Graham Campbell

CAMPBELL _ Graham. Died November 28, 2006 at Delta Hospital, Ladner, B.C. Graham was born on August 9, 1922 in Nottingham, England. Graham's father, Sydney, who was born and grew up near Truro, Nova Scotia joined the British Army during the First World War and was wounded near Ypres. While recovering in England he met Graham's mother to be, Ellen. When Graham was four, his father returned to Canada bringing his wife and two children and settled in Saskatoon where Graham grew up. In early 1940, when he was 17, Graham tried to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was told he was too young, to go home and come back when he was 18. In December 1940 Graham succeeded in joining the RCAF and was trained for nine months to become a wireless air-gunner. He flew as an observer on patrols of the northern BC coast in planes such as the Blackburn Shark. Later he flew out of Montreal ferrying planes across the Atlantic to England and Scotland. In 1943 he was stationed in Reykjavik, Iceland flying on submarine patrol over the north Atlantic in the amphibious Consolidated Canso. Graham had flown 70 sorties and was the First Wireless Officer of Canso P of 162 Squadron on June 24, 1944 when a U-Boat was sited. They attacked the submarine with machine gun fire and depth charges. Graham manned the guns in the nose of the aircraft. The U-Boat responded with its deck gun and the Canso was hit and began to burn. The starboard engine fell off, but the captain, David Hornell, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, managed to successfully ditch the plane. The U-Boat had been hit by the depth charge and had sunk. The crew of 8 had only one inflatable lifeboat, too small to hold all, as the others had exploded or blown away. The crew took turns in the life boat and were adrift in thirty foot seas for 21 hours before a rescue ship arrived. Two members of the crew died at sea and Hornell died shortly after rescue. Graham was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of his gallantry. After this Graham volunteered for a second tour and continued to fly out of Iceland until the end of the War. The Canso P was displayed on a commemorative stamp which was issued by Canada Post in 1984. After the war and in spite of that experience, Graham made his living mostly on the water. He worked in the fishing fleet with BC Packers for several years on fish boats, packers and even one of the last whaling boats on the BC coast. In 1953 he was onboard the White Swan when at night it hit the towing cable between a towboat and its barge. Graham pulled the skipper, who was only semi-conscious due to a head injury, out of the wheelhouse and helped him into the lifeboat. That skipper named one of his sons after Graham. Later on he worked for Coast Ferries on small freighters serving logging camps and native communities on the BC coast. After Coast Ferries he worked for the White Pass and Yukon from Vancouver to Skagway, Alaska. Graham retired in 1985 after several years as an engineer with Rivtow Straights. In retirement Graham enjoyed being at home with his wife Magdalene in their house in Tsawwassen into which they had moved in 1967. He and Magdalene attended many Commonwealth Aircrew and Air-gunner reunions all across Canada. At one reunion in Ottawa he was able to meet, more than 50 years after the event, the Norwegian airman who, while flying on patrol with the RAF, spotted the flare that Graham had shot off from the dinghy thereby fixing their position for rescue. Graham was a member of the Ladner branch of the Royal Canadian Legion for 30 years and served on the executive and made hospital visits in the early nineties. Graham had started on boats as a cook and liked to get involved in the kitchen when he was home. Cooking fish was a specialty, but he also made many muffins and scones. Graham canned many jars of Sockeye salmon and gave away many to family and friends. He was a generous and agreeable man who was liked by everyone who met him. Graham was happily married for over 52 years to Magdalene. He will be missed by family and friends and terribly missed by Magdalene and his son Warren. Funeral to be held Saturday, December 9, 2006 at 1 pm at Boundary Bay Cemetery, 856 56th Street, Tsawwassen, BC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson Society British Columbia or a charity of the donor's choice. Delta Funeral Home (604) 946-6040