Danny 42C
August 52 Southampton-Montreal on the maiden voyage of the MAASDAM---a LOT better than my earlier trip across on the Athlone Castle.
On to Toronto and "work" "instructing" U of T students in engineering drawing-- very much a case of "the blind leading the blind"
Toronto had two RCAuxAF Squadrons who flew from Downsview alternate week ends using the same Vampire3,s
I applied and was accepted by 400. Much later I found that my timing had been fortunate.
Prior to my arrival, 400 had a series of fatal accidents in both Harvards and Vampires. The bad
PR that resulted led Ottawa to "parachute" into 400 a guy called Rohmer--- an ex WW2 Mustang DFC pilot involved in the air attack on Rommel in 44 In 52 he was the RCAuxAF W/C i/c both 400 and 411. He proceeded to sort out what he considered the "wheat from the chaff" among the 400 pilots. Among his "chaff" was Ross Stevenson who later became Chief Pilot at Air Canada
I.m not sure that there wasnt another fatality even while Rohmer was i/c. A Vampire practicing inverted flight for an exhibition stayed inverted too long and flamed out.
On reflection his purge perhaps led to excess caution in the Squadron as I note I had 5 trips in the Harvard before I was let loose again in a Vampire
Rohmer became a very succesful lawyer,with political involvement and,a Major General in the Canadian reserves.There are photographs of his several encounters with the Queen and he has written many books. Excerpts from his GENERALLY SPEAKING are on the internet