Sergeant Arnold Shewan

The first graduating class of Radio Mechanics from the University of Toronto, Sept. 1941 is pictured below and includes 26 year old Arnold Shewan from Thamesford, Ontario. He had signed up in April 1941 in London, trained in Toronto, and by October was attached to the RAF in Britain. By August 1942, Arnold is listed as RDF Mechanic (Radar) in Rosehearty Scotland, where he met his future wife, Grace Major.

It was when he was on an “upgrading” course in Inverness in 1943, that Grace received orders that she was being sent to Swanage, Dorset, for training in the new Radar course called “Oboe”. Arnold found her while on leave and proposed; they were married March 9, 1944 in Greenwich. Later, when Grace wrote letters to Arnold (he was posted in Ireland by then) about her surroundings near the Radar station at Winterton, sections of the letters were blacked out/heavily censored!!

It appears that initial training in Radar must have taken place in Yatesbury, as both Arnold and Grace started their training there months apart. In 1944, Arnold was sent to Chigwell for the first time to be trained for a mobile Radar unit intended for Europe. However, following other postings, and before being sent to Europe, the war ended and he was repatriated and sent back to Canada in August 1945. After working in London for several months, Grace travelled to Canada on the first designated War Bride Ship, the “Mauretania”, in February 1946.

In his application to the RCAF, Arnold lists his previous occupations as clerk, clerk and salesman, and Public School teacher. Upon discharge, the councillor stated that he could easily handle a degree course at university, was considered to have outstanding ability to learn, and that he was recommending educational training as an electrical engineer. Arnold Shewan became an accountant and later taught accounting at the college level. Grace was a part-time bookkeeper while raising 3 children.