William Henry NORN

NORN, William Henry
Squadron Leader (RCAF, Ret.)
January 6, 1924 – Scarborough, Yorkshire, England
January 8, 2017 – Calgary, Alberta
Bill Norn, beloved husband of Sophie Norn, of Calgary, passed away on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the age of 93 years. Bill joined the RAF in late 1942 and began his flying career in May of 1943 at RAF Station Carlisle, England for pilot selection. He flew 12 hours on the Tiger Moth aircraft and was selected for pilot training. He sailed to Canada on the Queen Elizabeth to begin his pilot training as a participant in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). From August to October 1943 he flew the Tiger Moth at Neepawa, MB, and then went to Weyburn, SK for advanced flying on the Harvard. He received his pilot's wings and commission as an RAF officer on March 10, 1944. At Trenton, ON he attended the Flying School and graduated in May. He was then transferred to Medicine Hat, AB where he instructed until November and then to North Battleford, SK until April 1945. He was transferred back to the UK to complete his Service. In the UK he served as a flying instructor on the Harvard at South Carney and Feltwell until April 1947. He was then released from the RAF. In 1947 he returned to Canada and joined the RCAF in 1951. After recertifying at the Flying Instructor's school in Trenton, he was transferred to Calgary to retrain former RCAF pilots rejoining the RCAF. From there he went to Gimli, Macdonald and Portage La Prairie, continuing to instruct on the Harvard. In March of 1953 he was transferred to Chatham, NB to fly the T-33 and F-86 Sabre. He was retained on staff at the Sabre Operational Training Unit until November 1956 when he was transferred to 439(F) Squadron flying the F-86 Sabre stationed at #1 Wing, Marville, France. During his stay on 439, he was three times a member of the RCAF Gunnery team that won the Guynemer Trophy as the best at air to air gunnery in NATO Europe. Bill returned to Canada in 1960. He flew the T-33 during his four years serving at RCAF Headquarters. In 1964 he was transferred to Rivers, MB to 408 Squadron where he flew the T-33 in a tactical support role to the Army until 1968. Bill then flew the Cessna 182 in the Army support role until the end of February 1970. Bill flew 15 different types of aircraft, 6137 hours and an estimated 2 million miles during his career. Besides his loving wife Sophie, Bill is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Bill and Roberta Norn; and his granddaughter Stephanie. Bill was predeceased by his brother Douglas and his sister Joan. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church (835 Northmount Drive N.W.) on Friday, January 13, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. Family Graveside Service will be held at Queen's Park Cemetery at a later date. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. Flowers gratefully declined. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes in Bill's honour may be made directly to the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta, Cold War Exhibit, 4520 Crowchild Trail S.W., Calgary, AB, T2T 5J4, Telephone: 403-410-2340. In living memory of Bill Norn, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park.