Sayers, Pete

Pete Sayers was born January 9, 1933; he grew up on Canada’s west coast, in Nanaimo, British Columbia.  Pete remembers growing up in a time of war, watching the soldiers practice live fire exercises, and he also remembers the internment of Japanese-Canadian neighbours as wartime paranoia grew.  Blackouts and the reality of total war were the backdrop of Pete’s early years.  In 1951 he joined the forces in his own right, opting for the RCAF; he was trained for ground crew, but eventually opted to become a flight engineer, working with 426 Squadron as they supplied Canadian bases and troops around the world, all in the context of the Cold War.  Pete flew on many different types of aircraft, including the Argus, on which he and the crew chased Soviet submarines and surface vessels through the Atlantic Ocean, keeping tabs on potential threats.  Pete rose through the ranks as he defended and rescued his fellow Canadians, and he retired in Nova Scotia, where he lives today.  We thank the Greenwood Base and Museum for facilitating this interview.