MEMORIES
Bob Reid
Walk Down the Mountain Originally published in The Scrivener in Fall, 2004
T
he Comox Valley Record of Wednesday, July 7, 2004, contained an article headed, “Cairn honors those who died in war, peace.” The photo caption read, “Former Navigator Bob Reid, sole survivor of a crash in 1966, uncovers the cairn.” The article described the unveiling of a cairn at the Comox Air Force Museum Heritage Airpark, honouring members of 442 Squadron who died during war and peacetime missions. I was invited by the commanding officer of the squadron to attend this ceremony as a special guest and to speak to the current and past members of the squadron and the guests at the ceremony. The air crash was the event that most influenced and shaped my life. The following is part of my speech that day. “It is a great honour and privilege for me to speak to you today on this hallowed occasion when
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we remember and honour the men and women of 442 Squadron who gave their lives in the service of their country. I would like to express my deep appreciation to Lt. Col. Colin Goodman for inviting me to attend as a member of the squadron’s extended family. My close relationship with the squadron has meant much to me as over the years; the squadron and I have participated in memorial services at the site of the air accident in which my fellow crewmates were killed many years ago.
The events of that day are etched so keenly in my mind, it seems like yesterday.
“In fact, it was 38 years ago—April 23, 1966, a Saturday morning— when I, as a young Flying Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, walked with my crewmates across the tarmac here at the base to board our aircraft, an Albatross BC Notaries Association
flying boat, for our flight that day—a day that began like many other days, nothing out of the ordinary. The events of that day are etched so keenly in my mind, it seems like yesterday. “I can still smell the air that morning. It had rained the night before and the wind was fresh and brisk, skittering the clouds against a deep blue sky. Across the Straits the mountains were covered with snow. Little did we realize that a few hours later, our plane would crash on the Hope-Princeton Slide site and only I would survive. “It is important to us who are here today to remember and to honour those members of the Squadron who died on duty. I am here today to honour and remember my crewmates: (Flt. Lts.) Pete Semak and Phil Montgomery, (F/O) Chris Cormier, (LAC) Bob MacNaughton, and the passenger aboard that day, (S/L) James Braiden. Others are here to remember and honour loved ones, while others remember and honour ex-colleagues. And for those of you currently serving as active members in the squadron, it is especially important that you remember and honour these men and women because they are part Volume 30, Number 3, Winter 2021
