Graham, Alexander

Alexander Graham was born October 12, 1922 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.  He had two brothers and a sister, and their parents brought the family to Canada in 1927.  They settled on a farm at first, but after a few years the family moved to Rockwood, Ontario, and that is where Alex and his siblings grew up – all against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Alex did well in school, as he learned about the Great War and saw the emerging war in Europe.  Alex wanted to join the RCAF, and he was able to do so in the spring of 1942. He went into the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, where he was selected as ground crew and trained in engine repair stations including Galt and St. Catharines.  He went overseas in 1944 on the Ile de France, enduring the zigzagging course, hammocks, and very crowded conditions. Once in England he began to work on the heavy bombers but was later assigned to Squadron 665 (AOP): they were tasked with acting as air observers for the artillery on the ground, a critical task to support the advancing armies on the ground. And that’s where Alex’s brother was – fighting with those ground forces from D-Day to the end of the war. Alex and his squadron crossed the Channel and advanced along with the armies on the ground, ending up in the Netherlands at the end of the war. Alex and the squadron greeted the news with joy and celebration, and in no time they were on the Ile de France for the return journey, where Alex would be reunited with his two brothers and soon start a family of his own as he made his way in postwar Canada.  Alexander Graham was interviewed by Scott Masters and Zach Dunn at his home in Brampton, Ontario in March 2026.