In Memorium: Remembering Dr. Frederick Hunt 1923-2021

In the midst of the pandemic, unbeknownst to us, we lost Dr. Fred Hunt at the age of 97. Former curator, Maya Hirschman, had two opportunities to interview Fred in 2013 and 2014 and she remembers those interviews as poignant and profound, altering her understanding of radar mechanics’ roles as he described his work in mobile radar on the front lines. She remembers him as a quiet, kind, and intelligent man, whose experiences in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands left their mark without ever undermining his deep compassion for his peers and civilians alike. Maya and all of us at SORM offer our sincere condolences to Fred’s family and friends. We know he’ll be missed.

Below is an excerpt from his Obituary (link here):

HUNT, Frederick
(Normandy Veteran - French Legion of Honour)

Passed away peacefully in Ottawa on July 10, 2021 at the age of 97 years. Frederick Hunt, loving husband of the late Alice (née Emond). Born on October 6, 1923 in Port Hope, Ontario son of the late Roy and Elsie (née Jewell). Predeceased by his brothers Jack, Ted and Reese of Port Hope, ON. Predeceased also by his sister-in-law Carol of Baltimore, On. Fondly remembered by his niece and 5 nephews. Frederick spent many dedicated years as a RCAF/RAF radar technician from 1941-1946. He later studied and received his BSc, MSc., and PhD from the university of Western Ontario in the years 1947-1955. After university, he spent 31 years with the National Research Council involving Research and Development of radar and its applications.

In Memorium: William "Bill" Ireland, WWII radar veteran

William “Bill” Ireland, August 2014. Credit: Maya Hirschman for Secrets of Radar Museum

It is with sadness we report the passing of Bill Ireland, one of the Secrets of Radar Museum’s veterans. Bill recorded an oral history in August 2013 with then curator, Maya Hirschman. Bill, born in Saskatchewan, graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Chemistry. He joined the RCAF in 1940, serving as a Radar Mechanic and was, like many of the first 6,000, loaned to the Royal Air Force. Bill began his radar training on Chain Home early detection radar, but in June 1943 he was sent to RAF No. 8 Radio School in Cranwell, Lincolnshire, UK, for a course on Mk.8 Air Interception radar equipment. Eventually, this skill sent him to India to support the theatre in Burma. When asked what kind of specialised training he received for that posting, he said, “jungle training”, which was all the usual stuff, plus a machete and anti-malaria pills. The humidity and temperature caused no end of trouble for the airborne radar equipment, and thanks to his small stature, he often found himself lying down in the aircraft as it flew, adjusting the sensitive instruments—literally, on the fly. He was honourably discharged in 1945. We fondly remember Bill as a humble man with a wry sense of humour. He passed away at the age of 101 on October 9, 2019.

Read his obituary in the Ottawa Citizen.