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Sergeant-Observer from Montreal
Qualifies for Caterpillar Club

Transcribed by G. Christian Larsen

    Jack McKay, 22-year-old Montrealer, is now eligible for the mythical Caterpillar Club. Jack is the R.C.A.F. sergeant-observer, who with this four companions, was obliged to bail out of a training plane near Liverpool, N.S., on Monday. As he left the plane his arm struck the tail of the plane and was fractured. Although bleeding considerable, he walked half a mile to a farmhouse and later was taken to a Bridgewater hospital.

    Four men in another plane from the training school at Pennfield Ridge, N.B., were making a search for the first plane and in some manner crashed, killing the entire crew.

    Jack McKay was born in Montreal and finished his education at Montreal High School where he played hockey and rugby. He also played hockey for Westmount Juniors and Rockland. Before joining the R.C.A.F. last October, he was a member of the Black Watch (R.H.R.) of Canada, R.C.A. and was at Farnham summer camp when he received a notice for the air force that his application had been accepted.

    He first went to the Toronto Manning Pool and after receiving instruction at several schools was awarded his Observer's wing at Fingal on Saturday, August 16. The next day he passed through Montreal on his way east to his new station.

    Jack is only following in his younger brother's footsteps. Twenty-year-old William enlisted in the air force just a year ago and was awarded his pilot's wings last May at Summerside, P.E.I. Soon afterwards Sgt.-Pilot Bill McKay went overseas where he was recently assigned to a squadron for duty.

    Both brothers are fine musicians and played for many years with the Vickers Boy Scouts band as trombonists, although they can play any band instrument.

    Their mother, Mrs. J.H. McKay, lives at 4033 St. Catherine street, east, and received word yesterday that Jack was in fine condition despite his broken arm and will return to his station soon.

SOURCE: The Gazette (Montreal, PQ) - August 27, 1941.

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