Temporary Flight Lieutenant Harold Kendall Damant

Harold Kendall Damant was born at Richmond, Quebec, on 15 September 1913. A Bank of Montreal employee before the war, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Montreal on 27 June 1940 as R66680. He was commissioned Pilot Officer on 19 February 1943 and promoted Flying Officer on 19 August 1943. Overseas he served as a second pilot with No. 53 Squadron, Royal Air Force; his service file later recorded that he had completed 330 flying hours on an operational tour overseas. He married Margaret Helen McGill at Montreal on 15 February 1941, and their daughter Mary Sharon Lee was born in November 1941. Damant was promoted Temporary Flight Lieutenant effective 19 February 1945, a promotion approved retrospectively. He returned to Canada in April 1945 and was released from wartime RCAF service at Lachine, Quebec, on 1 June 1945.

1913-09-15 — Richmond, Quebec — Born.
1940-06-27 — Montreal, Quebec — Attested/enlisted in the RCAF as Aircraftman Second Class, service no. R66680; trade Clerk Accountant Class C.
1940-06-28 — Toronto, Ontario — Taken on strength at No. 1 Manning Depot.
1940-07-31 — St. Thomas, Ontario — Posted from No. 1 Manning Depot to Technical Training School.
1940-10-01 — RCAF — Reclassified Aircraftman First Class; Clerk Accountant Class B effective.
1941-02-10 to 1941-02-24 — Canada — Granted 14 days annual leave.
1941-02-15 — Montreal, Quebec — Married Margaret Helen McGill.
1941-04-01 — RCAF — Promoted Leading Aircraftman; Clerk Accountant Class A effective.
1941-06-01 — RCAF — Appointed Acting Corporal (paid) and Temporary Corporal (paid).
1941-06-28 to 1941-07-05 — Canada — Granted 7 days annual leave.
1941-11-18 — Family — Daughter Mary Sharon Lee Damant born.
1942-01-01 to 1942-01-08 — Canada — Granted 7 days annual leave.
1942-03-01 — RCAF — Appointed Acting Flight Sergeant (paid).
1942-04-15 — Quebec — Medical Board examination recorded height 72½ in, weight 179 lb and chest 38 in.
1942-05-09 — No. 3 Initial Training School, Quebec — Posted from No. 4 Manning Depot to No. 3 Initial Training School.
1942-07-02 to 1942-07-27 — Canada — Granted 24 days special leave.
1942-07-03 — No. 3 Initial Training School, Victoriaville, Quebec — Completed annual/initial musketry and revolver course.
1942-07-04 — RCAF — Remustered to under-training pilot.
1942-08-15 — RCAF pilot training — Posted from No. 3 Initial Training School to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School.
1942-10-10 to 1942-10-25 — Canada — Granted 16 days special leave.
1942-10-24 — RCAF pilot training — Posted from No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School to No. 13 Service Flying Training School.
1943-02-19 — RCAF — Commissioned Pilot Officer, qualified in pilot trade and awarded Pilot's Flying Badge; officer no. J23823.
1943-02-26 — RCAF pilot training — Posted from No. 13 Service Flying Training School to No. 1 General Reconnaissance School.
1943-05-03 — Y Depot, Canada — Posted from No. 1 General Reconnaissance School for overseas movement.
1943-05-08 to 1943-05-22 — Canada — Granted 14 days pre-embarkation leave.
1943-06-16 — Canada — Embarked/struck off strength for overseas service.
1943-06-24 — No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, United Kingdom — Disembarked and taken on strength.
1943-07-03 to 1943-07-09 — United Kingdom — Granted 7 days embarkation/arrival leave.
1943-07-19 — No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, United Kingdom — Began Course No. 84 after posting from No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre.
1943-08-19 — United Kingdom / Royal Canadian Air Force — Promoted Flying Officer.
1943-09-07 — No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, United Kingdom — Completed Course No. 84; RAF training report records posting to No. 53 Squadron.
1943-10-12 to 1943-10-17 — United Kingdom — Granted 6 days privilege leave.
1943-12-21 to 1943-12-30 — United Kingdom — Granted 10 days leave.
1944-02-28 — No. 53 Squadron RAF — Joined unit as second pilot; later confidential report covers service through 26 September 1944.
1944-03-02 to 1944-03-15 — No. 53 Squadron RAF, United Kingdom — Granted 14 days leave.
1944-05-30 to 1944-06-14 — No. 53 Squadron RAF, United Kingdom — Leave authorized; recalled on 8 June with four days plus 48-hour pass unexpired.
1944-09-26 — No. 53 Squadron RAF — End of confidential-report period; 695 total pilot hours, including 321 in preceding six months.
1944-09-29 to 1944-10-12 — United Kingdom — Granted 14 days leave.
1944-10-21 — No. 5 Personnel Despatch Centre, United Kingdom — Taken on strength after No. 53 Squadron service.
1944-10-28 — Gourock, Scotland — Embarked for Canada during repatriation movement.
1944-11-04 — Boston, Massachusetts, United States — Disembarked during repatriation movement.
1944-11-04 to 1944-12-01 — North America — Granted 28 days leave.
1944-12-26 — Nassau, Bahamas — Began Liberator course at No. 111 Operational Training Unit after posting from No. 53 Squadron.
1945-02-19 — Royal Canadian Air Force — Promoted Temporary Flight Lieutenant, effective this date; approval was promulgated retrospectively after release.
1945-03-19 — RAF Station Nassau, Bahamas — Applied for compassionate posting to Canada; in his application Damant referred to his earlier service in the British Isles as his 'first tour of operations' and expected to return to the British Isles and operations.
1945-04-12 — Nassau, Bahamas — Liberator conversion course suspended. Report records 330 hours of an operational tour overseas.
1945-04-15 — Repatriation to Canada — Repatriated from Nassau effective this date by RCAF authority.
1945-04-23 — Washington, D.C. — RAF Delegation forwarded Damant's reports to Canadian National Defence and confirmed his compassionate-posting application and repatriation.
1945-05-02 — Lachine, Quebec — Taken on strength of No. 2 Release Centre.
1945-05-31 — Lachine, Quebec — Personnel counselling at No. 2 Release Centre; recorded banking career plans and intended residence at Huntingdon, Quebec.
1945-06-01 — Lachine, Quebec — Released from wartime RCAF service on demobilization as Temporary Flight Lieutenant.
1945-08-09 — Ottawa, Ontario — RCAF headquarters notified Damant that his Temporary Flight Lieutenant promotion effective 19 February 1945 had been approved and arrears of pay would follow.
1946-06-27 — Montreal, Quebec — Attested for RCAF Special Reserve; occupation recorded as bank teller/clerk-accountant.
1946-10-21 — RCAF Headquarters — Active Service certificate issued confirming Flight Lieutenant CAN/J23823, service in a theatre of war, and transfer to the RCAF Reserve, General Section, Class E.
1954-03-11 — Canadian Army militia — Later service began with 27 Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery.
1956-01-31 — Canadian Army militia — Later service with 27 Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery ended.