Friday, October 22, 2021 5Brooklin Town Crier Flight Officer John (Jack) French Patterson was one of the brave men and women who brought honour to Brooklin through his service during World War 2. He joined the R.C.A.F. in Toronto in January, 1941, and trained in Brandon and Montreal and received his wings on January 18, 1942 while stationed in MacDonald, Manitoba after which he was sent to an operational training unit for four weeks to prepare him for front-line duties. Patterson quickly rose in rank. He was promoted from Aircraftman Second Class to Sergeant before being sent overseas in February of that year. During his first tour of operations he made 12 flights from the British Isles over German occupied territory. He made 20 more when stationed for six weeks at Gibraltar and in the Middle East. He returned to England in April, 1943, where he instructed aircrew cadets and furloughed in Canada, spending some of the time in Brooklin. Wounded in action Patterson was promoted to Pilot Officer on November 7, 1943 and to Flying Officer in May 1944. He returned to England in June to start his second tour of operations. On September 25, 1944, after his sixth bombing raid over German occupied territory in France, Patterson was seriously wounded flying back to England. He recovered in an English hospital and was demobilized in 1945. Born in Brooklin on April 30, 1915, Patterson was the fifth child of Ernest and Edna Patterson, owners of the Brooklin Creamery. Educated at the Brooklin Continuation School at the corner of Baldwin and Winchester, he worked in the family dairy prior to his enlistment. He married Anna Isobel Grant in 1945 and they made their home at 60 Winchester Road. After the war, with career choices limited due to battle wounds, he became a fine carpenter, working out of a shop in his backyard while Anna was a nurse at the Brooklin Medical Clinic at 2 Princess Street. Active volunteer For 15 years Patterson volunteered as secretary of the Mount Zion Lodge and he was chairman of the Groveside Cemetery Board for many years. He was also a member of the Brooklin and Oshawa Duplicate Bridge clubs, where he served as Director for the Brooklin club and was a life master. His photo hangs in the Brooklin Legion. He played on the Brooklin Lacrosse Club and later become its secretary. He died at home on Tuesday, June 9, 1981. Two days later, Brooklin residents showed their respect when they crowded into the Carson Funeral Home Chapel at 79 Baldwin Street. His wife passed away in 2009. The couple are buried at Groveside. John Patterson's Veterans Banner is hung on Baldwin at Way Street. This youtube link tells his story. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YprdZ_vpSIU Brooklin veteran John Patterson By Jennifer Hudgins 412-418 Tolls... Still there. WindReach Farm, an Ashburn charity and not-for-profit organization, is holding a Halloween Drive-Thru special event at the farm on October 29 and 31st. The Halloween-themed experience will feature your favourite animals, themed stations, podcasts and, of course, some candy along the way! Also, this year, we are adding an option to purchase a ticket for a less-fortunate family that can't afford one. Whether visitors are coming and can spare the cost of an extra ticket or they can't make it but could help another family get here, we ask they consider purchasing a ticket for a family in need and give them an unforgettable Halloween experience. Tickets are $25 per carload and must be pre-purchased, at: https:// starticketing.com/tktweb/event_ view?eventCode=RWA Please contact Ross Ste-Croix at ross.ste-croix@windreachfarm. org for further questions or details. WindReach Farm Halloween Event John Patterson and his mother Edna