L to R: Flight Sergeant Adolphus Carty, Flight Sergeant William Carty, Leading Aircraftman Clyde Carty, Aircraftman Second Class Donald Carty, and Pilot Officer Gerald Carty.
Image Credit: RCAF Foundation
For the Carty brothers, the RCAF was a family affair. Their father, Albert Carty, and his three brothers-in-law served in the First World War with the No. 2 Construction Battalion. Keeping the family tradition of service strong, five brothers from the Saint John, New Brunswick Carty family became airmen in the RCAF.
Flight Sergeant Adolphus Carty, the eldest, was an airframe mechanic and his brother, Flight Sergeant William Carty, was an aeronautical inspector. Both men served with No. 118 Coastal Artillery Co-operation Squadron, an auxiliary squadron, in the war. Leading Aircraftman Clyde Carty was an RCAF firefighter while his brother, Leading Aircraftman Donald Carty was an equipment assistant. Their younger brother, Gerald “Gerry” Carty, enlisted at age 18 and went on to become one of the youngest commissioned Officers in the RCAF.
After receiving the highest mark in his class on the written exam, Gerry was promoted to Flight Lieutenant at age 19. During the Second World War, he completed a total of 35 missions over enemy-occupied territory, flying in Wellington and Lancaster bombers at a time when Black Canadian bomber pilots were rare. As an aircrew member of Bomber Command, Gerry had one of the most dangerous jobs during the war. He was wounded when his four-engine bomber was stuck and crash landed in France. Carty was rescued by members of the French Resistance and recovered in Britain.
On returning to Canada, Gerry received the first electronic technician certification issued in New Brunswick. He remained involved with aviation, founding the Fredericton Flying Club and serving as its President, establishing Air Acadia, an air charter service with a small fleet of aircraft, and serving as an instructor and Commanding Officer of the Fredericton No. 333 Air Cadet Squadron.
All five Carty brothers survived the war and returned home decorated airmen. After the war, younger brothers, Robert and Malcolm, joined the Army and Air Cadets respectively.
Discover more with the RCAF Foundation’s newest book: “PATHWAYS TO THE STARS”
Authors: Michael Hood & P. Thomas Jenkins
