Adam, Wally

Wally Adam was born in Winnipeg during the Second World War, where his father was serving in the Army Pay Corps.  He grew up there, and decided to join the RCAF Reserves in his own right when he was in high school. After university, Wally enlisted in the RCAF, serving during the Cold War years.  He trained on radar and took his flight training during that time.  Eventually an opportunity for an overseas deployment came up, and Wally had the choice between Africa and the Middle East.  He chose to spend his time in east Africa in the 1960s, assisting the Tanzanians in the development of their air force.  While there, he and his wife were able to explore some of Tanzania and Kenya, making a memorable trip in a Land Rover.  Not long after, he completed his time in Tanzania, and it was time to return to Canada.  He was based in St-Hubert, Quebec, and shifted from the Caribou to the Buffalo and then to the Chinook, and to air-sea rescue for the next phase of his career.  Wally’s time on the Chinook took him to the Far North as well, where he was involved in mapping Baffin Island and working with the Americans in Greenland.  As the 80s began he made the move to Ottawa, where he’d complete his final years in the Canadian Forces at the NDHQ, working on computers and earning a promotion to major.  Since retiring he has remained connected to the RCAF, volunteering at the Hamilton Warplane Museum and participating in the reconstruction of Buffalo 461. Wally Adam was interviewed via zoom by Scott Masters in December 2020.