James "Jimmy" Harper: Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force (WWII)
Flight Officer James “Jimmy” Harper
Library and Archives Canada: James “Jimmy” Harper, date unknown. Service Number: C5584
James “Jimmy” Harper (James Willard Harper) was born in Rossland on June 24, 1910. Jimmy spent his formative years in Rossland participating in a variety of sports, including skiing, baseball, basketball, tennis, and swimming. After graduating from Rossland High School, Jimmy travelled to Vancouver to train as a pilot at Canadian Airways. Before long, he received his commercial pilot’s licence and returned to Rossland, securing a job as a pilot for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (now Teck) in Trail.
In 1930, Jimmy opened a flying school with his best friend Bill Purcello, also of Rossland. Together, the two operated Harper-Purcello Training School from approximately 1930 to 1936. Jimmy’s experience as a pilot would be put to the test in 1941 when he decided to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially, he served as a flight instructor but was eventually thrust into combat in the skies over France.
On May 14, 1944, during an air operation, Jimmy’s plane was shot down by German forces and crashed in Lantenot, France. At first, he and his co-pilot were reported missing but were eventually declared dead a few days later. It was revealed in 1947 that both pilots were buried in a cemetery in St. Germain, France. Jimmy was survived by his mother, Mary Armishaw (née Johnson).
For More Information:
Library and Archives Canada | “Personnel Records, Willard James, Harper”