My father was part of what Tom Brokaw called, in his 1999 book of the same name, "The Greatest Generation." These were the men and women who victoriously fought in World War II, then returned home and, in Brokaw’s words, “began the task of rebuilding their lives and the world they wanted.”
Robert Levenstein (everyone called him Bob) had a relatively short military career. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in March of 1943 and after training in Vancouver, Saskatoon and Portage La Prairie, Man., he went overseas in May 1944. He became a navigator and was posted to a Lancaster bomber squadron at the end of February 1945.
Dad’s first operational flight came on March 22 , but the most eventful mission of his war came just two days later. On the day of the massive Allied crossing of the Rhine, Dad’s plane was hit by enemy flack and lost an engine but managed to land safely in friendly territory. The pilot, Ben Jensen, was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross while crew member, Frank Ridley, received a Distinguished Flying Medal for his efforts with the onboard fire.
Enemy fighters attacked Dad’s Lancaster six times during a daylight bombing raid on Hamburg, but caused no damage. Four more night missions followed before VE-Day on May 8. Dad’s war ended with trips to bring back released prisoners of war, plus bomb disposal jobs before he returned to Canada in February 1946. The former Second Class Warrant Officer became a chartered accountant, married and raised a family and lived a busy and worthy life in his native Winnipeg until his passing in 2008.
In short, Dad’s military career was (compared to many others) relatively uneventful. Unlike his two crew mates, he did not win any special decorations. He was not part of such epic Canadian military operations as D-Day or the liberation of the Netherlands. He was just one of many hundreds of thousands of soldiers and airmen from so many countries who did their part, no matter how large or small, to rid the world of a great menace.
Fortunately, Dad came out of this youthful experience (he was only 21 when the war ended) pretty much unscathed mentally and physically. He enjoyed talking about his experiences and became a member of both the Wartime Pilots and Observers Association and the Royal Canadian Legion. He also made a number of visits with family members to the rebuilt Lancaster bomber at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton. None of us could quite believe anyone could fit into that small cockpit!
But it was only with his passing that I began to see how important Dad’s military service was. This hit home at the cemetery in Winnipeg when members of his Legion branch requested permission to play a recording of The Last Post. I still remember reacting very differently to those trumpet notes than any other time I had heard them. I also felt it was important to obtain his military service record from Library and Archives Canada and ensuring I had ready access to Dad’s brief written sketch of his military career which forms the basis of these words I write, along with a videotaped interview he also sat for.
Therefore, it was with huge pride that I applied for, and received, the special bar the Canadian government issued a few years ago for members of Bomber Command. And I will be feeling the same pride when, along with other members of the family, I will attend the annual Nov. 11 ceremony to honour Dad’s addition to the Jewish War Veterans Memorial at the Toronto UJA Federation’s Sherman Campus.
Dad did not run around seeking such recognition during his lifetime, but I know he would also be proud that he and his heroic effort won’t be forgotten.
Ralph Levenstein is a former broadcast journalist who lives in Thornhill, Ont.