Our Heroes

Duncan Traylen McKillop was born on July 5, 1910, in Calgary, Alberta, and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. A devoted husband and father of three, he answered the call to serve his country during the Second World War by enlisting with the Royal Canadian Air Force. In January 1943, tragedy struck when his youngest son passed away, yet his request for compassionate leave to attend the funeral was denied—a sacrifice emblematic of his unwavering duty.

In June 1944, while serving aboard a Lancaster Mark III, Duncan’s aircraft was shot down over Volkel, Noord-Brabant, Holland. Severely burned, he was taken to a German hospital and later transferred to the prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III on his 34th birthday. In January 1945, he and his fellow POWs were forced on a brutal march across Europe through Hamburg, during which he nearly succumbed to dysentery. Liberated on May 7, 1945, Duncan was awarded the Caterpillar Pin for surviving a bailout. Standing over six feet tall, he returned home weighing only 120 pounds—a testament to his endurance and courage.

Following the war, Duncan resigned from the RCAF and returned to Calgary, where he continued to serve his community with dedication. He joined the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, first as an accountant and later as manager of the Corral and the Big Four Building, a role he held until 1966. He went on to work briefly for a flooring company, securing the contract for the Calgary Tower, and later managed his son’s legal practice.

Duncan Traylen McKillop passed away on January 8, 1987, at the age of 76. His service, resilience, and commitment to both family and country stand as an enduring legacy, remembered with gratitude and respect.