John Laurence Douglas “Doug” Brophy was born at Mulgrave, Guysborough County, on October 17, 1919, to John and Rose Ann (O’Neill) Brophy. Rose Ann was a native of Auld’s Cove, the daughter of James and Margaret (Diggins) O’Neill. Rose Ann’s grandfather, Henry O’Neill, was born at Lisnadill, County Armagh, Ireland, and arrived in Halifax, NS, in 1818. Henry eventually settled in the Strait of Canso area, where he married Roseann Donnelly and raised a family of 12 children.
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| Flight Sergeant John Laurence Douglas Brophy |
Doug’s father John was the son of John Brophy Sr., Mulgrave, and Margaret Tate, Grosvenor. The couple married at Sand Point in 1860, and John Jr. was born at Mulgrave on February 9, 1864. He and Rose Ann were married at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, Mulgrave, on February 21, 1900. The couple established residence in Mulgrave, where they raised a family of nine children while John worked as lineman for Western Union.
Doug, the Brophy family’s youngest child, completed Grades Primary to 10 at Loggie School from 1925 to 1936. In July 1936, he went to work for Cook Construction Co., Mulgrave, as a time-keeper. Doug’s decision to leave school may have been connected to his father John’s passing at Mulgrave on May 30, 1933. In November 1936, however, he decided to return to school for his Grade 11 year. During his early years, Doug was actively involved in local sports. He played baseball and tennis “extensively” and also participated in track and field, hockey and bowling.
In December 1937, Doug obtained employment as a clerk at T. Eaton & Co., Halifax, but was laid off after the Christmas rush. He returned to Mulgrave, where he worked as a meter reader for the Mulgrave Power Commission from January to October 1939, at which time the “regular man returned” to the position. In December 1939, Doug landed a job as a fireman aboard the SS Scotia ferry, which provided transportation for people, automobiles and trains travelling to and from Cape Breton Island.
After a year of working aboard the Scotia, Doug began to consider military enlistment. In February 1941, he submitted an application to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In the meantime, perhaps to bolster his chances of acceptance, he enrolled with the Canadian Army Reserve under the National Resources Mobilization Act and trained at New Glasgow from April 17 to May 7, 1941.
Five days later, Doug attested with the RCAF at its Halifax Recruiting Centre and commenced service with the rank of Aircraftman Class 2 (Pilot or Observer). At the time, he stated that he was his mother’s “sole support” and there were “no other brothers or sisters who can help.” Prior to his enlistment, Doug had provided Rose Ann with $50.00 a month, “which includes board money.”
While understandably nervous and tentative at first, Doug did “fairly well on [his initial] tests after settling down.” On May 13, he was assigned to No. 1 Military District, Toronto, and travelled by rail to Ontario. Two weeks later, he was transferred to RCAF Base Trenton, where he completed his basic training.
On July 15, Doug arrived at No.1 Initial Training School (ITS), Toronto, where he commenced the first stage of his flight training. A note written on his Medical Board form two weeks later provided an overall assessment: “He is keen… and has good potentialities. Will probably learn to relax. Good co-ordination when relaxed.”
Doug’s overall performance demonstrated he was suitable for the “pilot” stream. He achieved an overall grade of 86 % in his course work, placing 77th in a class of 182 trainees. He also settled into his new circumstances: “An enthusiastic and conscientious airman. Determined to progress with studies and confident of success…. [He] is calm and cool. Willing and co-operative.”
On August 24, Doug was assigned to No. 9 Elementary Flight Training School (EFTS), St. Catharines, for the first stage of his flight training. Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (Pilot) after completing his ITS courses, he was about to receive his first flight experience. Over the next six weeks, Doug logged 31:40 hours of dual flight time and 29:30 hours of solo flight time in a two-wing Fleet Finch Mark II plane, along with 10:00 hours in a Link Trainer flight simulator.
Doug’s instructors recommended that he continue training on “S.E.” [single engine] aircraft, and described him as a “keen and intelligent pupil. Smooth on controls; needs practice on aerobatics.” Having achieved an overall grade of 67.9 % in his courses and placed 28th in a class of 35 trainees, Doug proceeded to No. 1 Service Flying School (SFS), Camp Borden, ON, on October 7, 1941.
No. 1 SFS offered trainees the first opportunity to train in Harvard and Yale single-engine, single-wing aircraft. Over a period of three and a half months, Doug logged 41:30 dual hours and 22:40 solo hours of flying time in daylight conditions, and a total of 12:00 hours of night-time training. Instructors recommended Doug for fighter squadron duty in single engine aircraft, a written comment providing this overall assessment of his performance: “A high average pupil who is a willing worker and tries very hard.”
During his time at Camp Borden, Doug wrote to his sister Emily, wife of Leonard “Len” Webb, Mulgrave, who was proprietor of the local Sweet Shoppe. The correspondence, postmarked January 8, 1942, and written on RCAF stationery, provided Emily with an update on Doug’s training:
“Everything is in a hell of a rush right now. We expect to graduate before the 20th. I had quite a cross country trip the other day. There were 15 aircraft left that morning on X country [sic] and only three got through. I was one of the lucky three. We ran into a snow storm shortly after leaving Borden. Nine of our aircraft were forced down and three turned back to Borden. I got off track about a doz. [dozen] times but managed to complete the trip (400 miles). I flew most of the way at about 50 feet above the ground (lots of fun). Before News Years’ leave I got lost on a X country and had to land when my gas ran out. Was down to Montreal for a few days at New Years. Had a swell time. Montreal is quite a place… Remember me to Len, Sheila, baby [Tom] and thanks… for the swell Xmas gift. Be seeing you soon.”
On January 22, 1942, Doug was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant (Special) and received his Pilot’s Flying Badge. Assigned to No. 1 “Y” Depot, Halifax, the following day, he received two weeks’ embarkation leave before being transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Trainees’ Pool on February 8. The following day, he departed for overseas, where he reported to No. 3 Reception Centre, Bournemouth, UK, on February 20 and awaited further instructions.
Doug was assigned to No. 61 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on March 16. OTUs offered recruits the first opportunity to train in the aircraft in which they would perform combat missions. No. 61 OTU was established at RAF Heston in June 1941 for the purpose of training single-seat fighter pilots in Miles Master and Spitfire aircraft. The Miles Master provided the inexperienced recruits with the opportunity to train in a fast, aerobatic dual-seat aircraft before advancing to the single-seat, high performance Spitfire or Hurricane.
Doug logged three and a half months with No. 61 OTU before receiving a transfer to No. 57 OTU on June 30. Formed at RAF Hawarden, Wales, approximately 15 kilometres west of Chester, UK, in November 1940, NO. 57 OTU also specialized in training single-engine fighter pilots. After three weeks at Hawarden, he was promoted to the rank of Temporary Flight Sergeant with pay, a sign that he was nearing the end of his training.
As with other OTUs, personnel trained in groups, completing simulation drills identical to the actual work carried out by operational squadrons. One important aspect involved flying in formation, in close proximity to other aircraft. While all air operations involved risk, tight formation flight was perhaps the most hazardous, as the slightest error could result in tragedy.
On August 16, 1942, Doug was participating in a training session at Green Road, Higher Kinnerton, Wales. While performing an exercise, his plane “collided with another Spitfire aircraft (in mid-air) and crashed at Green Farm, Kinnerton.” Doug was extracted from the wreck and transported to Hawarden RAF Base hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon admission, the result of “multiple injuries.”
Six days later, RCAF officials sent a telegram to Rose Ann, informing her that [Flight] Sergeant (Pilot) John Laurence Douglas Brophy was “killed 16-8-42 as a result of a flying accident” in the United Kingdom. Doug was laid to rest with full military honours in Hawarden Cemetery, Flintshire, Wales. Rose Ann remained at Mulgrave until the late 1950s, at which time she relocated to Guysborough, where her daughter, Estella Leet, resided. She passed away there on January 19, 1967, and was laid to rest in St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Cemetery, Mulgrave, NS.
Photograph of Flight Sergeant John Laurence Douglas Brophy courtesy of Rosalie McAulay, Guysborough, NS. Text of Doug's letter to his sister Emily (Brophy) Webb courtesy of his nephew Douglas Webb, Cochrane, AB.
