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Robert James Gourlay March 4 th ,1923 – Feb 2 nd ,2008

Robert James Gourlay March 4 th ,1923 – Feb 2 nd ,2008. By: Grayam Gourlay. Life Before The War. Bob grew up in Long Branch, Ontario (just west of Toronto) He had one sister His parents owned a General Store in Long Branch. Enlistment. 1 939, at 16 Years old, he enlisted in the RCAF

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Robert James Gourlay March 4 th ,1923 – Feb 2 nd ,2008

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  1. Robert James GourlayMarch 4th ,1923 –Feb 2nd ,2008 By: Grayam Gourlay

  2. Life Before The War • Bob grew up in Long Branch, Ontario (just west of Toronto) • He had one sister • His parents owned a General Store in Long Branch

  3. Enlistment • 1939, at 16 Years old, he enlisted in the RCAF • Started by learning how to fly the Harvard • Did training runs along Georgian Bay

  4. Overseas in 1942 • Joined Squadron 602 (City of Glasgow) • Flew the Supermarine Spitfire

  5. Squadron 602 History -Sept 12 1925:First auxiliary airforce -1933: first to fly over Mount Everest -1938: changed its role of light bomber to fighter unit -1938/1939: Received Hawker Hectors, replaced with Gloster Gauntlets, then Spitfires -October 1939: First shots over Britain

  6. Hawker Hector

  7. GLOSTER GAUNTLET

  8. Supermarine Spitfire • First auxiliary equipped with Spitfires

  9. Squadron 602 claimed to have hospitalized Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel • Rommel-commander of all German forces in the invasion of Normandy • Heading back to front lines • Ken Charmy alerted allies • Squadron 602 claims to have attacked Rommel • RAF awarded Squadron 602 with this incident. • Many other claims.

  10. Robert J. Gourlay’s Duties • Flew dawn patrols • Flew convoy patrols • Flew bomber escorts into France and Belgium • Conducted skip-bombing • Served in the Orkney Islands • Along the English Channel from Cornwall to Sussex

  11. Resistance • Flak (anti-aircraft weapons) • Luftwaffe

  12. Flak info • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIYVwqHM488 • 3 types of flak • Barrage (least accurate) • Continuously pointed fire (most accurate) • Predicted concentration

  13. Couple of Stories • Losing the Spitfire in the English Channel • Bombing the train yard.

  14. Escorts • Lancasters • Marauders

  15. Marauder Escort • 3 squadrons (Numbers 132, 453 and 602) briefed to escort 108 Marauders bombing Deurne in Holland. Rendezvous just off Dutch coast. The operation was carried out to plan. Bombing was good. Very light inaccurate flak. No enemy fighters up. Weather was good over Holland. Bad weather when squadrons took off. Weather cleared by the time the wing returned.

  16. Detachment from Squadron • April 27th , 1944 Bob was detached from 602 • He was with 602 for 20 months

  17. After the War • Bob moved back to Long Branch, Ontario • Met Pauline Laboret • Married on September 11th ,1948 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan • Worked for Exide Batteries for many years and was the Vice President when he retired

  18. Children • Adopted a baby boy named Douglas Bolton • 2 years later adopted a baby girl named Robin McMillian • Changed their names to Garth and Leanne Gourlay

  19. Fathers Day 2006 • Brought Bob to the Warplane Heritage Museum • Bought Bob an hour of flying time in a Harvard

  20. Late January, 2008 • Bob had pneumonia from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) • Bob passed away Feb 2nd , 2008 • Pauline followed a year and a half later from cancer

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