I was telling you in my last post that Dad was always busy shining his shoes and his car. He instilled in me the shining of the shoes discipline at a very early age. I was out early with him every morning doing two things – 5BX exercises (a gentle version for me) followed by a spot of brisk shoe polishing and shining. This started when I was in primary school, so maybe about 7 or 8 years old.
I remember that during my early High School years I asked why on earth I have to polish my school shoes every morning. I received a mini-lecture about the value of being neat and tidy. That a tidy person equals a tidy mind.
It was the same with trousers. They had to have a straight crease in them and this you attained through proper pressing of the trousers. To this day, I’m a whizz at ironing trousers and shirts thanks to Dad.
You can see this discipline of his in the photo comment below. I don’t know who the other chaps are but Dad was more worried about the appearance of his uniform trousers. Dad is second from the right.
Dad is second from the right.
Same chaps but this time Dad is on the left, with his arm draped over the wing of the plane.
Look in the logbook. He started training in New Zeland if I remember correctly. Did he start his flying in NZ? If not, this is Dunnville for sure.
He still does not have his wings. He has the same cap as Eugène Gagnon.
http://sadp.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/eugc3a8ne-gagnon-avec-le-groupe-de-recrues-en-1942.jpg
Eugene is No. 1 in this picture taken in early 1942.
The first logbook entry is May 5th 1941 – No. 3 E.F.T.S Harewood – this is in New Zealand, so yep, he started his flying in NZ. Harewood was actually the largest of the four EFTS. The other three I’ve found out were No. 1 EFTS at Taieri, Dunedin; No. 2 EFTS at Bel Block, New Plymouth and No. 4 EFTS was at Whenuapai, Auckland.
I’m pretty sure that No 3 EFTS Harewood is located where Christchurch International Airport is now, which would explain the life-size Spitfire model just outside the airport. It’s made of fibreglass with the original safely tucked away in some museum. I’ve read too that a retail section at the airport will be called Spitfire Square. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4554969/Christchurch-airport-freightpark-well-under-way