Regarding the RCAF and First World War story, it is possible that this is simply a not-untyplcal messing up of history through the family passing it down after the original family member has died. Knowing that their relation was trained in Canada and flew in the Great War, and associating the Canadian air force with the RCAF, they may have jumped to the conclusion that the pilot therefore served in the RCAF, without realizing that it didn't exist.
Canada trained thousands of pilots during the Great War, including Americans who wanted into the fight and faked their identity as well as Canadians. Once they received their basic training in Canada (and in Texas during the winter months), these pilots (who were enlisted in either the RFC or RNAS) went to Britain for final training and then into active British squadrons.
It would be a simple matter for the facts to get rearranged in the telling of the history by the family itself.
Canada trained thousands of pilots during the Great War, including Americans who wanted into the fight and faked their identity as well as Canadians. Once they received their basic training in Canada (and in Texas during the winter months), these pilots (who were enlisted in either the RFC or RNAS) went to Britain for final training and then into active British squadrons.
It would be a simple matter for the facts to get rearranged in the telling of the history by the family itself.


















































