Donald Earl Rickert

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95649684
• Military: WW2
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-142012

Notes:

DONALD E. RICKERT

Donald E. Rickert, R.R. # 1 Waterloo, died today at K-W Hospital. He was 46. A lifetime resident of this area, Mr. Rickert was a member of the Elmira high school board and a member of the St. Jacobs Lions Club. He was a planner and estimator in the construction industry for 20 years. For the past five years he was employed by Howald Construction Ltd. He was a member of the Zion United Church, Elmira, serving on the official board, was chairman of the building committee and currently was a steward and trustee of the church. Mr. Rickert was a pilot in the bomber command with the RCAF during the Second World War. Born in Kitchener June 6, 1921, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Morley Rickert. His father died in 1943. He married Helen Armitage in Kitchener in 1942. Surviving are his wife, his mother, a son John and two daughters, Lesley and Catherine, all at home, two brothers, Gerald of Kitchener and Graham of Stratford, two sisters Mrs. Archie (Hazel) Ledingham of Galt and Mrs. Herbert (Rose Mary) of Waterloo. The body will be at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home afternoon Wednesday and until 11 a.m. Friday when removal will be made to Zion Church in Elmira for service aat 3p.m. conducted by Rev. E. Reuber. Burial will be in Union Cemetery, Elmira.

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Flew Costly Cargo Across The Atlantic

July 7, 1945

A costly cargo, consisting of thousands of dollars worth of precious precision instruments, was flown across the Atlantic by PO. Don Rickert, who is now stopping with his mother-in-law, Mrs. Louis Armitage, 57 Henry St., and who is one of numerous young Canadians who can well visualize what is happening to Japan in these days of massed air raids.

For Don was one of those who took part in the 1,000-plane raid on Dortmund "and while we had just a short trip, and thus could really load up with bombs, it's not difficult to imagine the pounding the Japs are taking as the Americans step up the number of planes in these assaults."

SCANNING OPPORTUNITIES

Don, former pupil at Victoria School and K-W Collegiate, married a schoolmate, Helen Armitage, and they are now wondering what's his best move into the peacetime world -providing, of course, that he gets his discharge at the end of the present furlough. At the present time the 23-year-old flier is scanning the various educational opportunities offered Canada's servicemen, PO. Rickert, who enlisted in July, 1942, was commissioned in England, and, in Wellingtons and Lancasters managed to get in on 11 raids over enemy territory.

CAME VIA AZORES

While some people fly the Atlantic in a matter of hours, it took him two weeks from the time he left his English base until he got home, but therein lies a tale. He travelled by way of the Azores spending three days there, but, in addition to having a seven-man crew, he was also carrying two highly-trained technical personnel, and a load of valuable equipment.

This equipment has been flying the ocean for some weeks past now the big bombers being loaded with expensive equipment of every description. It is this material which the air force numbered before packing-the numeral designating the priority of the article in case the planes got into trouble and it was necessary to lighten the loads by Jettisoning some of the cargo. PO. Rickert, like most of his associates, would like to make a postwar career of flying, but realizes that for some time to come it will be an overcrowded profession.

Donald married Helen Mildred Armitage 1942. Helen (daughter of Private Louis Edward Armitage and Elizabeth "Betty" Schwantz) was born 30 Apr 1920, , Ontario, Canada; died 1999; was buried , Elmira Union Cemetery, Elmira, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

John — Linda Mae Sittler. (daughter of Kenneth Harvey Sittler and Doris Ada Fink) [Group Sheet]