Love of Place
Prince Edward Island is a special place. The feelings evoked by the scenery and the sense of well-being and belonging have long been experienced by Islanders as well as by visitors. Many people have chosen to make a home here. One individual who made a decision to return to the area where he trained with the RCAF is Scotty Campbell. His first visit here was for only nine weeks but the impression was lasting and he returned to raise his family and retire.
John Howard (Scotty) Campbell
John H. Campbell was born in Coleman, Alberta, a son of Scott Campbell who had moved west from New Glasgow, N.S. around 1901. While working with his father and brother in a coalmine, John acquired the nickname "Scotty." In November 1941, at the age of 18, he joined the Air Force at the recruiting centre in Calgary. He took his elementary flying course in Prince Albert and was "winged" at the No. 4 SFTS in Saskatoon on February 4, 1943.
He and several classmates travelled by railway to the No. 1 General Reconnaissance School in Summerside for further training. Scotty spent 34 hours and 40 minutes in the air over PEI in the nine weeks he was here and fell in love with the beautiful landscape. The navigator's course was very intensive and he and some of his fellow students spent many hours in the lavatory after "lights out" in order to cram for exams. There was little time for leisure activities but he does have memories of some dances in Miscouche and meals at Chan's Restaurant.
His class graduated on May 14, 1943 and he was posted overseas for bombing operations, unlike most of the navigators who were assigned to Coastal Command. As a Flight Officer of the RCAF he served with an RAF Squadron in Britain from June 23, 1943 until July 28, 1945. Scotty and his Lancaster crew made 32 trips on bombing operations over France and Germany. This was done in a very short time frame from May 8 to August 30, 1944. After this hair-tingling duty, he was an instructor on Wellington aircraft. He was released from the Air Force in September 1945 but went back in November 1948 and stayed in full service until 1954 and in auxiliary service until 1957. During that time he felt fortunate to have several trips back to PEI.
In 1958 Scotty married Marjorie Horsley from Yorkshire, England and embarked on a commercial flying career, specializing in aerial surveying and aerial photography. His assignments took him all over the world but he never forgot the little Island on Canada's east coast. Its patchwork beauty from the air and friendliness of its people had a strong hold on his heart and mind.
When the opportunity to work as an aerial photographer in Prince Edward Island was offered in 1972, he and his wife decided to bring their four children to live in Summerside. In 1973 he bought a 55-acre property in nearby Linkletter and proceeded to combine his flying career with farming. His children thrived in the rural community and the family has very happy memories.
Looking back on his decision to come to live in PEI, he recalls that Summerside and area was always "service-friendly" and he felt welcome here. The geography and ambience of the place produced in his mind "the ideal spot."
