| Unit # | R.C.A.F. |
The son of Mrs. C. Newby of Fletcher, Kent Co., ON. and the late William Freeman of Windsor.
It is believed that he was the first coloured man to receive a RCAF commission in WWII as a Navigator. He received his “Wings’ at No.4 Air Observers’ School, London, ON.
It all began on 31 December, 1941. Tarrance Freeman applied to the RCAF recruiting depot in Windsor, ON., volunteering for aircrew. He completed his papers, took his medical, and then informed that the depot would have to query Ottawa, regarding his application.
“I didn’t believe it. ”he said “ so I wrote to Ottawa too and received an answer to refer back to the officer commanding. Later I was told that they wouldn’t need me for five of six months, and then as a standard tradesman.
“so I joined the Canadian Army Postal Code and reported to Ottawa. February 5, 1942, and served for five months as a private. Then I asked for a transfer to the RCAF and got it without any difficulty.” He continued.
He was first at the Manning Depot no.5 at Lachine, and then did ‘tarmack duty’ at Exeter for 10 weeks, was transferred to No. 1 L.T.S. and then to No. 4 A.O.S. at London, where he got his “Wings”. The first coloured man to receive a commission and become a Navigator in the RCAF. He will be seeing service overseas.
Freeman urges other coloured men join the Canadian forces and state that if they qualify can certainly get ahead.
Tarrance pointed out that two other boys who enlisted in Windsor were then training at No.1 I.T.S. in Toronto.
A coloured friend of his LAC Allan B from Halifax, with whom he studied at No.1 I.T.S. and was stationed at the Service Flying School in Aylmer.
Copies from the CDN 30/06/43.
CURATORS NOTE: – I contacted the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society and although the family names Freeman and Newby are common in the black community in the area of Chatham and Kent County, they could not find any records for Ta.
I then contacted Gwen Robinson and she confirmed that Tarrance Freeman actually lived at her grandmothers’ home for some time. She knew little of his mother or father.
Gwen is a local historian and the Curator of the C-K Black Historical Society for many years and is very knowledgeable on the black families. JRH.
Tarrance H. Freeman died 16/06/1992 and was buried at the Dresden Cemetery.
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