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Ernest Israel Glass

Warrant Officer 2nd Class RCAF
R/2285

My Great Uncle Ernest was born in Moosmin, Saskatchewan in 1917, he had one sister, my Grandmother Katherine. He qualified as a pharmacist in 1934 but wasn't terribly attracted to the profession and therefore joined the air force in around 1936 as an enlisted man, his lack of university education prevented him becoming an officer at this time. From approximately 1938 he became an aircrew member of No. 10 Bombing Squadron (Later to become known as the famous "North Atlantic Squadron" for its anti submarine activities, my uncle was crew on many AS patrols). Sometime in 1940/41 he was accepted for pilot training and was transferred to England in the spring of 1942. There was a lot of opposition to Ernest's volunteering for operational status. His career and age in 1941 were such that the RCAF felt that he would be more valuable to the war effort as an instructor pilot with the BACTP in Canada. He however felt that his talents would be better utilised in an operational capacity, he also felt that he would be a hypocrite to train men for something he had never done himself.
He was granted leave at home for Christmas with my Grandparents in December 1942 before being transferred overseas, and he caught the train from Grenfell Sask to Toronto early on New Years Day.
They never saw him again and he was killed a year later, almost to the day. Ernest's widow Corinne never remarried and she died of cancer in 1977.

He had been approved as a Warrant Officer several weeks prior to his death but the military initially decided to cancel this (to save money on his widows pension) After a long battle, his rank was posthumously conferred.

Scott Marchand (Great Nephew)

Lake Glass in Canada is named after Ernest. All the Canadian war dead are commemorated in similar ways, with mountains, lakes and forests named after the men who gave their lives.
His nephew Max Friebel (see the picture above) has attended several of the remembrance services at the crash site and has also had a plaque made and permanently installed at Lake Glass to explain why the lake is so named.

Please contact me, Andy Wade with any information.