Robert J. Hazel
Robert J Hazel played professional football with the Ottawa Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts, but would go on to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force to fly and fight in the Second World War.
On March 20, 1941, Robert first took to the skies over Ontario in a Fleet Finch Mk II while training to become a pilot at No. 13 Elementary Flying Training School (E.F.T.S.) St. Eugène along the provincial border with Quebec. While training he would have to put his aircraft into a forced landing which resulted in the complete write-off of the plane. This event would be just one of many exciting incidents which befell Robert throughout his air force career.
After successfully completing his first solo flight, he was later sent to No. 6 Service Flying Training School (S.F.T.S.) Dunnville, Ontario to continue pilot training on more advanced aircraft, the North American Harvard. While flying his Harvard on June 25, he collided mid-air with a North American Yale at 700" which "warped both kites," but had successfully parachuted "bailed out successfully."
Upon completing his pilot training and earning his wings, Robert was shipped overseas to Britain to No. 55 Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.) at Royal Air Force Station, Usworth, where he trained on Miles Master and Hawker Hurricanes until he was successfully posted to No. 417 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force to be a fighter pilot.
At Charmy Down, and Colerne, the bases where No. 417 would fly from, Robert flew both Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfire IIA and later VB. In December after a formation flying exercise, Robert forced landed his Spitfire which smashed an oleo leg and wing tip. This would now be his third major aerial incident, but he again survived.
Robert would fly in many theatres of the war, from Britain and Western Europe he would fly to Africa and the Middle East, India, Malta, to the Invasion of Italy. Robert completed two tours of operations, serving with Nos. 417 and 412 Squadrons RCAF and No. 92 Squadron Royal Air Force, with over 1000 hours in the air, in training, operations and instructing.
After the war, Robert returned to Canada and became a flight instructor, returning to the Dunnville airport where he earned his wings.
View the documents, photographs and objects which tell the story of a fascinating story of a remarkable Canadian fighter pilot.
