Wesley Earl Meier Leading Aircraftman R/165554 No.1 OTU, Royal Canadian Air Force April 24, 1924 Beamsville, Lincoln County, Ontario April 25, 1942 RCAF Recruiting Centre, Hamilton, Ontario West Hill, Ontario 18 5 feet, 8 inches Dark Medium Dark Brown Brown Single Trainee, Galt Aircraft School Church of England Earl Meier (Father) September 20, 1942 18 Riverside Cemetery, Dunnville, Haldimand County, Ontario Lot 562, Grave 8

Name: Rank: Service No: Service: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Eye Colour: Hair Colour: Marital Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Age at Death: Cemetery: Grave Reference:

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Wesley Earl Meier was the son of Earl Meier (b. 1896) and Nellie Mabel (Fester) Meier (b. 1906), and the brother of Evelyn Meier, Erwin Meier, and Ardell Meier. Wesley’s elementary schooling was at Canboro in Ontario from 1930-38, and he completed 1 year of high school at Dunville High School in 1938-39. Prior to his RCAF WWII service, Wesley first served in the Militia (Reserves) with the 2nd Battalion of the Irish Regiment of Canada and re-attested for active service in WWII with the Irish Regiment at Niagara Camp on September 23, 1940. He was however, struck of strength (discharged) May 23, 1941, because he was under military age to be serving (he had just turned 17 one month prior). He worked briefly as a mechanic and in well drilling, employed for Mr. Meier, and for General Engineering in Toronto, Ontario during the summer of 1941. In preparation for military enlistment, Wesley studied at the Galt Aircraft School in Galt, Ontario under the War Emergency Training Plan or Programme (WETP) from January to April of 1942. The WETP was a plan to teach and train youth that might have left school early, to prepare them for more advanced education. The purpose was to provide basic skills training to workers entering civilian industry, and to prospective entrants to the armed forces, who lacked some of the basic education requirements. Marking his 18th birthday on April 24, 1942, Wesley did not wait to join the RCAF, enlisting the next day. Initially assigned to the No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto from April 5 to June 11, 1942, he was transferred to the No. 1 Technical Training School at St. Thomas, Ontario on June 12, 1942. He was subsequently assigned to the No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) in Bagotville, Quebec on September 9, 1942. Tragically, he was killed in a flying accident 11 days later when Harvard trainer aircraft No. 387, piloted by Sergeant Michael Klimenko (Service No. R/125988) of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, crashed at Saint-Félix-d’Otis, Quebec at 3:45 pm on September 20, 1942. Both airmen were killed.