G.W. Bland - R100308 - RCAF - PRE-POST WW 11 PERSONAL HISTORY
1. Born Manitoba farm 1919, moved to Winnipeg 1938.
2. Following Business College training joined Kraft Foods 1939.
3. Joined RCA 38th Field Battery militia unit 1940 and applied to join RCAF aircrew 1941.
4. Application accepted but asked to enlist for training on a secret project - Radar Mechanic on basis "YOUR country needs You"! Perhaps high Air Force casualty rate not known at that time.
5. Sent to U.K. Fall of 1941. Posted to RAF and to India Spring of 1942 and returned to U.K. and Canada early summer 1945 after having volunteered for Pacific duty-BOMB!! cancelled the need!
6. Married June 1945 "the girl I left behind" - Margaret - and have son and daughter-in-law, Hull (Hessle) Yorks., son in Montreal and third son in Ottawa.
7. Returned to Kraft Fall of 1945 at Winnipeg and was transferred to Vancouver to help set up first offices there in 1947 and to Montreal H/Q in 1950. Retired as V/P in 1984.
8. Have made a number of trips to U.K. but have seen the remains of only one Radar station (Patrington) and no former colleagues. I have considerable regret about this since...
9. My paternal grandfather lived in Yorks., my maternal grandfather was a Scot. In addition to 1941, because of mis-directed mail I had brief contact with RAF Pilot George Bland of Wiltshire. He was at that time a F/O and I don't know whether he made it through the War. We may have been related.
10. Have maintained close contact with Miss Monica Brown of Anlaby, Hull. Monica, along with her Parents, relatives, neighbours and friends were absolutely wonderful to me during the leaves I could spend with them. The Browns' only son was sadly, killed during the Battle of Britain. The Mother - in - law of our son Rick, and her Family also I understand, did a great deal to make the Service people visiting Hull feel at home.
11. Following discharge I had very little trouble, if any, adjusting to life, thanks to a fine Wife and Family, and a company who provided me with an excellent job - a sort of family company even though large. During the war I had quite a bit of hospital care not due to injury but rather malaria, dengue fever, jaundice but even with this considered myself extremely fortunate. Have had no spill over" of these problems - so far as we now know although again I have spent some hospital time. I started smoking during the war (we were well supplied with cigarettes even in India) but gave that up in late 50's thanks to Doctor's orders. Drinking was never a problem even considering the fact that we though Carew's gin (I think the name was) was a lot safer than water! On balance I believe my wartime experience had a positive experience on me, first because I was very fortunate, met some very, very fine people and perhaps equally important, we choose to remember the good things.