Dorsan “Sam” Lambert grew up just outside of Bruges, Belgium, on a small plot of land his family cultivated. He was only 9 years old when the Second World War began, and it was only eight months later Germany would occupy Belgium for the remainder of the war. “It was simply terrifying. I was afraid for 4 years, non-stop,” Sam said.
One of the core pillars of The Royal Canadian Legion is supporting the tradition of Remembrance –amplifying the stories of Veterans who have served our country is one way of continuing this tradition.
By Brandon Martin
Brandon Martin has spent a few weeks with the Legion as part of the journalism program at Ottawa’s Carleton University. (Photo credits: Sam Lambert)
Sam posing beside a McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo at Comox Airport in Comox, British Columbia, in 2022. The RCAF acquired 66 voodoos from the US Airforce in 1961 to replace the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck.
My grandfather, Sam, moved cautiously from the doorway where he greeted me as I walked inside. Originally an electrician by trade, Sam built every one of the 30 rooms inside his 10,000 sq ft., neoclassical style mansion with his wife of 45 years, Gabrielle, before she passed in 1999. It took him 30 years to complete, going one room at a time. We sat down together at his kitchen table, and he took the head seat, of course, being the only chair with a cushion on it.
My grandfather turned 93 years old in May. After suffering two strokes in 2017, he doesn’t quite move the same as he once did, but my family jokes that it slowed him down for the better. We’d often show up to find him 30 ft high on a ladder by himself without a care in the world. “You know I’ve been much higher,” he’d say. That was difficult to argue – Sam was an instructor and test pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during its golden age, a period throughout the 1950’s characterized by increased military spending that led to the development of legendary Canadian aircrafts such as the F-86 Sabre and the CF-100 Canuck fighters.
One of the core pillars of The Royal Canadian Legion is supporting the tradition of Remembrance –amplifying the stories of Veterans who have served our country is one way of continuing this tradition. Sharing my grandfather’s story through the following passages has not only allowed me to pay homage to him, but to also express my gratitude to all veterans during this period of Remembrance.
Sam climbs into the cockpit of a Gloster Meteor while flying with the Belgian Airforce. The British aircraft was the only allied jet fighter in WWII to see combat.
Dorsan “Sam” Lambert grew up just outside of Bruges, Belgium, on a small plot of land his family cultivated. He was only 9 years old when the Second World War began, and it was only eight months later Germany would occupy Belgium for the remainder of the war. “It was simply terrifying. I was afraid for 4 years, non-stop,” Sam said. He often recites the story of his family’s chicken coop being blown up by a grenade or being nearly blown to smithereens himself by two British De Havilland Mosquito bombers while walking home from the grocery store.
Considering the devastation caused by the Second World War, Sam and his family were lucky. He attended trade school post-war and joined the Belgian Airforce in 1951 to be trained as an electrician on aircraft. During basic training, his eyes began to wander towards the young Belgian pilots being trained on the Supermarine Spitfire. “I had this crazy idea – maybe I could do that too,” Sam said. He approached his commanding officer and a few signatures later he was off to Brussels for medical and physical testing. “It was brutal. When I went back home that night, I was hanging on the wall at the bus stop. I couldn’t move I was so sore,” Sam said.
To his surprise, he passed, and began his training some weeks later, starting off by logging hours in a biplane. During his training in Belgium, his squadron was approached by a commanding officer who floated the idea of training in Canada. Sam was one of only several who raised their hands, and soon found himself training in Ontario and Manitoba. Conditions were dangerous in Canada, especially during his time in Ontario, here he experienced his first Canadian winter thousands of feet in the air. He’d be one of two pilots to make it back to Belgium still with their wings after one of his comrades was killed while flying in a snowstorm. After the accident, four of his comrades, fearful of the dangers of flying, quit the military and headed back home.
Following one year of training in Canada, Sam was back in Belgium and quickly becoming an expert flying the largest and most advanced jet the Belgian Air Force had to offer: the Gloster Meteor. His demonstrated proficiency in the Meteor allowed Sam to build his reputation as a pilot, and eventually he was approached by a General with the prospect of becoming an instructor. He said it was a tough job, and much more hands-on than his current obligations: one flight in the morning, one in the afternoon, and a few hours of cards in-between. Now a married man, Sam decided to take the job.
Still, he had doubts. The postwar economy in Belgium was still recovering and Sam wanted to build a future for his family – he couldn’t stop thinking about Canada. “I saw Canada and I thought, this is the country for me. This is a country with opportunities, nice people, and everyone is welcome here. I saw Canada as a place you could do anything you wanted,” Sam said.
Luckily, his wife was on board. “I said to my wife, ‘do you agree to come to Canada with me?’ she said, ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’”
This was the beginning of Sam’s near decade-long career with the RCAF, mainly stationed in Comox Valley, British Columbia, flying as an instructor and test pilot with the 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. During his last two years with the RCAF Sam served as a test pilot, evaluating repairs on the McDonnel F-101 Voodoos and the Lockheed T-33s.
Sam (front row on one knee) photographed with the 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Comox, British Columbia. The unit was formed for night operations during the Second World War, earning the nickname the 409 ‘Nighthawk’ squadron.
With the 100th anniversary of the RCAF being this year, this is the perfect opportunity to share my grandfather’s story. He says serving in the RCAF gave him discipline, however, I also think it made him fearless, driven, and unwavering in the pursuit of life. As I sit here writing this article, I think of the uncles, aunts, cousins, and other relatives I have in Canada because my grandfather, Sam, risked his life and pursued a career with the RCAF. He still resides at the home he built in Surrey, British Columbia, and spends his time working on his property, but now without a ladder.
About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., and Europe. With over 260,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.
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