Jim LaForce was born June 13, 1924, just outside of Gravenhurst, Ontario.  Jim’s mother was from England, and she came to Canada as she had tuberculosis, and Gravenhurst had a well-known Tb sanatorium at the time.  She met Jim’s father there, who was partly indigenous, and the two of them struck up a relationship and eventually married.  Jim’s father was too young for the Great War, but he did serve in World War Two with the Royal Canadian Engineers:  he was stationed overseas until he was injured in an artillery explosion, and he completed his service in Camp Petawawa.  Jim meanwhile grew up in the Gravenhurst area, going to school and the movies and playing in the woods – and surviving the realities of the Great Depression.  When the war came, Jim’s brother joined the air force, and when his time came Jim made the same decision.  He began his air force career at Manning Depot in Toronto, and when he was selected as an armourer he was sent to Picton to the First Bombing and Gunnery School, the beginning of his BCATP odyssey.  After time in Ontario, Jim was sent to Macdonald, Manitoba; he did not enjoy his short time on the base there, so Jim requested a transfer overseas.  His second choice had been to become an airgunner, and he was accepted into this, and was soon on his way to England where he was crewed up.  He was assigned to 425 Squadron, where he would fly 38 missions.  Most of the missions were flown at night as part of Bomber Command, and they hit urban-industrial targets deep in Germany.  They also flew tactical missions in support of ground troops, especially during the Battle of Normandy.  In both cases they confronted enemy fighters and flak, not to mention the cold.  Jim was able to shoot down five enemy fighters in those missions, making him an ace gunner.  He was seriously wounded when a German fighter attacked his rear turret on what would be his last mission.  He did recover and was able to return home, where he married Elma and raised his family, and together they found their way in the postwar world.  Jim La Force was interviewed by Crestwood students at the Sunnybrook Veterans’ Wing in October 2024.