1894-1953 |
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"1943 Quebec Conference - British and American leaders met in Quebec to coordinate war plans. At the meetings, which were led by Churchill and Roosevelt, leaders discussed the upcoming landing in Italy, as well as summit plans with Stalin." |
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base |
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Photo courtesy of J. N. Parmalee The name of Lloyd S. Breadner is found on the plaque pictured above among the 119 names of pioneer flyers who trained at the Wright Brothers field at Huffman Prairie. To visit the page which lists all of the flyers, and which displays several photographs of the memorial, just click on: |
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by Jack M. Peaker Editor's Note: This introductory paragraph was extracted from a comprehensive biography of Lloyd Breadner which was written by his nephew, Jack M. Peaker and appears on the website of "The Canadian Senior Years." This is a fascinating personal recollection of the career of his uncle which deserves your attention. You can access the site and read the entire story by by clicking on: |
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Former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal L.S. Breadner accepted the task of organizing the new association. He successfully enlisted the participation of various community groups and clubs of former airmen and airwomen, and also invited unaffiliated air veterans to join as members-at-large. An Order-in-Council legitimized the new association. With Treasury Board funding and headquarters accommodation provided by the Department of National Defence, the RCAF Association held its first annual meeting in Ottawa, 16 September, 1948 at which ACM Breadner was named the first Dominion President. Much organizational and administrative work followed, and the first membership cards were issued in February, 1949. |
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Saturday, October 12, 2002 Discovering my grandfather was a revelation  |
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STRAIGHT UP |
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Early Monday morning I opened an e-mail from Jack Peaker and found myself a grandfather. No It wasn't Jack, It was Jack's Uncle Lloyd. As I read the e-mail from Jack Peaker, goosebumps formed on my flesh. One of the most strange and bizarre stories I have ever encountered was happening and it was happening to me. As the managing editor of the Guelph Mercury, last Saturday I sent out a call for article submissions with a view to future publication in The Mercury. Jack, a 77 year-old member of a Guelph writing club, responded with an article about "his famous uncle" Lloyd Breadner. I'll fill you in on some background here. Growing up, I scarcely knew a thing about my biological grandfather. He died in Boston nine years before my birth, 15 years before my birth mother gave me and my siblings up for adoption. I only knew that his name was Lloyd Samuel Breadner and he was Canada's first air marshal. He was a a flying ace, highly decorated for his brilliant military service. My birth mother was his youngest child. Then Jack sent his e-mail. "If Websters Dictionary had included the word "macho" in 1934, it would have described Uncle Lloyd." wrote Jack. "Even his voice was sort of a growl... His physique matched his voice, tall, but stocky and seemed to fill the doorways." Uncle Lloyd's wife Elva, Jack noted, was a beautiful woman, whose photos were featured in the fashionable women's magazines of the day, including Mayfair. I read, and reread the details he wrote of, learning about my birth mother's childhood, the names of my grandmother, aunts and Uncle. Jack described my grandfather's rise to wartime fame, including tidbits about his personality, how he loved his chauffer to drive fast, how he had a penchant for 40 ounce bottles of Johnnie Walker, and how he enjoyed his prestigious address in London, England, a few doors down form Winston Churchill. I knew that my birth uncle had been killed in a training exercise during the war. I was amazed to read that my birth grandfather, stuck in Europe with peak pressures of daily air raids and bombings over Germany, was unable to attend his own son's funeral. His good friend, war ace Billy Bishop, stood in for him to deliver a tribute on behalf of my family. When the war ended, Jack wrorte, my aunts married well and went on to enjoy life. My birth grandfather didn't fare so well. His youngest child, Anne, was slipping from favour, and he had lost his beloved son. He retired to the relative obscurity of civilian life in Ottawa, leaving a life of action, highest authority and responsibility, he sought solace in the bottle. He died in Boston, while being treated for hypertension. A full military service paid him tribute when his body was buried in Ottawa. The last years of my grandmother's life, wrote Jack, were most unhappy. I was thunderstruck. I called Jack. "Thank you," I said. "You have just told me about my very own grandfather." And then it was Jack's turn to feel the thunder. "I notice you didn't have much to say about Anne," I said to Jack. "No. We lost track of Anne," he said. I filled Jack in. "Well I'll be," said Jack a few times. What are the odds of an editor making a call for article submissions and as a result, having the story of her long-lost family told to her by a relative stranger?" Even the term relative stranger is an amazing one here. It speaks to me of things more mysterious than I can imagine. Who concocted the delivery of this message and why?" Thanks to Jack, I have photos of Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Lady Churchill with my grandfather. I look a lot like him. Life is strange. Bonnie Ewen, the granddaughter and former managing editor of the Guelph Mercury, passed away in 2003. via email from Kathleen Elliott, 11-17-09
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Lloyd Breadner died on March 14, 1952 in Boston, Massachusetts, while seeking
treatment for an extreme form of hypertension. Then, he was later interred in Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Historical Militaria Editor's Note: If you have any information on this Early Flier, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper Back 
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