The Scarf

The “What does aircraft preservation mean to you” thread got me thinking.

We all focus on the “hardware” of history, I do it too, but the aircraft were just the tools that allowed men and women to make the history.

In our own museum we are in the process of creating a “People of Aviation” permanent exhibit to tell the stories of those that made the history.

Sometimes history is found in places we don’t expect…

The Scarf…

I was going through my flight bag last night and came across a silk flying scarf my father gave me when I soloed some thirty odd years ago. It’s old and stained, a little torn and well worn. I got to thinking about the scarf as I held it.

-Bought in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1939 just before my Dad was sent
on Elementary flight training.
-Flew in Tiger Moths at High River, Alberta.
-Went through twin conversion in Brandon, Manitoba.
-Was sent to St Jean, Quebec in 1940 when my father was assigned as an
intructor on Ansons.
-1943 the scarf went to England OTU’d on Wellingtons and converted to
Lancasters.
-Flew many times across the Channel into Germany on night bombing missions.
-Was with him during Operation Manna dropping food into Holland.
-1947 it flew in B-25 Mitchells in the reserve squadron in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan.
-Called back to active service it flew along in the NATO training programs
instructing students in Harvards.
-Mid 1950’s saw it in Anson’s and Norseman flying with Saskatchewan
Government Airways.
-It flew along through the late 50’s and 60’s in Beavers, Barons, DC-3’s and
many others when my father was with the Ministry of Transport in Canada.
-1975 I soloed and the scarf came to me and while my history is nothing like
my fathers it has been in everything form Gliders to Training jets.

My father never flew without the scarf, usually in his flight bag, I never flew without the scarf, usually in my flight bag.

So I looked at the scarf and thought about all it has seen and everywhere it has been, soon my 15 year old daughter will be soloing, maybe today. Then it will change hands and start another chapter with another generation. I hope it will always fly with her, usually in her flight bag.

But to look at it it’s just an old stained silk scarf, couple holes, few tears.

But when you attach the history it tells the story of a persons life in aviation, in this case its about to be three, it makes preserving history and telling the story of those that made the history so much more personal.

I’ll bet there are many more things like the “scarf” sitting in flight bags or on mantels that belong to members of this forum.

Tell the story of yours so we can all share in it.

Tom H