Doug Matheson RIP

Kyt · Jun 19, 2009

War hero, ex-judge dies while piloting private plane at 88 - Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca

EDMONTON — Despite being shot from the sky during the Second World War, Doug Matheson’s love of flying stayed strong his whole life.

Matheson took to the skies as often as he could until the end of his life. He was killed at the age of 88 when the small plane he was flying crashed earlier this week near Castor, Alta.

"One of the things he said is, when you get up in the air and you’re flying, you’re kind of carefree . . . You have no troubles," recalled longtime friend and fellow aviator Stan Reynolds. "He said he’s going to fly as long as he can."

Matheson learned to fly more than half a century earlier and was a fighter pilot during the war, flying several missions during the Battle of Dieppe.

At 22, he was shot down over German-occupied France while escorting a formation of American bombers in his Spitfire.

At first he was lucky and was taken in by a member of the French resistance. He stayed hidden, living with a French family and assuming a new identity to avoid capture.

But in 1944, his luck ran out.

He was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the prison camp Stalag Luft III. While there, Matheson took part in tunnelling operations for the so-called "Great Escape."

He was released when the war ended, but often spoke of his experiences in the war, sharing history and expertise with those who asked.

Late last year, that included being the technical adviser for an Edmonton play Spiral Dive, which starred 22-year-old actor Blake William Turner.

After a reading at his house, Matheson asked to be put in touch with Turner.

"He tells Blake that he really enjoyed the play, and thought that Blake should be ‘kitted out properly for it,’ " reads a description of the play.

"He invited Blake to his home, so that Blake could try on his battle dress. It fits perfectly, and is worn with great respect every show."

Matheson became a lawyer upon his return to Canada and was eventually made an Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge.

He was a fair judge, but didn’t necessarily keep his opinions to himself, laughed Reynolds.

"He had ideas on how different things, he thought, should be," he said. "He was not a man that was ifs and buts, he was pretty definite on what his thoughts were."

He continued to fly as often as possible, said friend Tom Hinderks, executive director of the Alberta Aviation Museum.

"He kept adding to his plate rather than eliminating from it."

Matheson was instrumental in having Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame moved to Wetaskiwin, Alta., from Edmonton.

Not long before he died, Matheson decided he should learn to fly a helicopter, Hawn recalled.

"He wanted to do that before he died, and so he went out and got qualified on helicopters," he said.

Matheson was found dead in his downed plane on Wednesday after the wreckage was spotted Tuesday by search and rescue teams.
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Antipodean Andy · Jun 21, 2009

At least he died doing what he loved. I hope he felt no pain. RIP.

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Doug Matheson RIP

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