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OBITUARY

Group Captain Arnold Bauer RCAF

1924-12-13 - 2018-02-01

The death has been announced of Group Captain (Ret'd) Arnold John Bauer BA CD, universally known as 'AJ'.

He passed away at the age of 93 in Hamilton General Hospital. Born in Morse, Saskatchewan on December 13, 1924, he was the only son of the late Rev. Walter Daniel Bauer and Ora Bertha (née Ehling) Bauer.

AJ is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Elizabeth and by his three devoted daughters: Susan (Michael) Newman, Nancy Blair and Shirley (Bill) Hearn. He was blessed with six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren

AJ was fascinated by flying from the time he was nine years old, when he witnessed the Italian Formation Flight of 24 flying boats flying over Desboro, Ontario, enroute to the 1933 Chicago World Fair and thought to himself, 'That's the life for me!'. At 18 in December 1942, he submitted his military enlistment papers in Hamilton.

On January 6, 1943, he officially became a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Successfully completing his flight training courses in April 1943, AJ was pinned with his pilot training wings and assigned as a flight instructor for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

When that ended in 1945, he was transferred to Summerside, PEI where he met his wife-to-be. AJ and Bette were married in Hamilton, then settled in London, Ontario where their three daughters were born.

His RCAF service took him to Ontario, New Brunswick, Resolute Bay as well as to such incredible places abroad as Germany, France, and the Sinai, culminating in London, England as Canada's Air Defence Attaché.

Having settled in his beloved cottage near Owen Sound, he chaired a committee dedicated to restoring First World War Flying Ace Billy Bishop's family home.

As well, he served as Vice President, then President, of the RCAF Association.


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• Last Modified: 10 April 2021, 14:12 •