having
duplicate squadron numbers among these separate forces was a big problem: For
example, there was a Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) No. 1 Squadron, as well as
R.C.A.F. No. 1, and so on. Confusion or misunderstandings as orders went out to
units could be disastrous, so a decision was made to re-number all allied units: All
squadrons would be re-numbered from 100 and up. On March 1st 1941 the British
(R.A.F.) No. 1 Squadron became No. 101. Canadian squadrons would be in the
400 series, so R.C.A.F. No. 1 Squadron became 401, No. 2 Squadron became 402,
and so on (This numbering convention continues to this day in the R.C.A.F.).
So it was that on March 1st, Kewp was a Flight Leader in R.C.A.F. No. 402
(Fighter) Squadron, flying a Hurricane alongside Squadron Leader McGregor and
three other veterans from No. 1 Squadron: Flt. Lt. Thomas Burgess Little,
56
No. 402 Squadron
City of Winnipeg
Motto: WE STAND ON GUARD
Origin of 402 Squadron:
October 5th 1932, R.C.A.F. No. 12
(Army Co-operation) Squadron was
created.
November 15th 1937 re-designated
No. 112 (City of Winnipeg) (Army
Co-operation) Squadron.
December 11th 1940 re-designated
R.C.A.F. No. 2 (Fighter) Squadron.
March 1st 1941 re-designated No. 402
Squadron.
57
Flt. Lt. Vaughn Bowerman Corbett and Flt. Lt. Edwin Michael Reyno. The new
squadron was based at R.A.F. Station Digby, which was the same base that 401
Squadron moved to in February.
The Battle of Britain had been won by the end of October 1940. Raids by the
Luftwaffe continued, but German tactics shifted to bombing British cities at night,
and the Bristol Beaufighter (a radar-equipped night fighter) was the best R.A.F.
interceptor aircraft for this new phase of the war.
This meant that the role of many Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons could change
from defensive to offensive operations: Several R.C.A.F. squadrons, including 401
and 402 would be crossing the English Channel to attack German targets
themselves, or provide escort to Allied bombers.
On April 15th, Squadron
Leader Gordon McGregor
led twelve Hurricanes of
No. 402 Squadron on a
fighter sweep over the
French coast of Boulogne.
This was the first time that
the R.C.A.F. had
participated in an offensive
operation over enemy
territory, and many more of
these sweeps would follow.
In May 1941, 402 Squadron was re-equipped with newer Hurricane Mark II
aircraft that were more suitable for a “Ground-Attack” role. These planes were also
called ‘Hurri-bombers’, and the squadron quickly started training for this new role.
Kewp would have embraced this new role enthusiastically and probably looked
forward to a new and different phase in the war where he would be taking the fight
to the enemy, instead of trying to repel their attacks on England.
No. 402 Squadron Hurricane Mk. II - Carrying bombs
58
Montreal Gazette, May 19th 1941
Material Republished with the express
permission of the Montreal Gazette, a
division of Postmedia Network, Inc.
59
METHERINGHAM: THE “WAR WEAPONS WEEK” CAMPAIGN The Accident
During the Second World War there were many initiatives throughout Britain to
help the war effort. One of them was the “War Weapons Week” campaigns whose
goal was to raise funds for armaments. These were mainly local events that were
sponsored by municipalities throughout the country and they had been held as far
back as the First World War.
The town of Metheringham, in Lincolnshire, was just a few miles north of the
R.C.A.F. No. 402 Squadron base, at R.A.F. Station Digby. Metheringham’s War
Weapons Week campaign was in May 1941, and its goal was to raise £60,000 for
three new R.A.F. bombers. During the week a programme was arranged that
included a football match, dances with a R.A.F. band, an ENSA (Entertainments
National Service Association) concert party, whist (card game) drive, baby show
and bazaar, a fancy-dress parade and a Royal Canadian Air Force flying display
over the village on Saturday, May 17th 1941.
No. 402 Squadron would put on the flying display, and Flight Lieutenant George
G. (Kewp) Hyde flew one of the two Hawker Hurricanes which took part in it.
Those who were there that day agreed that the pilots put on a splendid display of
aerobatics.
That afternoon, the Crash Recovery Group at R.A.F. Digby were alerted that a
Hurricane had crashed on its return from an air display at Metheringham. They
responded quickly only to find that the plane had crashed into a field and the pilot,
Kewp, had been killed outright from the impact. The reason for the crash was
unknown.
*
Metheringham’s War Weapons Week campaign which had hoped to raise £60,000,
achieved the incredible total of £190,000 - This was amongst the highest per-capita
fund-raising in the country.
60
Kewp’s Funeral, Scopwick
Church Burial Ground,
May 20th 1941
61
Scopwick
Kewp was buried on May 20th in the War Graves at Scopwick Church Burial
Ground, Metheringham, Lincolnshire, which was near Royal Air Force Station,
Digby. 37 R.C.A.F. airmen who lost their lives, while stationed at Digby during the
Second World War, are buried there. They include the grave of an American pilot
who served with the R.C.A.F., Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee (1922-1941),
whose poem ‘High Flight’ became well known:
‘High Flight’ Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high unsurpassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
62
Scopwick Church Burial Ground,
Photos by Peter Ford
63
Postscript
In July 2004, when I was just beginning to do some serious family history
research, I learned that Kewp was buried at Scopwick. I didn’t have any pictures of
the cemetery or his grave, so I was hoping to find someone in England who might
be willing to take a picture and send it to me.
I found a website for Metheringham Village, Lincolnshire, which included some
information about Scopwick and the Church Cemetery. I put a message on the
website’s message board explaining who I was, how I was related to a Canadian
pilot who was buried at Scopwick, and that I would be grateful to anyone who
could send me a picture and/or any details they might have about what happened to
Kewp.
Very shortly after, I got an email from a local historian in Metheringham, Peter
Ford. Not only did Peter send me many fine pictures of Kewp’s gravestone, the
cemetery, the church, and the Cross of Sacrifice, but he also indicated that he was
very interested in finding out more about the incident on May 17th 1941.
By chance, Peter was soon put in touch with Mr.
George Emerson, a local resident living in Scopwick,
and by then 84 years old. George originated from
Sussex and after joining the Royal Air Force at the
beginning of the war he was posted to R.A.F. Station
Digby in March 1941, attached to their Crash Recovery
Group.
Peter related the following about his conversation with
George Emerson:
George vividly remembered the events of May
17th 1941: He remembered watching the two
Hawker Hurricanes fly out of R.A.F. Digby to
make the aerial display at Metheringham, and he
remembered that later that day his rescue crew George Emerson in 1941
64
was alerted to a Hurricane having crashed on its return from the air display.
The plane had been heading back to R.A.F. Digby over Scopwick and
Kirkby Green to make an approach from the east, but reports were that it
crashed in a field between the hamlets of Kirkby Green and Rowston. The
rescue team together with a R.A.F. ambulance
set off to the crash site via Ashby de la Launde,
Digby Village and Rowston to enter Kirkby
Green from the south.
Fortunately a dirt track led to the location which
was a farm field owned by the Wright family,
local farmers who resided at the nearby Manor
at Kirkby Green. The area was known as the
Pastures and lay between the road leading to
Rowston and the main railway line that
connected the city of Lincoln and the market
town of Sleaford.
George recalled his arrival at the wreckage, but
it became quickly apparent that the aircraft had
crashed very hard into the field and there was
nothing that the rescue and ambulance crews
would be able to do for the pilot.
*
In 2004, George visited the crash site with Peter Ford and easily identified where
the plane had come down more than sixty years before. George and Peter noted
that some dozen years earlier, rows of trees had been planted on either side of the
old dirt track leading to the crash site: Whether coincidental or not, it seemed
befitting to them that the trees were Canadian Maples.
I am very grateful to Peter Ford and George Emerson for revealing and recording
the events that unfolded at Digby, Metheringham and Kirkby Green that day in
May 1941.
George Emerson in 2004
65
Peter’s story, told in his own words, of how he met George Emerson and learned
about the events of May 17th 1941, can be found on the Metheringham Village
website at this address:
http://www.macla.co.uk/scopwick/gg_hyde.php?LMCL=Qam_Eq&LMCL=gyoCiq&
LMCL=Y63bWn&LMCL=zo8_rJ
Kewp’s Medals
66
67
AFTERWARD
No. 1 (F) Squadron Pilots Who Lost Their Lives in the Second World War
Twenty-seven Canadian officers, including twenty pilots, a medical officer, and an
intelligence officer, as well as 314 ground crew and support staff, went to England
with No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron in June 1940. Nine of the original pilots of No. 1
(Fighter) Squadron lost their lives during the Second World War:
• FLYING OFFICER ROBERT LESLEY EDWARDS
(1912-1940) Born in Roseneath, Ontario on June
10th 1912. He was educated at the University of
Toronto and married Ruth Beaton Brownlee in
1939. He died on August 26th 1940 in air combat
during the Battle of Britain, aged 28 years. The
obituary on the facing page was published in the
Windsor Star, August 30th 1940. Material republished
with the express permission of the Windsor Star, a division of
Postmedia Network Inc.
• FLYING OFFICER ROSS SMITHER (1912-1940)
Born in London, Ontario on November 12th
1912. On August 31st he damaged an ME109,
and on September 4th he destroyed an ME110
and damaged another. He died on September 15th
1940 in air combat during the Battle of Britain,
aged 28 years. The obituary on the facing page
was published in - - - -
68
69
• FLYING OFFICER OTTO JOHN (PETE)
PETERSON (1915-1940) Born in Eckville,
Alberta on March 14th 1915. On
September 1st he damaged a Dornier 17;
on September 4th he damaged a ME110
and on September 25th he destroyed a
ME109 and shared a Dornier 17
destroyed. He died on September 27th
1940 in air combat during the Battle of
Britain, aged 25 years. The obituary on the
facing page was published in the
Saskatoon Star Phoenix on October 1st 1940.
• FLYING OFFICER WILLIAM PATTERSON
SPRENGER, BCL (1911-1940) Born in
North Bay, Ontario on July 13th 1911. He
earned a law degree from McGill
University in 1934. On August 31st he was
shot down by ME109s, but he bailed out
and landed unhurt. On September 27th he
made a forced landing after his Hurricane
was damaged in combat. He died on
November 26th 1940 in a flying accident at
Loch Lomond, Scotland, aged 29 years.
The obituary on the facing page was
published in the Montreal Gazette on
November 29th 1940. Material republished with the express permission of the Montreal Gazette, a
division of Postmedia Network Inc.
70
71
• FLIGHT LIEUTENANT GEORGE G. (KEWP)
HYDE (1914-1941) Born in Montreal, Quebec
on February 11th 1914. He was shot down by
ME109s on August 31st, suffering burns to his
face and shrapnel to his legs. He recovered
and returned to duty in October. He
transferred to 402 (F) Squadron in 1941 as a
Flight Lieutenant. He died on May 17th 1941
in a flying accident near Metheringham,
England, aged 27 years. The obituary on the
facing page was published in the Montreal
Star on May 19th 1941. Material republished with the
express permission of the Montreal Gazette, a division of
Postmedia Network Inc.
• FLIGHT LIEUTENANT THOMAS BURGESS
LITTLE (1917-1941) Born in Montreal,
Quebec on September 9th 1917. He destroyed
an ME109 on August 31st, and was himself
shot down on September 11th. He bailed out
with burns to his face and a wound to his leg,
but he recovered and returned to duty with
402 (F) Squadron as a Flight Lieutenant. He
died on August 27th 1941 in a flying accident
over the English Channel, aged 24 years. The
story on the facing page was published in the
Montreal Gazette on September 1st 1941.
Material republished with the express permission of the
Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
72
73
• SQUADRON LEADER JOHN WILLIAM
KERWIN (1918-1942) Born in Toronto,
Ontario on May 7th 1918. He was seriously
wounded on August 31st 1940 in air
combat during the Battle of Britain. He
was repatriated to Canada and served as a
flying instructor. In 1942 he was posted to
Anchorage, Alaska as a Squadron Leader.
He died on July 16th 1942 in a flying
accident due to dense fog in the
mountainous terrain of the Aleutian
Islands. He was 24 years old. The story on
the facing page was published in the
Vancouver Province, July 20th 1942.
• WING COMMANDER JEAN-PAUL JOSEPH
DESLOGES (1913-1944) Born in Hull
(Gatineau), Quebec on April 25th 1913. He
was educated at the University of Ottawa
and then joined the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, before joining the
R.C.A.F. in 1937. Seriously injured when
he was shot down on August 31st 1940, he
was repatriated to Canada and went on a
recruiting and lecture tour in Quebec. In
December 1943 he was appointed as Air
Attache to General Georges Vanier and
went on a tour of flying schools in Tunisia, Italy & Morocco. On May 8th
1944 he died in the crash of an air transport at Rabat, Morocco, aged 31
years. The obituary on the facing page was published in the Ottawa Journal
on May 9th 1944.
74
Montreal Gazette, February 23rd 1945.
75
• GROUP CAPTAIN VAUGHN BOWERMAN
CORBETT (1911-1945) Born in Toronto,
Ontario on March 24th 1911. He was
wounded after being shot down on August
31st 1940 but recovered and joined
R.C.A.F. 402 Squadron in January 1941.
He was repatriated to Canada in July 1942
and continued serving in the R.C.A.F. He
died on February 20th 1945 in a flying
accident at Bagotville, Quebec, aged 34
years. Montreal Gazette obituary on the facing page was
republished with the express permission of the Montreal
Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
76
From "Who's Who in Canada, 1961". Publisher or copyright holder is not known
77
No. 1 (F) Squadron Pilots Who Survived the War
Of those who survived and returned to Canada, most went on to long, interesting
and successful lives & careers after the war. I feel sure that they must have felt
fortunate to survive the war. Fate had smiled upon them. These were the men who
went on to achieve the large numbers of “Kills” and “Probables”, and they won the
awards and decorations. Qualities including their skills, determination, discipline
and their sense of adventure carried them through the war, and it must have been
these qualities that made them successful after the war, as well.
• WING COMMANDER ERIC WALTER
BEARDMORE (1911-1966) Born in Berlin,
Germany on August 29th 1911, he grew up
in Ottawa and Montreal. Following the
war he settled in Vancouver, British
Columbia where he was a business
executive and company director with
several different firms. He died in
Vancouver, British Columbia on August
23rd 1966, aged 55 years.
• WING COMMANDER STANSFELD TUNSTALL BLAIKLOCK, MBE (1896-1963)
Born in Montreal on July 1st 1896. He was the Intelligence Officer attached
to No. 1 Squadron, and he held the rank of Flying Officer in 1940 – but I do
not know if he was a pilot who flew in combat. I believe that he was the only
original member of No. 1 Squadron to have served in the First World War.
His contributions to the Allied war effort were recognized in 1946 when he
was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Military) (MBE). He died in
Montreal on December 2nd 1963, aged 67 years.
78
Obituary for Colonel Beverley Evans Christmas, published in the
Victoria Times-Colonist, May 20th 1988.
79
• WING COMMANDER CARL ERNEST BRIESE
(1913-1983) Born in Rosetown,
Saskatchewan in 1913. He remained in the
R.C.A.F. after the war, retiring in 1962. He
died in Vancouver, British Columbia on
November 20th 1983, aged 70 years.
• COLONEL BEVERLEY EVANS (BEV)
CHRISTMAS (1919-1988) Born in Rouville,
Quebec on November 1st 1919. He married
Geraldine Kathryn Kenning in Victoria in
1943. After the war he remained in the
R.C.A.F. and held many positions across
Canada and Overseas. His last appointment
was Deputy Base Commander at CFB
Esquimalt, B.C. He retired from the
Canadian Forces in 1973. He died in
Victoria, British Columbia on May 17th
1988, aged 68 years.
80
81
• GROUP CAPTAIN GORDON ROY
MCGREGOR, CC, OBE, DFC (1901-1971)
Born in Montreal, Quebec on September
26th 1901. He was a fighter pilot
throughout the war and was credited with
a total of five and a half kills, seven
probables and eight damaged. Following
the war, he joined Trans Canada Airlines
(now Air Canada) and became president
of the airline in 1948. When he retired in
1968, Air Canada was the largest airline
in the world outside the United States. He
died in Montreal on March 8th 1971, aged
69 years. The obituary on the facing page was published in the Montreal
Gazette on September 27th 1971. Material republished with the express permission of the
Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
• GROUP CAPTAIN ERNEST ARCHIBALD
(ERNIE) MCNAB, OBE, DFC (1906-1977)
Born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan on
March 7th 1906. He attended the
University of Saskatchewan and joined
the R.C.A.F. in 1926. He was the original
Squadron Leader of No.1 (F) Squadron
when it arrived in England in June 1940.
He remained in the R.C.A.F. after the
war, and retired in 1957. He died in
Vancouver, B.C. on January 10th 1977,
aged 70 years. The obituary on the
following page was published in the Vancouver Province on January 12th
1977. Material republished with the express permission of the Vancouver Province, a division of
Postmedia Network Inc.
82
Obituary for Ernest Archibald (Ernie) McNab,
Published in the Vancouver Province, January 12th 1977
Material republished with the express permission of the Vancouver Province, a
division of Postmedia Network Inc.
83
Obituary for Hartland Molson, published
in the National Post, October 1st 2002.
Material republished with the express permission of the
National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
84
Obituary for Arthur Dean Nesbitt,
published in the Montreal Gazette,
February 23rd 1978. Material republished with
the express permission of the Montreal Gazette, a
division of Postmedia Network Inc.
85
• GROUP CAPTAIN HARTLAND DE
MONTARVILLE MOLSON, OBE (1907-
2002) Born in Montreal, Quebec on May
29th 1907, he was born into the famous
Molson Brewing family (He was the
3xGreat-grandson of company founder,
John Molson (1763-1836). Following the
war, he rejoined the family business, and
soon after that became the owner of the
Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club. In
1955 he was appointed to the Canadian
Senate by Prime Minister Louis St.
Laurent. He died in Montreal on September 28th 2002, aged 95 years. The
obituary on the second preceding page was published in the National Post
on October 1st 2002.
• GROUP CAPTAIN ARTHUR
DEANE NESBITT DFC, OBE
(1910-1978) Born in
Montreal, Quebec on
November 16th 1910. His
father co-founded a successful
investment brokerage called
Nesbitt-Thomson & Company.
He was a pilot throughout the
war, eventually leading a
Spitfire Wing, and then a Typhoon Wing. Following the war, he joined the
family business, had a very successful career as an investment banker, and
eventually became Chief Executive and Chairman of the company. He died
on February 1st 1978, aged 67 years. (Nesbitt-Thomson & Co. is known today as
BMO-Nesbitt Burns. It is the Investment Banking arm of Bank of Montreal)
86
This story about Paul Brooks Pitcher
was published in the Montreal Gazette,
January 9th 1941. Material republished with the
express permission of the Montreal Gazette, a division
of Postmedia Network Inc.
87
• WING COMMANDER PAUL BROOKS
PITCHER (1913-1998) Born in Montreal,
Quebec on August 5th 1913. He earned a
law degree from McGill University in
1938. He was married to Josephine
Emma MacDougall (1915-1999).
Following the Battle of Britain, he held
several senior R.C.A.F posts in Canada
and Overseas. After the war, he resumed
his legal career in Canada. He died in
Vancouver, British Columbia in 1998,
aged 84 years.
• CAPTAIN WILLIAM DONALD RANKIN, M.D.
(1899-1949) Born in Woodstock, New
Brunswick on December 11th 1899. He
graduated from McGill University in
Montreal with a degree in medicine in
1929. He was the Medical Officer attached
to R.C.A.F. No. 1 Squadron. Following the
war, he practised as a physician in Halifax,
Nova Scotia. He died on March 15th 1949 in
South Porcupine, Ontario, aged 49 years.
88
Obituary for Edwin Michael Reyno, Published in
the Regina Leader-Post, February 13th 1982.
Material republished with the express permission of the Regina Leader-
Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
89
• LT. GENERAL EDWIN MICHAEL REYNO (1917-
1982) Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917, he
graduated from Saint Mary’s University and
enlisted in the R.C.A.F. on January 3rd 1938.
After the war, Reyno had a long career in
R.C.A.F.: He attended R.C.A.F. Staff College in
1947 and the Imperial Defence College in 1959.
He served as the Director of Strategic Air Plans
until 1955 when he became Officer Commanding
at Air Defence Command. In 1963 he was made
Chief of Air Staff, 4th Allied Tactical Air Force,
and in July 1966 he was promoted to Air Marshal and Chief of Personnel of
the Canadian Forces. From 1969 to 1972, he was the Deputy Commander of
NORAD. He died on February 10th 1982, aged 64 years.
• WING COMMANDER BLAIR DALZELL
(DAL) RUSSEL, DSO, DFC (1917-2007)
Born in Toronto, Ontario on December
9th 1917; he grew up in Montreal. He was
one of several No. 1 Squadron pilots who
had learned to fly at the Montreal Light
Aeroplane Club. He participated in
shooting down five enemy aircraft during
the Battle of Britain. In February 1941
he was repatriated to Canada where he
led several different Squadrons. In 1944
he returned to Europe as Squadron Leader, and later Wing Commander.
Following the war, he returned to Montreal and worked for Canada Wire &
Cable, Canadair Aircraft and Sperry Gyroscopes. He died in Knowlton,
Quebec on November 20th 2007, aged 90 years.
90
Montreal Gazette, July 28th 1942
Material republished with the express permission of the
Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
91
• SQUADRON LEADER ARTHUR MCLEOD
YUILE (1917-1990) Born in Montreal on
June 6th 1917. During the Battle of Britain,
he destroyed one enemy plane and damaged
a second. He was repatriated to Canada in
February 1941 and led R.C.A.F. Squadrons
on the east and west coasts. He was married
to Edna Clarke. After the war he emigrated
to the United States. He died in Windsor,
Connecticut on August 3rd 1990, aged 73
years.
92
Lilian Boronow, J. Richard (Dick) Hyde, Shirley Anne
Hyde and G. Gordon Hyde, Montreal, September 1945
93
Kewp’s Family Following the War
Kewp’s brother, J. Richard Hyde, was overseas with the Royal Canadian Artillery
until September 1945. He ended the war as a Major and Second-in-Command of a
Heavy Anti-Aircraft unit. He had earned a law degree from Universite de Montreal
before the war, and he resumed his legal career in Montreal, with his father’s firm,
Hyde & Ahern, soon after returning home.
Kewp’s father, Gordon Hyde, had been a very successful company & commercial
lawyer. In 1939, he entered politics as the Liberal Member of the Quebec
Legislative Assembly for Westmount. In 1942 he was appointed to the Legislative
Council which at that time was the upper chamber of the Quebec Provincial
Parliament.
My father never spoke about this, but I have a sense that his father took Kewp’s
death very hard (Because Kewp was so deeply loved, I think that each member of
his family was very deeply affected in their own way). When I compare photos of
Gordon from immediately before, and right after the war, he looks as if he has aged
significantly. Regrettably, Gordon died on July 20th 1946, at the age of just 62
years. Kewp’s mother, Lilian Boronow, died in Montreal on September 26th 1962,
aged 72 years.
Kewp’s sister, Shirley, was married to Arthur Robert (Bob) Tremaine in Montreal,
on April 2nd 1949. Bob was the youngest child of Laurence Purves Tremaine and
Lily Frances Ahearn. He was an insurance executive in New York City. Shirley
and Bob had two children: Diane Lynn and Gordon Hyde Tremaine. They lived in
New York City; later in Chicago; and finally, Maplewood, New Jersey.
My father continued his legal career, and then he went into politics himself. In
1955, he was elected to his father’s old seat in the Quebec Legislative Assembly.
He was re-elected four times and retired from politics in 1970. In spite of his quiet
and reserved nature, he was very successful in politics: He was Speaker of the
Legislature from 1962 to 1965, and Minister of Revenue in 1969. He was
appointed a Judge of the Quebec Provincial Court in 1970, and retired in 1982.
94
In 1955 he had been in the Royal Victoria Hospital, in Montreal, for surgery to try
to correct a back problem resulting from a motorcycle accident during the war.
While in hospital he met a beautiful young nurse called Patricia Irvine. Pat was the
eldest daughter of William Arthur Irvine and Evelyn Beatrice Shaw. She was born
in Toronto, but grew up in Montreal. Pat decided pretty quickly that Dick was
going to marry her, and she set about making that happen: They were married in
Newton, Iowa on August 3rd 1956 and they had four children: Michael Richard,
Wendy Patricia, Laurie Elizabeth and Suzanne Jane Hyde.
Shirley Anne (Hyde) Tremaine stayed in touch with her family’s cook and
chauffeur even after she married and moved to the United States. After Roget and
Marie retired (probably around 1950), they got married to each other and moved to
a farm that they bought near Plantagenet, Ontario. My cousin, Diane (Tremaine)
Leffler (Shirley’s daughter), told me that she and her brother, Gordon, spent a
week with Roget and Marie, at the farm in the early 1960’s. Diane recalled how
kind Marie and Roget had been to her and Gordon, and how much her mother had
adored them.
95
NOTES ABOUT SOURCES
This short book contains very little original research. I have simply compiled
information about Kewp and his fellow, original, members of R.C.A.F. No. 1 (F)
Squadron. I am indebted to all the people who have collected and catalogued
information about, and pictures of No. 1 (F) Squadron and the Battle of Britain,
and made it available on the internet:
Battle of Britain London Monument The creators of this website have
compiled a tremendous amount of information about virtually all of the
pilots who participated in the Battle of Britain, including pictures of most of
the pilots: In the fog of war, the R.A.F.s official records (at the time of the
war) showed 80 Canadians participating in the Battle of Britain. The BBM
website has records of 112 Canadian pilots who participated.
bbm.org.uk/the-airmen/.
Traces of War This website is also a rich source of information about many
of the Canadian airmen: www.tracesofwar.com/default.asp
Aircrew Remembered:
These books and magazine articles provided important details and background:
The R.C.A.F. Overseas: The First Four Years published by Oxford
University Press, Toronto, 1944. This book contains a detailed record of the
day-by-day activities of No. 1 (F) Squadron prior to, and during the Battle of
Britain. The record it presents is noteworthy because it was published during
the Second World War.
Hartland de Montarville Molson, Man of Honour by Karen Molson,
published in 2006 by Firefly Books, contains a wealth of information about
R.C.A.F. No. 1 (F) Squadron’s participation in the Battle of Britain
(including activities of individual pilots).
96
High Blue Battle - The war diary of No. 1 fighter squadron, RCAF by Dave
McIntosh, published in 1990 by Stoddart
The Digby Diary- History of RAF Digby by John Rennison, published in
2003 by Aspect Publishing
A View of Their Own- The Story of Westmount, by Aline Gubbay,
published 1998 by Price-Patterson Ltd. Canadian Publishers. This book was
a great source of information about Westmount, particularly in the 1920s
and 1930s.
20 Years Ago They Broke the Luftwaffe This magazine article by Journalist
Frank Lowe appeared in Weekend Magazine on Saturday, September 10th
1960. Lowe interviewed many of the surviving members of No. 1 Squadron,
and wrote this story to mark the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
The R.C.A.F. Service File for Flt. Lt. George G. Hyde was a valuable source of
information:
Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Service Files of the Second
World War - War Dead, 1939-1947; Series: RG 24; Volume: 27805
Postmedia Network Inc., publisher of the following newspapers, kindly provided
permission to reproduce newspaper stories and obituaries that appear in this book:
The Montreal Gazette, The Vancouver Province, The Regina Leader-Post,
The National Post, The Calgary Herald, The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, The
Windsor Star, and The Edmonton Journal.
The Globe & Mail kindly provided permission to reproduce newspaper stories and
obituaries that appear in this book.
97
98
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