Johnstone fought with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War.
When the Second World War broke out, Canada needed young men to fight. Among those who answered the call was William Thomas Johnstone, who was born in 1917 and educated in Calgary. He lived in the neighbourhood of Tuxedo Park with his Scottish parents, Archibald and Annie, and younger brother, Archie.
Though Johnstone applied to the RCAF in December 1939, he was not accepted for pilot training until October 1940, working with his father as a steamfitter’s helper until he was called up. His references included Reverend Dr. George William Kirby, principal of Mount Royal College, who noted that Johnstone was “a trustworthy, reliable young man with a promising future.”
By November, 1941, he was overseas. After further parachute and flight training, Johnstone was stationed at Royal Air Force Montrose in Scotland with 416 Squadron. “Johnny,” as he was known, flew convoy patrols, escorts and scrambles. He also helped provide air cover as part of Operation Jubilee, the attempted capture of the port of Dieppe in August 1942. In November 1942, he was reassigned to 411 Squadron.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'That Wasn't Good': Anderson Cooper's Face Hit By Flying Debris During Hurricane Milton Coverage“Can someone get Anderson Cooper away from that railing before he’s washed away?'
Read more »
Hurricane hunters hit strong turbulence flying into eye of MiltonNOAA's Hurricane Hunters said they executed the flight mission to collect vital data about the storm, help improve forecasting and support overall hurricane research.
Read more »
High-flying Jets thriving early with up-tempo styleWinnipeg looks like a deeper, more polished team so far this season, which should make them a serious contender for the Central Division crown, Travis Yost writes.
Read more »
XRP Ledger activity surges amidst Musk’s ‘individual freedom’ commentsElon Musk's comments on crypto stir speculation, leading to a surge in XRP wallet activity and investor optimism.
Read more »
Freedom of expression threatened more seriously in Gaza than in any recent conflict, UN expert saysIrene Khan, the U.N. independent investigator on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, pointed to attacks on the media and the targeted killings and arbitrary detention of dozens of journalists in Gaza
Read more »
Freedom of expression threatened more seriously in Gaza than in any recent conflict, UN expert saysFreedom of expression has been threatened more seriously in Gaza than in any recent conflict, with journalists targeted in the war-torn territory and Palestinian supporters targeted in many countries, a United Nations expert said Friday.
Read more »