DONALD CARL ECKMIER



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Birthplace:
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Enlisted:
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​Atwood, Ontario
August 5, 1925 
The Royal Canadian Air Force
September 26, 1943
Windsor, Ontario
1943 - 1946
Flight Sergeant
February 28, 1946
Windsor, Ontario
October 26, 2012
Picture
The Windsor Star, September 30, 1943. Donald is in the top set of photos, front, far right.

​Donald Carl Eckmier was born in Atwood, Ontario on August 5, 1925.  He was the oldest of seven children.  At the age of 9, Don moved with his family to Walker Circle where his father had obtained work on Walker Farms in Windsor, Ontario.  Don first attended Walker Road School, and then Mayfair School.

Don joined the RCAF in September 1943 just within weeks of turning 18.  For a young man who had never been outside of Windsor, his first trip on a train to Toronto, and then to Calgary, Alberta where he obtained his training was exciting, but quite daunting to say the least. 
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Don eventually went to Britain, and was trained as a wireless operator/air gunner and obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant.  While in Britain Don met Pauline Shaw who was in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.  Don and Pauline married on January 12, 1946.  In February 1946 Don returned home with his squadron.  Pauline followed In June 1946, crossing the Atlantic by ship with a group of war brides.  Shortly after returning home, Don left the air force.  He eventually obtained employment with Canada Post where he worked until his retirement.  Don and Pauline raised five children in Windsor, Ontario, sharing 64 years of marriage until Pauline passed away in November 2010.  Don passed away on October 26, 2012.

Don never spoke often of his time in the service.  When he did bring up the subject, it was normally about the friendships that he had made.  He did, however, relay a short story of the time following the completion of their training in Calgary that their commanding officer asked the men if there were any volunteers for overseas service.  Nobody volunteered; understandably, they were young and apprehensive.  The officer then lined the men up, assigned each of them numbers, and then rambled off a series of numbers starting with Number 6, and asked those men to step forward.  Don was Number 6.  All those men were sent overseas.  Number 6 started Don on a path which forever changed his life.

submitted by Barbara Tattersall