Reid,J.W.("windy") D.F.C. RCAF/RAF Group Captain WW2
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Why the American DFC ? Dad never talked much about his wartime experiences but through some of his fighter pilot buds I finally found out about his DFC.One of the reasons he was awarded it is the following:
It seems that while patrolling the English Channel he overheard a conversation between a wounded American fighter pilot and his home base.He dove down and intercepted the wounded flier who was now slipping in and out of consciousness from loss of blood.Dad flew up along side and was encouraging the pilot to fight to remain conscious singing dirty air force songs with him and even bumping his wingtip.He stayed with him until he finally crashed into the sea and was KIA.
The whole episode was heard on the radio back at fighter command and I guess they wanted to formally recognize the event.The one problem was that breaking formation especially by the leader was against British air force regulations, no matter what the reason and he could have been called to account for it.Luckily for dad they officially ignored the whole thing as they couldn't be seen as rewarding him for breaking regulations. So that is where the Americans stepped in and said it was for helping them set up their own night fighter squadron or something to that effect.
This account was later verified to me by the sister of the American pilot.
It seems that while patrolling the English Channel he overheard a conversation between a wounded American fighter pilot and his home base.He dove down and intercepted the wounded flier who was now slipping in and out of consciousness from loss of blood.Dad flew up along side and was encouraging the pilot to fight to remain conscious singing dirty air force songs with him and even bumping his wingtip.He stayed with him until he finally crashed into the sea and was KIA.
The whole episode was heard on the radio back at fighter command and I guess they wanted to formally recognize the event.The one problem was that breaking formation especially by the leader was against British air force regulations, no matter what the reason and he could have been called to account for it.Luckily for dad they officially ignored the whole thing as they couldn't be seen as rewarding him for breaking regulations. So that is where the Americans stepped in and said it was for helping them set up their own night fighter squadron or something to that effect.
This account was later verified to me by the sister of the American pilot.
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Another interesting story overheard by my son who attended a fighter pilots reunion with my dad many years ago was:
Sitting at a table after a few drinks they got to talking about their wartime adventures.One guy was relating how he was shot down and was being strafed on the ground by a Nazi fighter pilot and along came a buddy and forced the enemy to break it off .He swore that if he ever saw that guy he would buy him a case of scotch.Another pilot sitting there overheard this a said ,hey I am sure that was me ! They couldn't believe it so they checked their log books and sure enough the proof was there.
Sitting at a table after a few drinks they got to talking about their wartime adventures.One guy was relating how he was shot down and was being strafed on the ground by a Nazi fighter pilot and along came a buddy and forced the enemy to break it off .He swore that if he ever saw that guy he would buy him a case of scotch.Another pilot sitting there overheard this a said ,hey I am sure that was me ! They couldn't believe it so they checked their log books and sure enough the proof was there.
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Harold Krier. This man ,Harold Krier,was the best aerobatic pilot that I have ever watched perform.When the National Airshows was blazing the skies along the border states , I finally got to meet him.Dad was close friends with Harold and even assisted him to obtain an ex-RCAF Chipmunk.
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The cone of silence ! 
Here is a funny little incident that was related to me the other day by another old timer.It seems that while flying the radio range a crew passed over the range inbound.When the pilot reduced power both engines quit,he then powered up again and the engines roared back to life.Someone was heard to say "Damn now that's a cone of silence".Seems the the engine controls were rigged improperly and the engines quit at low RPM.You younger aviators may not get it,just ask some old timer to explain.
Here is a funny little incident that was related to me the other day by another old timer.It seems that while flying the radio range a crew passed over the range inbound.When the pilot reduced power both engines quit,he then powered up again and the engines roared back to life.Someone was heard to say "Damn now that's a cone of silence".Seems the the engine controls were rigged improperly and the engines quit at low RPM.You younger aviators may not get it,just ask some old timer to explain.
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I can remember like it was yesterday,dad and I holding the poles with a ribbon attached to a string that was placed in the middle.Harold would fly by inverted,both hands out of the cockpit and grab the ribbon.(I think that he carried a spare in his pocket)
John, I had the great pleasure of meeting your dad back in the late 1960's. The Simard family of Montreal owned a Cessna 185, CF-SZU, on floats that they used to travel to their salmon fishing club on the Washacoutai River, and you dad would fly them in there with it. He'd pick the family up in either Sept-Iles or Havre St. Pierre, which is where I met him. That Cessna had to be the best equipped and maintained 185 around, fully IFR equipped, including an ILS! The family sold it to Northern Wings about 1970, and I picked the airplane up at their private dock on Ile Bizard and ferried it back to Sept-Iles.
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Nice to hear from you !
Dad loved anything do to with flying,it was his passion.He was a true aviator of the old school.If he wasn't researching and reading about it he was doing it.
It never seemed to be enough for him just to fly for TCA /Air Canada.He continued after the war to be invovled with the RCAF auxiliary for many years during the cold war where his rose to the rank of Group Captain,flying Vampires and Harvards on practise intercept missions involving the USAF.The RCAF summer camp was always on his schedule and he started the 401 Sqnd pipe band by stealing their pipe major ,Jock Laurie,from the Black Watch.
Yes.he loved bush flying too, both here in Canada and in Africa, salmon fishing and big game hunting .
Dad also was training corporate pilots on the side.He started a company called RANCO with ace pilot Jeff Northcott and Ralph Allen.I can still remember him disguising his voice on the radio so that his fellow TCA pilots wouldn't recognize him.
In his later years he would often call me and off we would go to watch the RC guys do their thing.At the time of his passing he was building(or having
built) an RC Travelair and a Skybolt which I still have.He packed a lot into those 67 years of his.
Dad loved anything do to with flying,it was his passion.He was a true aviator of the old school.If he wasn't researching and reading about it he was doing it.
It never seemed to be enough for him just to fly for TCA /Air Canada.He continued after the war to be invovled with the RCAF auxiliary for many years during the cold war where his rose to the rank of Group Captain,flying Vampires and Harvards on practise intercept missions involving the USAF.The RCAF summer camp was always on his schedule and he started the 401 Sqnd pipe band by stealing their pipe major ,Jock Laurie,from the Black Watch.
Yes.he loved bush flying too, both here in Canada and in Africa, salmon fishing and big game hunting .
Dad also was training corporate pilots on the side.He started a company called RANCO with ace pilot Jeff Northcott and Ralph Allen.I can still remember him disguising his voice on the radio so that his fellow TCA pilots wouldn't recognize him.
In his later years he would often call me and off we would go to watch the RC guys do their thing.At the time of his passing he was building(or having
built) an RC Travelair and a Skybolt which I still have.He packed a lot into those 67 years of his.
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During the years of the Concorde development,through his old overseas buddy network, he got involved with that too , training and test flying.
Started on a Fleet Finch and ended with the Concorde.Not bad for a depression kid from Sidney Nova Scotia.
Started on a Fleet Finch and ended with the Concorde.Not bad for a depression kid from Sidney Nova Scotia.
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Dad ,fourth from the right in this pic,trying to look cool at the Sidney Flying Club in the mid 30's.The fellow on the extreme left was his flying instructor,Lindsay Rood who became VP of operations at TCA/Air Canada and on the extreme left is Alfie Cockle a good friend who I got to fly with many years later.
