Version 6.01

03 March 2021

David March © 2014

Photos courtesy of Les Bloom (son)

Dad served with the Royal Canadian Air Force: from what I can read of his discharge papers he served at the rank of LAC, his service # R218489 .

His full name of Gustav Robert Allen Bloom (generally called Al or Allen) is used (he changed his name in 1952 to drop the Gustav) according to the papers he was on active service from 7th July, 1943 and was Honourably Released and transferred to the Reserve, General Section, Class E on the 26th of February 1946

He received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, which is granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who voluntarily served on Active Service and have honourably completed eighteen months (540 days) total voluntary service from September 3, 1939 to March 1, 1947.

He was born (Sept. 6, 1923 - youngest of 9) at Stump Lake, Sask. (North of Canwood) where his parents had a farm. Before the war started he helped on the farm and carried mail (horse and buggy) between Canwood and Stump Lake where one of his sisters was Postmistress and ran the General store. After the war started he joined the RCAF and after training in Ontario was briefly stationed in North Battleford, Sask. (where he met my mother). He requested overseas service but instead spent most of his time in the force driving supplies up and down the Alaska Highway. After leaving the forces he farmed for a time in Stump Lake and then moved to Prince Albert, Sask. with CN Rail. The family later moved to B.C. where he trained and worked as an auto mechanic (owning and operating his own service station / garage at one point) mainly in the lower mainland of BC. He was active in Saint John Ambulance and served as First Aid man in several places where he worked. In semi-retirement managed a Mobile Home Park in Kamloops before returning to the milder climate of Lower Mainland. He was active in Kiwanis Clubs serving on executive councils in some, he loved to Square dance belonging to several clubs where he also served on executive councils, in the areas where he lived and travelled in a progressive series of larger and larger cars/ trucks and campers, travel trailers with the last being a 30’ motor home suitable for extended stays in sunny locations.

He died July 1, 2004 after many years of battling leukaemia.

Informant: Les Bloom (son) by email

ALLEN BLOOM

LAC
R218489