Grostenquin France

Engineering Officer - Grant Armstrong

I was born on a farm in Saskatchewan and I lived there until 1936. I was a high school dropout and then I attended Tech School in Regina. While there, I applied for the RCAF. I signed on the 3rd of July 1936 in Trenton and trained as an Aero Engine Fitter in Trenton Ontario. After training I was transferred across the road to the School of Army Coop., flying Atlas aircraft as a mechanic. The Atlas was powered with a 14 cylinder Jaguar and a big wooden propeller. Fabric covered with a scarf ring on the rear seat that held a machine gun. Tail skid and no breaks. Our function was to train Army members in surveillance.

In September 1939, the Squadron received word to fly to Halifax ASAP. We did so after many stops for fuel. We landed at Chebucto Road airport which was little more than a gravel strip at the south end of the city. The following morning two of our aircraft were on submarine patrol. This was three weeks before war was declared. We had $1.10 added to our pay to cover room and board wherever we could find it. I was lucky and found a policeman's family within a block of the aircraft. There were no hangars and we had to learn how to operate outside through the winter.

The following spring (1940) I was transferred to St. John, NB, with a Reserve Squadron from Montreal still flying the Atlas. I was selected with another crewman and two pilots to go to Ottawa to pick up two aircraft. The following morning we went to the hangar in Rockcliffe for a short introduction to two new Lysanders. The pilots had a flight each and we received a wee bit of instruction on what to check and run up. That afternoon we took off for Saint John but had to stop at Rimouski for fuel. The airport was on top of a hill and was well below zero the following morning. The aircraft had sleeve valve engines and when we tried to turn them they would just move. After some time we got them loosened a bit and finally by renting some extra batteries we got the engines started and off to Saint John.

A short time later I was transferred to #1 Bombing and Gunnery School in Jarvis Ontario.I was the 25th person to arrive. Most buildings were empty and we immediately had to go to the Storage building, which had very little. The next morning Fairey Battles landed. I had never seen one, and of course all fasteners were British and what we had was SAE. No books to guide us so we had to learn. Tradesmen started to arrive from the Technical Training School at St. Thomas Ontario. I was the senior with only one pre war helper. We had to make wrenches by cutting them out of car springs and having the local blacksmith temper them.

None of us had ever seen a Rolls Riyce engine. We learnt and made do!!!