Remembering a WWII Fighter Pilot

Today’s mug is from Egypt. Usually one thinks of Alexandria and its famous library, Cairo and the pyramids or Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. But this Remembrance Day, my Egypt mug made me think of my Uncle.

My Dad’s brother, Clayton Graham, was a fighter pilot in WWII.  When Canada went to war in 1939, the lives of many young men changed in a heartbeat.  Twenty-year-old Clayton Graham was from a small rural community.  He never expected he would travel the world under such circumstances.

Uncle Clayton had an assignment in North Africa. On one mission he was shot down and had to eject from his plane and parachute to the desert below. Fortunately he was discovered by Allied forces and when they saw the Canadian symbol on his arm, they got him to a hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

To read his story, check out the book ‘From Nova Scotia to North Africa’ written by E. Ruth Smith. 

From 'Nova Scotia to North Africa' is largely a first-person account of Uncle Clayton’s experiences and adventures as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. He tells in detail the sometimes exhilarating but often terrifying process of learning to fly fighter aircraft. His training started in Canada, and then in England.  Flying with #250 Squadron in Africa and the Middle East, he tells of performing spins and loops.  He became adept with Hurricanes and Spitfires, and evaded enemy aircraft while flying on dangerous missions. He survives dogfights in the air and bombings on the ground. He sees comrades die in service to their country and the devastation war brings to ordinary people who are swept up in historic events.

It wasn’t until I had a chance to travel to Egypt that I learned more about some of the things my Dad and his brother experienced while serving with the RCAF during the 2nd World War.

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