Hart and I Meet the King

HART & I MEET THE KING

                                                                             By Barry Needham

I don’t know who was the most surprised  King George V1 or I when we suddenly came face to face.  It was November 13, 1941 when  the King visited our  Canadian  Spitfire Squadron at Wellingore, Lincolnshire,England..

It was  the only time I can remember that the full squadron was ever on parade.  Hart Massey and I played hooky that day and skipped the parade.  I don’t remember what his excuse was,  but I did not have a gas mask which was mandatory equipment to be worn on parade.  While the rest of the squadron lined up in full dress on the parade square,  Hart and I escaped to the warmth of the dispersal hut where we curled up on cots snuggly covered with sheep-lined  Erwin flying jackets.

On the parade square a keen eyed photographer caught a  remarkable sight of a gaggle of white geese marching pompously  past the assembled parade.   The photo, captioned  “Democratic Goosestep” appeared  on the front page of next day’s  London newspaper.  HM was said to be much amused by the unexpected appearance of the Squadron’s Christmas dinner.

He was probably a lot more amused and startled when  followed by his aids and squadron officers,  he entered the dispersal hut where Hart and I were holed up.  I quickly jumped to my feet and  as  inconspicuously as possible,  slunk off into the background while Hart stepped forward.

Hart did not suffer the embarrassment I did as he was well known to HM, having met on several other occasions.  Diminutive  Hart,  (a mere 4 ft.6” caused by pituitary  gland problems as a child,)  was the son of  Vincent Massey,  Canada’s  High  Commisioner to Great Britain during WW11.   Following the war he became Canada’s first Canadian - born Governor General.  Hart’s size made him a natural cox -swain  for the Oxford rowing  team  when they defeated their arch rivals Cambridge in 1939.

Despite his size, Hart  was able to enlist  in the RCAF where he became  412 squadron’s first Intelligence Officer holding the rank of Flight Lieutenant  .During a German Luftwaffe air raid  at an Allied airfield on New Year’s Day 1944, he received severe head injuries from which he  recovered , returning to Canada  where he pursued a distinguished career in architecture. Hart died in 1997, survived by his wife and children  Caroline and Johnathon.

Years after the King’s visit I obtained a photo taken in the dispersal hut showing George V1 chatting with squadron officers and enjoying a cup of tea.  Conspicuous  in his hand was the ever-present  cancer causing cigarette from which it was reported he died.