As a member of the Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society, I volunteered to be Chairman of the Family History Research Group (Queries). From time to time, we receive outside requests for assistance in finding a lost relative or other information regarding a friend or family member, who may have had at one time a connection to Medicine Hat and the surrounding area.
A recent request caused me to examine in greater detail an important part of Medicine Hat history for which many are unaware or which for some, is only a distant memory. The role of #34 SFTS in WWII cannot be underestimated and for the many pilot graduates their contribution to the war effort should not be forgotten. It also had an enormous impact on the community.
This is also the story of a pilot graduate of #34 SFTS, who like many others tragically gave his life for love of country. Hopefully this brief historical vignette about an important part of the history of Medicine Hat, will encourage others to explore this important part of our history and which remind us about all of the young men who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of freedom. READ ON
Lest We Forget!
Hi, Bill! Another very interesting piece that certainly brought back memories. I was nine when the war ended, and I can remember my parents driving down Highway Three and giving “flyboys” rides back to their base. And I never knew how many of the young lads I would see around the dinner table on Sundays!
Found this article very interesting. One of the reasons of interest is because in the late 1930\’s and up to 2007 I or my family owned land south of Medicine Hat described as section 25 -10 -6 – 4. During the years that the flight school operated, a trainer crashed on this land, and two men were killed, likely an instructor and a student. The accident was shrouded in secrecy, however, I remember several interesting stories passed down to me. I would certainly be interested in who these unfortunate flyers where, were did they come from etc.