The guy on the far right in this picture is my great uncle Duke Schiller, and beside him is my great aunt Ada. Ada is my grandfather Kelly Greer’s sister. That’s Dukes brother Ken sitting across from him. Both men were killed in action during WWII. Duke was just 43 years old.
Clarence Alvin “Duke” Schiller was born to be a pilot, and during his day was the best pilot ever to come out of Canada, according to the New York Times. Uncle Dukes exploits were legendary, as his uncanny skill, as a pilot, earned him a reputation of honor and respect all over the world. At the time of his death he was the Senior Flight Captain with the Royal Air force Ferry Command. Uncle Duke was flying a lend-lease Canso airplane (pictured above) when it crashed off the Bermuda coast during a mission. Duke and most of his crew were killed, and he is buried on Bermuda.
Duke had a colorful and fascinating career as a bush pilot, flying instructor, mercy flight pilot and hero, along with being one of Canada’s best speed racers. (planes) Uncle Duke actually joined the Canadian Army when WWI broke out, but was given an honorable discharge when it was discovered he was only 14 years old. He then sailed for England and joined the Royal Flying Corps. Still to young to fly combat missions, he remained in the RAF as a flight instructor. Duke became a bush pilot and commercial aviator after the war. He teamed up with the famous speed boat racing team of Gar Wood, and was preparing for a transatlantic flight with co-pilot Phil Wood, when his backers pulled out, due to a couple other flights ending in tragedy. Uncle Duke had several daring rescues in Newfoundland, Greenland, and Northern Ontario during his bush pilot days.
Dukes brother Ken, a flight sergeant, was the navigator aboard a Lancaster bomber that crashed during a bombing run for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
There is quite a lot of information on the Internet about my great uncle, and I’m finding out he wasn’t the only famous pilot on my mothers side of the family. I’m doing some research right now on two other uncles that made there mark on the history of aviation.
Mike
What a great story, and a great family line you have their Mike. Can you imagine a 14yr old kid having the motivation to enlist in this day an age. Oh how those were different times.