January 23, 2012 – Lest We Forget

Someone posted this comment…

S/L David L. (“Bud”) Quinn, CD

Armament Officer in Charge of Gunnery
No.7 Bombing and Gunnery School, Paulson, Manitoba
June 1941 to July 30, 1942

My father (above) probably knew both P/O Gagnon and LAC Norm Pringle.

Thanks to your blog, I have discovered more about my father’s wartime service. After transferring from the militia (7th Toronto Field Artillery), he joined the RCAF in 1934, starting over at the bottom as an LAC. He was an original member of what was then No. 10 Sqn (later 110 and ultimately 400 Sqn.) when it first formed up. He had risen to the rank of F/Sgt by the time of the declaration of war and was commissioned shortly after. He served throughout the war, managing to find a way to get his pilot’s wings and an overseas posting, and served with RAF 2nd TAF HQ in Europe. As a permanent force member, he stayed in the RCAF after the war and retired as a Sqn.Ldr in 1962.

I always knew he had served as a bombing and gunnery instructor in Manitoba during the first part of the war, and names like Paulson and Jarvis had sometimes been mentioned, but I had no details. As an air force brat growing up on RCAF stations throughout eastern Canada, I have always maintained an interest in the history of the service and my father’s service in particular. I cannot ask him, as he passed away in May 1993 at the age of 80. I was both shocked and pleasantly surprised to find his name and picture in one of the documents on your blog.

The post on your blog from March 30, 2010 contains a link to copies of the Paulson Post. In Vol 1, No. 1, from Sept. 1942, there is a brief article on my father, then a Flight Lieutenant, on page 15. I have now learned that he was probably a key player in establishing the air gunnery sections at B&G Schools no. 2, 3, 5 and 7 in Mossbank, MacDonald, Dafoe and finally Paulson. Based on the opening dates of each of those schools I have an idea of when he was at each and definite knowledge of his time at Paulson. It also tells me the date of his initial commission and the date of his promotion to F/L and when he was posted to AFHQ in Ottawa.

This was a very pleasant surprise for both myself and my two brothers.

Thank you for the time and effort you have put into this wonderful resource. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

I will try my best to answer them.

Per Ardua ad Astra!

Bob Quinn
Mississauga, Ontario

As a footnote to this…

Paulson Post, September 1942, page 15…