11 Days of Remembrance: The Graves of St. Paul's

I've never been one for sitting through church services. I've never been much of a fan of setting foot in a place and listening to a sermon that I cannot justify, due to my own beliefs, but once a year, when I was a cadet, there was a service I would attend. Yes, it was manditory, but it wasn't all about preaching God. Besides, it was the one service that I had a need to attend. You see, during the Second World War, men in the Royal Air Force were sent to Canada, the Hamilton Airport in particular, for flight training as our country was much safer than Britain. But, no matter how safe Canada was, training accidents still happened, which resulted in 16 deaths between 1941 and 1943.

For the seven years that I was a cadet, come every October, my squadron would attend a service at St. Paul's Anglican Church  on Upper James (formerly Highway #6) that was dedicated soley to those men who were killed in training. What most people are unaware of as well, is in the cemetery behind St. Paul's are the graves of 14 of these airmen. Two of the men killed were Jewish, and are buried at a synagogue, in Brantford, if memory serves me correctly, instead of being laid to rest at the church.

After the service, 16 cadets would be given flowers, while the remainder formed-up behind. Every name would be called, and a flower would be placed on the grave. Two flower holders for the Jewish airmen who were killed were also on hand as well, so they wouldn't be left out, even though they were laid to rest elsewhere.

When you come upon the cemetery, there is a plaque just before the fallen airmen's graves, giving a bit of history on the training progam, and the men in the cemetery. You know what? Instead of telling you what's there, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Though we've all heard on more than one occasion that a picture is worth a thousand words, in this case, a picture is worth a thousand lives. See for yourself.

"THEY SLIPPED THE SURLY BONDS OF EARTH"



The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (B.C.A.T.P) was inaugurated in 1939 at the onset of the Second World War to provide air training for Commonwealth airmen, safely removed from active war zones. The Canadian Government sponsored this war-winning plan which produced approximately 140 000 airmen and 45 000 ground crew.

Six of the one hundred and seven Canadian B.C.A.T.P airfields were located in this part of Ontario. No. 33 Air Navigation School at Mount Hope was established in 1941 in addition to No. 10 Elementary Flying School, and No. 1 Air Wireless School. Between November 1941 and December 1943, 16 R.A.F servicemen in the Air Navigation School died while training here, and all but two are buried in St. Paul's Anglican Church Cemetery. A service of remembrance has been held annually for these men who lie far from home. In 2000, a Remembrance Garden was planted by the congregation and dedicated to the memory of thse R.A.F members.

-Hamilton Historical Board, 2005

 R.A.F Remembrance Garden

Sacred to the memory of the British fliers buried here who lost their lives in training accidents. A joint project of the 779 Squadron Air Cadets, the 447 R.C.A.F.A Wing, Mount Hope, and St. Paul's Anglican Church.

Dedicated  on October 15, 2000, the 59th War Graves Decorating Service.

L.A.C Dennis Donahue

R.A.F

13 November 1941

"With God will doing service as unto the Lord."

L.A.C Denis A. Drayton

R.A.F

13 November 1941

"Because I live, ye shall live also." -John 14, verse 19

L.A.C Reginald A. Gillman

R.A.F

13 November 1941

"His ways were ways of gentleness, and all his paths were peace."

Flight Lieutenant John O. D Kellow

R.A.F

23 June 1942

"Ever living in our memory, his duty nobly done."

Sgt Pilot Edward A. Doughty

R.A.F

23 June 1942

"They are young, and they are joyful in the house of the Lord."

Corporal Colin J. Campbell

R.A.F

23 June 1942

"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away."

Sergeant Herbert Preston

R.A.F

23 June 1942

"At rest. Paas'd beyond all grief and pain, death for thee is truest again."



L.A.C James Watson

R.A.F

23 June 1942

"We who loved you never forget."

Sergeant Richard G. Board

R.A.F

13 December 1942

"Dearly beloved... He wrote a page in the lives of those who cared."



L.A.C Charles G. Chadwick

R.A.F

13 December 1942

"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember him."



L.A.C Ernest Johnson

R.A.F

13 December 1942

"Greater love hath no man than this that he gave his life for his country."

Flying Officer Peter Scott, AFC

R.A.F

1 May 1943



A.C 1 Stephen F. Proudly

R.A.F

10 June 1943

L.A.C Taunton O.C Pouyat

R.A.F

7 December 1943

"A gallant life, a valiant death."

I spent a few moments sitting at each grave. Besides wanting to make note of who each man was, I also wanted to spend one of those moments to thank each of them individually. They, "slipped they surly bonds of earth, and danced the skies on laughter silver'd wings," (Pilot Officer John Gillespie MaGee, Jr), both in life and in death.