Lieutenant Colonel E.J. Watt
240th (Renfrew) Battalion

I would prefer to assist in organizing Bombing squadrons composed of men of 45 years of age & over who could qualify as aviators.… Teach us to fly and drop Bombs. Just as soon as we are competent and capable send us to France, give us machines and bombs and say ‘This is your machine, there are your bombs and there’s the enemy country so go to it and if you come back, there are plenty more bombs. And I herewith volunteer to take the first machine across and knock H– out of enemy infantry & country.

(E.J. Watt to defence minister, 26 Sept 1939)

Born in Lamarck, Ontario on 4 July 1884, Edgar John Watt was a stove and furnace manufacturer with twelve years’ experience in the 42nd Regiment. Although denied a posting as second-in-command of the 130th Battalion for lacking field officer qualifications, by June 1916 he had been given command of the 240th Battalion. Former 42nd Regiment commanding officer, fifty-three year old Lennox Irving, came out of retirement to serve as Watt’s second-in-command.

Continue reading →