Mr. Speaker, regretfully Canadians who volunteered to serve with RAF Ferry Command are forgotten World War II veterans although they have limited eligibility in several veterans programs.
During the darkest period for the allies these civilian airmen and women were recruited to fly urgently needed bombers, patrol aircraft and supply transports through the unchartered North Atlantic to Europe. By war's end accidents claimed over 500 air crew and passengers, among them Sir Frederick Banting, the discoverer of insulin.
Theirs was not only a military contribution but also to aviation history. The Ferry Command created the basis for the network of northern and international air routes that commercial travellers now take for granted.
To quote advocate Louis Lang of the Ferry Command Association speaking for the 28 remaining men:
All veterans were civilians when they enlisted. It was their service to their country that earned them the title of veteran.
It is for these Canadian air and ground crews who served in the theatre of war that I am seeking veterans status so they can finish their twilight years with the honours they have rightly earned.