1940 - RCAF Edmonton, Alberta
Jim had been flying DC-3’s and Boeing 247’s for United Airlines. While with United he flew a Northwest circuit to airports like Seattle, Vancouver BC, Salt Lake City and Portland. But, on July 4th, following a Salt Lake to Portland loop, Jim resigned his United position to become attached to the Canadian Air Force.
The next stops were Winnipeg then Edmonton. Europe had been at war since the fall of 1939 and in response to that, air bases in support of the RAF sprang up across Canada at existing airports like Edmonton's Blatchford Field - adding military training operations to civil flying operations. Jim's destination was the No. 2 Air Observer's School at that airfield where he was to be flying students engaged in the training of navigational principles and practices. Jim was actually employed as a civilian contractor for Canadian Airways Training Ltd. as a CATL pilot under contract to His Majesty King George VI.
They pose in front of an Avro Anson - Jim is seated second from the right. It was while here that Jim found the time to court and then marry one Irene Bellamy of Edmonton on September 30, 1940. It is possible that Jim made the apparently odd move from United Airlines to Canada because they had come to know one another before - and that was where she was. Jim will do a similar thing some years later in the context of the Far East. In any event, Jim flew a three hour mission in the morning and was married in the afternoon. The wedding announcement listed Jim as a Lieutenant in the US Army
Irene with Douglas pilot Johnny Martin (L) |
Jim flew mainly Avro Ansons and Lockheeds for the next 14 months while in support of the RCAF training programs. There were also some air-search- rescue missions flown looking for the occasional bush pilot that would go missing in the remote regions of Canada. But, Jim must have been in contact with and interviewed for a Douglas Aircraft situation as he received the call from Douglas to came and join them in March 1941.
Jim headed to California (Irene was already there).....But not before a collision with the Canadian tax authorities -
