Exhibit tells story of local Second World War pilot

Brandon’s Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is opening its doors for free on Remembrance Day and encouraging people to check out its latest exhibit as part of the day of reflection.

The free open house between 1 and 4 p.m. features a new exhibit that focuses on a pilot from Westman who died while serving in the Second World War.

“It’s 80 years since the war was over, but it affected people, and we need to keep that story going,” said Lisa Dutton, a volunteer collections and archives researcher at the museum.

The exhibit showcases the life of Pilot Officer George Roy Bullion, who served overseas between 1941 and his death in 1944.

Bullion, who was from Baldur, was 22 years old when he went missing off the coast of what is now Myanmar in December 1944. He was flying as part of the Allied advance.

Dutton said remembering someone like Bullion is important, especially as he was just a regular guy.

“He wasn’t somebody well known, he wasn’t like the Billy Bishops and the famous guys, right, the guys who have the big stories to tell. He was an ordinary Manitoba boy,” she said.

“He was just an ordinary person, and it’s important to know the stories of the individuals,” Dutton added. “He could be anyone’s father or grandfather or son. It’s just an ordinary Manitoba farm boy.”

Bullion served in the No. 273 Squadron, flying Supermarine Spitfires across South and Southeast Asia.

The exhibit includes a uniform, photographs, letters from home, his pilot logbook and more.

“It’s telling the story of (Bullion) coming up to before he enlisted and during his training and experiences overseas,” she said. “It’s certainly an attempt to tell this man’s life story.”

Dutton, whose father was a Second World War veteran and whose uncle died in training, said remembering those who served, and their sacrifices, is incredibly important.

“It’s important that we remember the sacrifice, not only of the guys that didn’t come home, but of those that did,” Dutton said.

Her father became an amputee at the age of 19, before she was born.

She said while people should remember the sacrifices made during wars every day of the year, Remembrance Day itself is the perfect day to premiere the exhibit.

The museum is closed for the season following Remembrance Day, but the new exhibit won’t be removed for “a while,” she said.

The free open house on Remembrance Day is an important way to “remember the legacy” of those who served, said museum director general Zoe McQuinn.

The museum started with veterans wanting to tell their story, McQuinn said.

Brandon and the surrounding area, she said, played a “huge” role during the Second World War.

“A lot of the time, when we’re talking about history, we’re talking about battles and dates. But the families who didn’t have their family member — their loved one — return home were forever affected by this,” McQuinn said, adding that some of those who did return were also forever changed.

Families are encouraged to attend the open house where aircraft, fire trucks and supporting vehicles are on display for people to explore, she said.

“One of the best parts is we have dedicated areas where kids can interact with the pieces of history,” McQuinn said. “It’s not, ‘Let’s stand here and look at things.’ You can actively engage in the displays, and talk to some of our volunteers and learn the little pieces of why it’s relevant to you today.”

There will also be refreshments served during the three-hour open house.

» alambert@brandonsun.com