Service Number:	J/25297
Age:	19

The son of Helen and Hugh Collver, of Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario.  At age 19, Joseph Collver was among the youngest pilots lost by the RCAF during the Second World War.

Before entering the RCAF, Joseph was an accomplished scout and received the coveted King's Scout badge, the highest award that any scout can receive. Undoubtedly his experiences with Scouts provided him with confidence as well as leadership and decision making skills that would be required by the most challenging of all RCAF trades, a pilot. Joseph was very successful in his training as a pilot and at one point was given the opportunity to become an instructor, when asked by his father why he declined the position, his response was that he wanted to fly, not instruct.

Joseph Collver was not a physically large young man and it is somewhat curious as to how he ended up flying four engine bombers rather than single engine fighters. Almost all young men that joined the air force as pilots dreamed of  piloting a Spitfire or Hurricane, physically smaller pilots were sought after for those types of aircraft as the cockpits were much smaller. What likely determined Joseph's placement in bombers was the increasing need for bomber pilots, statistically speaking the odds were against bomber crews completing their tour of operations and the early years of the war had been very costly to Bomber Command in terms of personnel.

Due to the height of the Halifax bomber's cockpit being so far above the ground, shorter pilots often had to sit on extra seat cushions in order to see properly over the instrument panel, this was true in Joseph's case. The Handley Page Halifax was a physically demanding aircraft to fly while performing evasive maneuvers such as dives and corkscrews, many smaller pilots would place their feet against the instrument panel to attain the proper leverage needed to complete said maneuvers.

Obviously, Joseph was up to the task.

 All new pilots were required to fly what was known as a Second Dickey trip with an experienced crew in order to gain experience on a real operation before commanding their own aircraft for such a purpose. On May 9, 1944 Joseph flew with Squadron Leader C.W Higgins to attack the rail yards in the Belgian town of Haine-St.Pierre. Several aircraft were lost on the operation including two from 431 squadron, nonetheless Joseph apparently earned the Squadron Leader's confidence and was not required to make an additional Second Dickey trip.

One can only imagine the tremendous weight of responsibility  Joseph Collver felt, being the youngest member of his crew and yet the commanding officer, all indications are that he performed admirably, he must have been and incredible young man.

Special thanks to Ross Collver, younger brother of Joseph Collver for graciously providing photographs and information and Richard Koval for his extended research effort in locating the Collver family.

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