A Second World War flying helmet once worn by Hanley’s Lew Duddridge has found its way back to safe keeping in Saskatchewan, but by the most unusual means.
The leather Type C flight lieutenant helmet that was used by Duddridge when he flew out of a Royal Air Force station in Cark England during the war was stolen a few years ago from his summer home in Hanley. The theft had largely passed from Duddridge’s mind when a letter from Rod Dignean, a Saskatoon teacher and Canadian Forces reservist, arrived at his and his wife Hilda’s door in Victoria asking if the helmet belonged to him and whether it could now be placed in a travelling historical military display.
“I donated it to him because I thought this was a wonderful effort that he was making,” said Duddridge, noting Dignean bought the helmet fair and square from a military memorabilia collector in California for his display and deserved to keep it. “I knew in the future it was going to be for everybody to see and as long as it was with me it was just for me to see and my family.”
Dignean said the helmet now has a prominent part in his large First World War, Second World War, Korean War and Vietnam War collection that tours schools, Legions and armories in the area. He said there is also a little write-up in front of the helmet about how it ended up where it did and whom it belonged to previously.
“I got into this about 25 years ago (for) three main reasons,” said Dignean, noting he recently held an exhibit at Clavet School. “I do it to keep the history of our military service alive and teach new generations about Canada’s military history. Secondly, (this is) to honour my own ancestors as a First Nations person who served in Canada and the United States and thirdly, (it’s) to honour all those that served past and present.
“Being a serving member in the reserves and a veteran of Afghanistan myself, I can go out there and walk the talk and speak to the students first hand about it and give them a little taste of history.”
Duddridge said the jacket he married Hilda in back in Wales during the war is still in his collection, so having one of his flying helmets part ways isn’t that much of a big deal. He said also having a person near Hanley being able to display it makes him “exceedingly happy” about how things seemed to work out.
Dignean said the RAF helmet ending up in Saskatchewan again involves an “incredible” twist of fate and circumstance and he is proud to be able to now display the military artifact with his collection.
“I think it was meant to come back,” he said. “It was meant to come home where hopefully I can show it and it can be appreciated and remain part of local history.”