Every entry seemed to have one or two individuals who stood out from the rest – perhaps for their athletic prowess or academic abilities or innate leadership qualities. Entry 11, however, had a guy who stood out largely because of his laid-back, easy going and genuinely likable nature. Ed Dalgety was a gentle bear of a man from Sombra, Ontario who, although never having had a drink before joining the Navy, quickly learned to appreciate a jug or two at the wet canteen or a jar of Slinger’s finest vintage wine. He played guitar in the apprentice dance band and was an enthusiastic, albeit mediocre, jock. You couldn’t find anybody who didn’t like Ed and he was soon nicknamed "Hoss" after the affable character played by Dan Blocker in Ponderosa.

As many will recall, the 3^rd deck of Nelles Block in Naden was a pretty boring place to live. Numerous FAs existed - four to a cabin - with the only entertainment being provided by the shining of shoes, the cleaning of the heads and washplaces, the endless waxing and polishing of decks, or the having to listen to the shrill shrieks of some budding bagpiper murdering some Scottish ditty on a practice chanter. Things were so boring, in fact, that anything out of the ordinary tended to attract a lot of attention.

Somewhere around Term 3 Ed became enthused with model airplanes. After much research he sent away for the plans and the various bits and pieces and commenced the construction of a medium sized, hand-controlled model fighter. The construction site was the main table in his cabin and the assembly went on over many days, weeks and eventually months (hey, he was a shipwright!). Even the Nelles Block Officer-in-Charge, Lord (Lcdr) Chaney, allowed the project to remain on display during daily rounds and occasionally even inquired as to its progress. The rest of us would frequently pop in to view and discuss the finer aspects of aeronautical fabrication as the bits of balsa and fabric slowly took shape.

Finally came the day when the masterpiece was completed. Ed had somehow obtained permission from the Base Commander to use the normally sancrosanct Main Parade Square in front of Nelles Block as an airfield. And so it was, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Ed and his assistant ceremoniously laid out the plane and its control wires on the tarmac while the rest of us lined the roadway or gawked out the 3^rd deck cabin windows to better view this monumental event. When all was in readiness, a single flick of the propellor brought the tiny engine to life and murmurs and nods of approval quickly passed through the throng of eager viewers. On a cue from Ed, the assistant released the plane and Ed proudly commenced the first (and probably the last) flight ever to take place in Naden. With engine screaming, the plane soared higher and higher into the blue skies above. The previously muted oohs and aahs of the crowd now rose to a frenzied crescendo. The little plane, rising ever higher, finally reached the apex of its control wires when, without warning, it suddenly turned 180 degrees and began a fully powered dive towards the ground. Everyone assumed that this was a planned manoeuver and that a simple flick of Ed’s wrist would turn it skyward again…...

Wrong!!! The fragile little craft plowed straight into the tarmac at full throttle after a flight lasting not more than 20 seconds. The hush, which had initially fallen over the crowd, quickly turned to cheers and hoots of laughter. Ed, shoulders slumped, crest-fallen and obviously in anguish, uttered a string of profanities not usually heard on a Parade Square on a solemn Sunday afternoon which only tended to further fuel the laughter and gaiety of the now unruly mob. Moments passed …… and eventually a sheepish grin started to creep across Ed’s face as he realized the humour and inevitability of the whole situation. After gathering up the remaining fragments of the debris and depositing them in the trash, a jug of beer in the wet canteen helped to ease Ed’s frustration and disappointment…. and life went on…

The event gradually dimmed in peoples’ memory but was never forgotten. To this day FAs will still be heard to remark .. "Do you remember the time……".

This incident, only one of many that involved Ed, will forever be indelibly etched in the minds of many. Just as Ed, who, sadly, passed away a few years ago, will forever be fondly remembered by his many friends.

Doug Miller, Entry 11