Stuart E Soward

Lieutenant Commander Stuart E. Soward, CD, RCN (Rtd), served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (FAA) and the Royal Canadian Navy as a pilot for over 26 years. One of the first Canadian pilots to join the Canadian Naval Air Branch, he served as a member of 825 Squadron aboard Canada's first aircraft carrier HMCS "Warrior" in March 1946. He was an active aviator in several operational squadrons serving extensively aboard HMCS "Magnificent" and HMCS "Bonaventure" and...See more

Lieutenant Commander Stuart E. Soward, CD, RCN (Rtd), served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (FAA) and the Royal Canadian Navy as a pilot for over 26 years. One of the first Canadian pilots to join the Canadian Naval Air Branch, he served as a member of 825 Squadron aboard Canada's first aircraft carrier HMCS "Warrior" in March 1946. He was an active aviator in several operational squadrons serving extensively aboard HMCS "Magnificent" and HMCS "Bonaventure" and ashore at the naval air station HMCS "Shearwater" at Dartmouth, N.S. In 1955 he was commended by the Chief of the Naval Staff for the invention of an improved aircraft night landing signaling system. He assumed command of a naval air squadron in 1961, then was appointed to Naval Headquarters as a member of the naval aviation directorate. He assumed additional duties at that time as the technical advisor on the research and preparation of the official history of Canadian Naval Aviation published in 1965. He retired in 1970, and over his service career flew over 15 military aircraft which included such operational naval carrier aircraft as the Firefly, Avenger, Hellcat, Bearcat, Sea Fury and Tracker. In 1982 he was a contributor to the publication RCN in Retrospect, having presented a paper at that conference. In 1987 his first book, "A Formidable Hero" was published. In 1992 he contributed an article on Maritime Command published in the Defence Associations National News Network. This was followed by his two volume recollective history of Canadian Naval Aviation, Hands To Flying Stations published in 1993 and 1995 respectively. He remains active in military and defence matters having madea submission to the special Joint Committee on Canada's Defence Policy in 1994 and presented papers at the 1997 Conference Canada's Pacific Naval Presence and at the 4th Annual Air Force Historical Conference in 1998. He is a past member of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Officers Association, currently a member of the Canadian Naval Air Group and resides in Victoria, B.C. See less