Remembering Harry S. Thomson

My hero and the price of war.

Harry Stewart Thomson is my hero, you may have guessed by the name, he was my father. He was born in Foremost Alberta on a farm claimed and built by his father, Edward Thomson. When he was age seven his father Edward died and my grandmother – English - took him “home” to England. He became successful in Real Estate and in 1938 decided to take a round the world tour, after visiting Australia, New York – he arrived back in Calgary. By then it was 1939 and the “clouds of war” were brewing – he decided to “join up”. There were three lines, the army, the navy and the air force – it was his intent to join the navy, the line was too long so he chose the air force instead – he became a pilot.

He began his service in 1939 and remained in active duty throughout the war and left the air force in 1947, he was flying “VPs” to United Nations meetings, a fresh faced young officer suggested he needed replacement hat for the one he had used the entire war – with that he took his leave.

His flight crew and he were on active duty together for 6 years, they all survived the war, a record I am most proud of. I suspect this was a product of his core belief that caution today would allow you to fight tomorrow. It was also likely a product of his most ardently promoted belief - there is care and respect required in association with others.

There are photographs of he and his crew standing in front of his bomber and the plane was literally holes from one end to the other. On one occasion his plane was damaged by enemy fire in such a way that he was unable to lower his landing gear or to drop his bombs. He was forced to do a “belly” landing, to land the plane on a grassy strip absent landing gear. They managed to land the plane, but in the crash fuel leaked, so fire was imminent. The crew all got out, ran and lay down in a nearby depression in the ground. The plane became engulfed in flames and the bombs detonated, the blast “went over them” and destroyed a number of buildings around them. It is reported they retired to the mess, had “few” drinks and were called upon to it all again the next day.

It is one thing to be faced with adversity and managing, to have had the option to avoid adversity and to have volunteered to help in an epic cause is by definition courage.  I am proud he did it, I am grateful he gave the best six years of his life to make this world fit for us to live in. His sacrifice never ended there though, as is the case for most veterans, the affects from the extremes of war lingered; I attribute his early death at forty seven from a heart attack to the rigours of war and their aftermath. As is the case for many veterans’ families, that was the price we paid for a world fit to live in.

We should take the time to contemplate what was won for us, fascism and tyranny were quelled at an estimated cost of 60 million lives. This offense to humanity was prosecuted by very few people; sadly, many who were co-opted were good people, this is the inherent tragedy in the assent of a twisted dogma. In Canada, we should be mindful of what a few can to do to many.

 “The price of liberty is constant vigilance” Thomas Jefferson