Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
Profile of Members
Garneau, Marc Garratt, Phillip Clarke Gilbert, Walter Edwin Godfrey, Albert Earl Graham, Stuart Grandy, Roy Stanley Gray, Robert Hampton Greenaway, Keith Rogers Grossmith, Seth Walter
Marc Garneau
Birthdate: February 23, 1949
Birth Place: Quebec City, Quebec
Year Inducted: 2008
Awards: CC, CD, B.Sc., Ph.D, FCASI
"Throughout his long and distinguished career as an astronaut and executive, he has inspired countless young Canadians, contributed to the growth and development of the Canadian Space Agency and brought honour and recognition to Canada."Garneau began his career as a naval officer in 1973. In 1983 Garneau applied to become an astronaut to fly in future space missions and was selected from nearly 4,300 applications. He was eventually selected as the first Canadian astronaut to go into space aboard STS-41G. He would fly on two further space flights. In 2001 Garneau became President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). He drafted the Canadian Space Strategy, the document that defined the mandate and the long-term vision of the Canadian Space Program. He was responsible for the smooth deployment of Canada’s robotic contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). This also included training facilities at the CSA itself to train all astronauts and cosmonauts using the Canadarm, as well as a CSA control centre responsible for supporting Houston during robotic arm operations on the ISS.
2008 Induction Video - Biography of Marc Garneau
Phillip Clarke Garratt
Nickname: "Phil" Garratt
Birthdate: July 13, 1894
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: November 16, 1974
Awards: CM, AFC
"His fathering of a series of short takeoff and landing aircraft, each of which gained world-wide acceptance, has been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."
Phillip Garratt attended the University of Toronto and in 1915 undertook basic training with the Curtiss Aviation School. He earned his pilot's wings with the Royal Flying Corps a year later in England. A fighter pilot with No. 70 Squadron, RFC in France, he later became an instructor at the Gosport Flying School in England. After the war, Garratt joined the de Havilland Aircraft Company and was quick to open Canada's northland for the exploration and development of natural resources. It was also with this firm that he concentrated on modifying the designs on such STOL aircraft as the Otter, Caribou, Buffalo and Twin Otter. By increasing the plant's workforce to 7,000, he also managed to produce more than 1000 Mosquito fighter-bombers and assembled 375 Avro Anson aircraft.
Walter Edwin Gilbert
Birthdate: March 8, 1899
Birth Place: Cardinal, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: October 18, 1986
"His challenging flights into the high Arctic under the most primitive conditions, to explore and record unmapped areas, despite adversity, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."
Walter Gilbert enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps at Toronto, Ontario in 1917 and was posted to the RFC's central flying school in England. At the height of the German offensive in 1918 he went to France as a front line fighter pilot with the RFC Squadrons 56 and 32. During the next seven years Gilbert flew forestry patrols, updating his skills and completing aerial mapping assignments in northern Saskatchewan. In 1930, Gilbert piloted a government sponsored aerial expedition to the high Arctic to record magnetic properties near King William's Island (known as the Burwash Expedition). He also searched for the ill-fated Franklin expedition that had vanished 80 years earlier and, in doing so, mapped a large part of the Arctic coastline.
Albert Earl Godfrey
Birthdate: July 27, 1890
Birth Place: Killarney, Manitoba
Year Inducted: 1978
Death Date: January 1, 1982
Awards: MC, AFC
"His record can be matched only by those airmen of high endeavour and professional calling, who have devoted their lives and skills to the benefit of the free world, despite adversity, and whose contributions have substantially benefited Canadian aviation."
Albert Godfrey attended school in Vancouver, British Columbia and later joined the 6th Regiment, Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles in 1902 as a drummer and bugler. He enlisted in the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1915, transferred to the 1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion to embark for England and the next year was commissioned as a Lieutenant Observer with the Royal Flying Corps. His last operational flying assignment was to No. 44 Squadron, the Home Defence Unit of the RFC in England, in September, 1917 as a night fighter pilot where he flew a Sopwith Camel against enemy zeppelins and bombers attacking London. In 1926, while serving with the CAF, Godfrey was assigned to accompany an American sportsman, J. Dalzell McKee, on the first flight of a seaplane across Canada. In appreciation for the services rendered to him by the RCAF, McKee presented and endowed the Trans-Canada McKee Trophy.
Stuart Graham
Birthdate: September 2, 1896
Birth Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: July 17, 1976
Awards: OBE, AFC
"His vision, foresight and application of airborne skills, despite adversity, during the birth of civil aeronautics, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."
Stuart Graham was raised and educated at Truro, Windsor and Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He enlisted in the Canadian army during WWI and spent the winter of 1915 in France as a machine gunner where he was wounded. He returned to Canada in 1919 and worked for pulp and paper mills by flying air patrols for fire protection and surveying their timber limits. Before WWII, Graham also recovered numerous Canadian aeronautic treasures, as a result of his keen interest in aviation history, that are now in the National Aviation Museum. At the outbreak of the war, Graham planned aerodromes and flying facilities across Canada for the BCATP. During his career as a pilot, Graham completed the design of an automatic view-finder camera control, a portable canoe to be carried aboard aircraft and a remote control landing direction indicator for use at airports, all of which were commercially successful.
Roy Stanley Grandy
Nickname: "Bill" Grandy
Birthdate: March 5, 1894
Birth Place: Bay L' Argent, Newfoundland
Year Inducted: 1988
Death Date: April 8, 1965
Awards: OBE
"His flying expertise was remarkable as were his leadership abilities. Despite adversity he took the guess-work out of the centuries-old industry of sealing. Perhaps of greatest benefit to Canadian aviation was his dedication to the younger generations of pilots whom he trained and groomed to his own standards of excellence."
Even at the age of 16, Roy Grandy was a well traveled individual. He had already sailed around the world and although he came to love flying, he never lost his love for the sea and he became an expert seaplane pilot. In 1912, Grandy joined the military reserve unit No. 96 Lake Superior Regiment and served actively in France and Gallipoli. Upon his return to Canada, Grandy proved the effectiveness of airplanes to spot seal herds. Hunters had previously relied on their intuition. He also became Commanding Officer at RCAF station, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia during WWII where he inspired hundreds of young airmen who passed through his base.
Robert Hampton Gray
Birthdate: November 2, 1917
Birth Place: Trail, British Columbia
Year Inducted: 1974
Death Date: August 9, 1945
Awards: VC, DSC
"His winning of the Victoria Cross in aerial combat must be regarded as one of the most outstanding contributions possible to Canadian aviation."
Robert Gray received his education at Nelson, British Columbia and later enrolled in the University of British Columbia. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve in 1940. He served aboard the HMS Victory at Portsmouth, England and later aboard the HMS St. Vincent. In 1940, Gray trained at Collins Bay, Ontario and went on to serve with a variety of Squadrons. His final flight took place on August 9, 1945 as he, Squadron No. 841 and the HMS Formidable attacked the bases along the Japanese Inland Sea. In their mission, they successfully targeted a Japanese destroyer. Unfortunately Lieutenant Gray perished in the dive-bombing attack. For these actions, Gray was Mentioned in Despatches for his undaunted skill, determination and courage and was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Keith Rogers Greenaway
Birthdate: April 8, 1916
Birth Place: Woodville, Ontario
Year Inducted: 1974
Awards: CM, CD
"His superlative accomplishments in the field of navigation and more especially his contributions relating to the north polar regions, have been of outstanding benefit to Canadian aviation."Keith Greenaway joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in May 1940 and served as a Wireless and Navigation instructor during the Second World War. Greenaway co-developed the Royal Canadian Air Force Twilight Computer, an aid to high latitude navigation, which was widely used by other air forces. While seconded to the Defence Research Board he continued to carry out numerous experimental flights over the arctic, often extending to the North Pole. At this time he worked on gyro steering techniques and developing the Earth Convergency Grid which was put to civil use by Scandinavian Airline System on their trans-polar flights. After retiring from the Air Force as an Air Commodore in 1971, he worked on northern science matters and served as Senior Science Advisor in the Dept. of Indian & Northern Affairs until 1980.
Seth Walter Grossmith
Birthdate: January 5, 1922
Birth Place: Montreal, Quebec
Year Inducted: 1990
"During his long and distinguished career, his dedication to research and experimental flying had improved the future of Canadian aviation."
Seth Grossmith attended school in Montreal, Quebec until he joined the RCAF in 1940. After earning his wings he became Flight Examination Officer for a year and served overseas until 1945. He later served as Executive Officer of RCN Squadron VX-10 with a staff of 75 officers and men whose tasks ranged from operational research to proposing operational doctrines (training manuals) for use in the front lines. Grossmith also test flew numerous aircraft, designed emergency and safety procedures and had many research papers published.© Copyright in the portrait drawings of the honoured members of the Aviation Hall of Fame, which were prepared by Mrs. I. Coucill are the property of Mrs. Coucill.