Norman (Nipper) Scott had only seen one plane in his life prior to joining the Royal Flying Corps. The next plane he saw, he had to fly.
Scott was born in Ottawa in 1892 and died Oct. 10, 1982 at Union. He is buried in the Union Cemetery.
He worked at the Imperial Bank before enlisting.
Scott almost didn't make it overseas. His ship left Halifax three days before the harbor explosion that destroyed a good part of the city and claimed many lives. If the weather had not be favourable, the ship might still have been in the habour on that fateful day that killed almost 9,000.
During the war, Scott flew almost 100 missions and reached the rank of captain.
Pilots wore suits lined with wool, hats and protective coverings on their faces as they were in open cockpits in freezing temperatures. His helmet and jacket that he wore are in the Elgin Miltary Museum.
Scott was in England when the war ended. He was at Buckingham Palace and saw members of the Royal Family declare the end of the war.
“It was the most exciting day of my life and I’ll never forget it.”
