THOMSON, FRED

Willard Fred ‘White Pine’[1] Thomson was born June 20, 1918 in Dundalk, Ontario, the son of Willard and Emmeline (Craig) Thomson. After his father’s death the family moved to Dunchurch where his mother had grown up.

Fred 'White Pine' Thomson

Fred initially enlisted in the army but was transferred to the air force RCAF. According to his discharge certificate Fred Thomson signed his attestation in Winnipeg on December 7, 1943 ‘for the duration of hostilities”. His initial training was apparently in the prairie provinces but he was later transferred to Vancouver where he was enrolled in pilot training.  He graduated from flying school on June 5, 1944.

Fred Thomson in his air force uniform on leave in Dunchurch

Shortly after his graduation the RCAF determined that they did not need more pilots and Fred was transferred back into the army. 

At one point he was a drill sergeant at the CNE grounds in Toronto. It was here that a number of new Dunchurch recruits like Harry Johnson trained under Fred.

He was sent to Ipperwash where he was a drill sergeant training Japanese Canadians to fight in the Pacific War, but then the war in the Pacific was over. 

Above, the graduation for flight training June 1, 1944. Note the items on the agenda. 'Atomic Cocktail', 'Plane Chicken', 'Rhetoric Sauce'...

First page of Fred's Soldier's Pay BookFred Thomson is at the bottom left in the picture, take in Vancouver during training to be a pilot

[1] Fred earned the nick name “White Pine” as a lad of 17, working in the bush near Dunchurch. As the story goes there was a very large white pine near the camp that a number of men had attempted unsuccessfully to cut down. One morning, when the temperature was hovering below minus 40 degrees, Fred got up early, sneaked out of the camp cut the tree down. Then he walked back to camp – “strutting like a rooster “(as he said) – and from that day forward he became known as “White Pine”. (from an article by Merry Johnson)