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David Griffin (athlete)

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David Griffin
Black and white photo of an adult male dressed in a Royal Canadian Air Force uniform
Griffin c. 1943
Personal information
Born(1905-05-13)May 13, 1905
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
DiedFebruary 18, 1944(1944-02-18) (aged 38)
Goose Bay, Dominion of Newfoundland
Resting placeCFB Goose Bay Cemetery
OccupationJournalist
Years active1926–1944
Employers
Military career
AllegianceCanada
Service / branchRoyal Canadian Air Force
Years of service1943–1944
RankFlying officer
Known forPublic relations
Sport
CountryCanada
SportMiddle-distance running
Event1500 metres
Club

David Francis Griffin (May 13, 1905 – February 18, 1944) was a Canadian athlete and journalist. He represented Canada in the 1,500-metre event at the 1928 Summer Olympics, had a personal best time of 4:02, and was the national 1 mile (1.6 km) champion in 1927 and 1929. He won the 1,000 yd (910 m) indoor race twice in three years at the 91st Highlanders Athletic Association meet, setting a record time of 2:19, and shared a national record in the 2 mi (3.2 km) indoor medley relay with the Hamilton Olympic Club. Beginning his running career coached by Bobby Kerr at the YMCA in Hamilton, Griffin also represented Canada in the 1930 British Empire Games, and the Tailteann Games, the British Army Games, and the Scottish Games.

Starting in journalism as a press agent for his track and field club, Griffin later worked on the editorial staffs for The Hamilton Spectator, the Windsor Star, and the Toronto Star, and wrote for The Sudbury Star. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1942, was promoted to the rank of flying officer, and handled RCAF public relations. Deployed to the Aleutian Islands, he provided the Canadian press with its limited information on RCAF operations in Alaska. Subsequently transferring to RCAF Eastern Air Command, he reported on events in Atlantic Canada and the Arctic, and died in a plane crash near CFB Goose Bay. His posthumously published book, First Steps to Tokyo, detailed Canadian and American joint efforts against the Empire of Japan culminating in the Battle of Kiska.

Early life and family

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David Francis Griffin was born on May 13, 1905, in Hamilton, Ontario.[1] His parents, Francis Joseph and Alice Griffin,[2][3] were Irish Canadians.[1] He had two brothers and six sisters, attended St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School and later Hamilton Central Collegiate.[4]

Athletics career

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Hamilton YMCA

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While attending high school, Griffin ran international indoor track and field events at the 880 yd (800 m) distance,[5] and was a teammate of Philip Granville and coached by Bobby Kerr at the Hamilton YMCA.[6] In 1923, Griffin ran the Newmarket-to-Toronto relay race, and the four-mile Guelph relay races.[7] In 1924, he placed third in both the 600 yd (550 m) and 1,000 yd (910 m) races of the Ontario indoor championships,[8] and placed second in the 600 yd (550 m) race at the Ontario YMCA championships.[9]

At the 1925 Ontario indoor championships, Griffin placed third in the 1,000 yd race,[10] when the Hamilton YMCA track and field club won its third consecutive provincial indoor championship.[11] Griffin also competed in 1 mi (1.6 km),[12] and 5 mi (8.0 km) races during the indoor season.[13] In April 1925, he was elected president of the Hamilton YMCA track and field club for one year.[14] He won the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the 1925 Caledonian Games in Hamilton,[15] and represented the Hamilton YMCA in the 880 yd (800 m) and 1 mi (1.6 km) races at the Ontario outdoor track and field championships.[16]

Named captain of the Hamilton YMCA track and field club in March 1926,[11] Griffin placed third in the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at that year's Ontario indoor championships.[17] He ran the third leg of both the 1 mi (1.6 km) and 2 mi (3.2 km) relay races won by his team at the Broadview Indoor Carnival. The event was the first time in which the Hamilton YMCA placed ahead of the Toronto Varsity Blues.[18]

Hamilton Olympic Club

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1926 to 1928

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Griffin joined the Hamilton Olympic Club (HOC) in July 1926, coached by Captain J. R. Cornelius.[19] At the 1926 Ontario track and field championships organized by the HOC Griffin placed third in the 880 yd (800 m) race.[20] At the 1926 Canadian track and field championships in Fort William, Ontario, he competed in the 880 yd (800 m) finals and placed second in the 1 mi (1.6 km) event.[21] In the same season, he won the 1 mi (1.6 km) invitational race at the Hamilton Police Service athletic games,[22] and was one of four HOC athletes who competed in the inaugural Ontario decathlon championships.[23]

Black and white photo of a young adult male dressed in white pants and white shirt with Canada written across the chest
Griffin c. 1928

At the 1927 Ontario indoor championships, Griffin placed third in the 1,000 yd (910 m) event.[24] At the national outdoor track and field championships and Olympic trials in 1927, Griffin won the 1 mi (1.6 km) race by 12 yards (11 m), which was reported as an upset at the time,[25][26] and earning a medal from the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada as the Canadian champion.[27] He ran the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) athletics meet later in the season,[28] winning another national event and receiving a bronze trophy from the Canadian National Railway.[29]

In relay racing in the season, Griffin ran the first leg for the HOC which set a national record time of 8:15.4 in the 2 mi (3.2 km) race.[30] He later ran the sixth of ten 3 mi (4.8 km) legs for a HOC victory in the 30 mi (48 km) CNE relay event.[31]

In the 1928 indoor track season, Griffin ran in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Athletic Club indoor meet at Madison Square Garden, and ran the final leg of the international relay where his team placed third.[32] At the 91st Highlanders Athletic Association meet, he won the 1,000 yd (910 m) in a record time of 2:19. He also won the 1 mi (1.6 km) race, and ran in the medley relay also won by the HOC.[33][34]

Trying longer distances, Griffin placed second in the 5,000 m (16,000 ft) event at a Toronto road race.[35] His HOC team placed first in the 2 mi (3.2 km) race at the Ontario relay championships,[36] and he placed third in the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the Ontario track and field championships.[37] Early in 1928, he also competed in the 0.5 mi (0.80 km) event at the United States interscholastic track and field championships at Haverford College.[38]

1928 Summer Olympics

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Black and white aerial view of an oval stadium and its grandstands during the opening ceremonies
Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam) in 1928
Black and white group photo of men and women dressed in formal year
1928 Canadian Olympic team

Griffin placed third in the 1,500 m (4,900 ft) race of the Olympic trials hosted in Hamilton,[39][40] and was chosen to represent Canada in the 1,500-metre event at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[41] The Mail and Empire criticized the number of athletes on the Olympic team from Hamilton, noting that selection committee chairman Melville Marks Robinson, was a journalism colleague of Griffin.[42] The choice of Griffin was defended by him meeting the Olympic standard of 4:09 for 1 mi (1.6 km), since he had a personal best time of 4:02.[42]

Canada's track and field athletes departed Montreal on July 11, aboard SS Albertic bound for Amsterdam.[39][41] Griffin placed fourth in his preliminary race after he fell during the final lap, when in second place at the time.[43] He was eliminated from Olympics during the preliminary race,[44] and had withdrawn from the 3,000 m (9,800 ft) steeplechase in favour of the 1,500 m (4,900 ft) event.[45]

After the Olympics, Griffin participated in the 1 mi (1.6 km) races at the Tailteann Games in Ireland, the British Army Games in England, and the Scottish Games in Glasgow.[46] Canadian athletes also participated in events at Paris and London, and sailed home aboard SS Doric, after winning the Wyoming Cup as a team in Scotland.[47]

1929 to 1930

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At the Canadian indoor championships, runners in the 1,000 yd (910 m) race ran an extra lap due to a mistake by event officials. Griffin was leading the race until the extra lap, when he was passed and placed second. He also ran the final leg of the medley relay won by the HOC.[48] At the club championships for indoor track and field, Griffin was leading the 1,000 yd (910 m) race and on pace for a track record, when he fell on the final lap and did not finish.[49]

Griffin was one of two people named to the HOC executive in 1929, to represent the athletes.[50] He won the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the Canadian championships,[51] then missed several events after being injured in an automobile accident.[52] A month later when HOC had a meet versus a combined team from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, Griffin ran the 1 mi (1.6 km) race but finished poorly after keeping pace for the first half.[53] He competed in the 1 mi (1.6 km) event at the Ontario track and field championships, but placed out of the medals.[54] In the 1930 indoor season, Griffin won the 1,000 yd (910 m) race for the second time in three years at the 91st Highlanders Athletics Association meet.[55]

Later career

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Griffin competed for Canada in the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton as a Toronto Central YMCA athlete.[56][57][58] Later in the same season, he placed second in the 1 mi (1.6 km) race at the Royal Canadian Legion track and field meet,[59] but collapsed after leading in the steeplechase event at the Canadian track and field championships.[60] After the completing the indoor track and field season with the Toronto Central YMCA,[61] he attempted a comeback with the HOC in 1931.[62] His final race was a third-place finish at a 1 mi (1.6 km) HOC event in 1932.[63]

Journalism career

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Black and white group photo of 27 men and women dressed in formal wear
The Hamilton Spectator journalists in 1926 (Griffin, back row fourth from right)

In 1924, Griffin was named a press agent of the Hamilton YMCA track and field club.[64] He began in journalism with The Hamilton Spectator,[65][66] where he was on the reporting staff as of 1926, and a colleague of Melville Marks Robinson and Ivan Miller.[67] Griffin was the newspaper's reporter for track and field events in which he participated.[21] He was later on The Hamilton Spectator editorial staff,[4] and was briefly on the Windsor Star editorial staff c. 1932.[68] He also wrote for The Sudbury Star, and was the assistant city editor of the Toronto Star.[4][65][66] His colleagues at the Toronto Star knew him as a "story teller", and referred to him as "lucky" since "no matter what happened, he seemed to come out on top".[56]

Military service and death

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Griffin enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) special reserve on November 12, 1942,[1] and was previously a reservist with the Irish Regiment of Canada.[56] He was assigned service number C/24863, and promoted to the rank of flying officer.[2][3] He became an RCAF public relations officer in March 1943, and served in Ottawa, Halifax, and the Aleutian Islands.[65][66] Deployed to the Kiska shortly before the Empire of Japan withdrew its forces,[69] Griffin provided the Canadian press with its limited information on RCAF operations in Alaska.[70] He subsequently transferred to RCAF Eastern Air Command based in Halifax,[71] reporting on events in Atlantic Canada and the Arctic.[56]

A four-engine military aircraft flying over a large body of water
An RCAF Liberator, c. 1943

Griffin died in a plane crash on February 18, 1944, near Goose Bay, Dominion of Newfoundland, the only casualty aboard a Liberator bomber on a ferry flight from Iceland to CFB Goose Bay in foggy conditions.[a] Piloted by A. I. Imrie, both of the plane's starboard engines failed, and there was no radio contact due to ice and snow static. Despite being only six minutes from their destination, Imrie attempted landing in trees since lakes were not an option during the spring melt. On descent, the plane lilted to the right and spun when it struck a tree. The plane's tail then struck another tree, ejecting Griffin. When the crew located him, he was "beyond help".[73]

Eastern Air Command searched for the plane thought downed in the Atlantic Ocean.[65][66] A United States Army plane located the wreck.[4] The five survivors were rescued on March 6, 1944.[74] Griffin's body was recovered by a dog sled team of the United States Air Force, and taken to CFB Goose Bay for burial in a flag-draped casket by the survivors of the crash.[73] He was interred in the Goose Bay Joint Services Cemetery.[2][3]

Black and white photo of military ships and soldiers unloading equipment onto a rocky ocean beach
Allied landing at Kiska, August 1943

Griffin's book, First Steps to Tokyo, was posthumously published in April 1944. It detailed Canadian and American joint efforts to prevent Japan from using the Aleutian Islands to threaten the Pacific coast of North America, which culminated in the Battle of Kiska. He wrote that the RCAF was the last to attack the Japanese in three missions on July 26, 1943, bombing a landing strip before the Japanese departure. His book told of hardships endured by Canadians, the unpredictable weather, and their recreational time skiing and salmon fishing.[69][75]

In November 1946, Griffin was one of 18 Toronto journalists commemorated on a plaque at the Toronto Press Club for those who died during the Second World War.[76] He was also one of 27 Canadians listed in a Second World War book of honour at the London Press Club, commemorating British Empire journalists.[77] His name appears on page 322 of the Canadian Second World War Book of Remembrance.[2]

Marriage and personal life

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Griffin was Catholic,[1] and fished as recreation with his newspaper colleagues.[78] In 1942, he was vice-president of the Ulster Assistance Association in Toronto, to benefit servicemen in Belfast.[79] He was married to Margaret Lenore Griffin (née Ott). They were wed approximately 18 months upon his death.[1][80] He wrote from Iceland to his wife shortly before the fatal flight, about gifts he was bringing home from Europe to her. He had at least two brothers who also served in the military.[56]

Notes

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  1. ^
    • Griffin died on February 18, 1944, near Goose Bay, Newfoundland.[2][3]
    • Griffin was a passenger aboard a Liberator bomber.[4][65][66]
    • Griffin was a passenger on ferry flight from Iceland to Newfoundland.[72][73]
    • The plane carrying Griffin crashed attempting to land at CFB Goose Bay in foggy conditions.[56]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Royal Canadian Air Force Officer's Application and Record Sheet". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Ottawa, Ontario: Veterans Affairs Canada. November 12, 1942. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Flying Officer David Francis Griffin". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Ottawa, Ontario: Veterans Affairs Canada. January 29, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Flying Officer David Francis Griffin". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Former Newspaperman Killed In Accident At East Coast". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. February 22, 1944. p. 7.
  5. ^ "Hamilton Athletes Proved the Better Against Lafayette". The Hamilton Spectator. March 1, 1924. p. 35.
  6. ^ ""Y" Athletes Are Training Hard For Indoor Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. January 25, 1924. p. 34.
  7. ^ ""Y" Athletes to Run At Toronto". The Hamilton Spectator. October 26, 1923. p. 36.
  8. ^ "Four New Records Were Established At Big Meet Here". The Hamilton Spectator. March 10, 1924. p. 16.; "Four New Records Were Established At Big Meet Here (Continued from page 16)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 10, 1924. p. 18.
  9. ^ "Jack Histed Set New High Mark In High Jump At Big Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. March 22, 1924. p. 36.
  10. ^ "New Records Made In Championships". The Hamilton Spectator. March 6, 1925. p. 22.; "New Records Made In Championships (Continued from Page 22)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 6, 1925. p. 25.
  11. ^ a b ""Y" Team Holds Annual Meeting". The Hamilton Spectator. March 20, 1926. p. 24.
  12. ^ "Central Indoor Titular Week". Toronto Star. April 16, 1925. p. 15.
  13. ^ "Local Runners Third In Race". The Hamilton Spectator. December 1, 1924. p. 17.
  14. ^ "Dave Griffin Is Elected Head of "Y" Organization". The Hamilton Spectator. April 22, 1925. p. 11.
  15. ^ "Keen Competition In Annual Scotch Games". The Hamilton Spectator. July 20, 1925. p. 15.
  16. ^ "Ontario Athletes at Oshawa on Saturday". Toronto Star. August 5, 1925. p. 11.
  17. ^ "Great Duels Featured Final Night of Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. March 15, 1926. p. 16.; "Great Duels Featured Final Night of Meet (Continued from opposite page)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 15, 1926. p. 17.
  18. ^ "Hamilton "Y" Broke Record at Broadview". The Hamilton Spectator. March 24, 1926. p. 22.
  19. ^ "Olympic Club Athletes Made Impressive Start In Initial Test Trial". The Hamilton Spectator. July 15, 1926. p. 93.
  20. ^ "Surprising Upsets Sent Many Outstanding Stars to Defeat". The Hamilton Spectator. July 26, 1926. p. 16.; "Surprising Upsets Sent Many Outstanding Stars to Defeat (Continued from opposite page)". The Hamilton Spectator. July 26, 1926. p. 17.
  21. ^ a b Griffin, Dave (August 4, 1926). "Hamilton Boys Made Creditable Showing". The Hamilton Spectator. p. 16.
  22. ^ "Queen City Bluecoats Star In Annual Games". The Hamilton Spectator. July 29, 1926. p. 20.; "Queen City Bluecoats Star In Annual Games (Continued from opposite page)". The Hamilton Spectator. July 29, 1926. p. 21.
  23. ^ "Hamilton Stars in Toronto Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. September 18, 1926. p. 34.
  24. ^ "Ritola and Plant Both Made New Records Here". The Hamilton Spectator. March 31, 1927. p. 22.; "Ritola and Plant Both Made New Records Here (Continued from opposite page)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 31, 1927. p. 23.
  25. ^ "Two Canadian Records Are Made at Olympic Trials; Girl Jumper Goes Higher". Windsor Star. August 22, 1927. p. 14.
  26. ^ "Track and Field Results". Toronto Star. August 22, 1927. p. 10.
  27. ^ Robinson, M. M. (June 16, 1928). "Promising Lot of Mile Runners". The Hamilton Spectator. p. 28.
  28. ^ "Over 350 Athletes in Exhibition Meet". Toronto Star. September 2, 1927. p. 11.
  29. ^ "Hamilton Runner Is Chosen For Olympics". The Hamilton Spectator. September 19, 1927. p. 17.
  30. ^ "Canadian Two-Mile Relay Mark Broken". The Hamilton Spectator. June 25, 1927. p. 28.
  31. ^ "Olympic Club Squad Scored Soft Victory". The Hamilton Spectator. November 14, 1927. p. 17.
  32. ^ "Canadian Relay Team Unable To Hold Lead". The Hamilton Spectator. February 3, 1928. p. 22.; "Canadian Relay Team Unable To Hold Lead (Continued from page 22)". The Hamilton Spectator. February 3, 1928. p. 25.
  33. ^ "Records Shattered at Armories Last Night". The Hamilton Spectator. March 22, 1928. p. 20.
  34. ^ "Record List Revised As Result of Races". The Hamilton Spectator. March 22, 1928. p. 22.
  35. ^ "Galt Runner Outclasses Big Field In Marathon". Toronto Star. April 7, 1928. p. 11.
  36. ^ "Hamilton Olympics Win All the Relays". Toronto Star. June 15, 1928. p. 13.
  37. ^ "Ontario Men's Track and Field Championships". Toronto Star. June 25, 1928. p. 12.
  38. ^ "Prospective Olympic Team Men Prominent". The Hamilton Spectator. May 19, 1928. p. 30.
  39. ^ a b "Nine of These Canadians for the Olympics – One Stays at Home". Toronto Star. July 11, 1928. p. 8.
  40. ^ Robinson, M. M. (June 30, 1928). "All Canada Sends Talent to Trials". Windsor Star. p. 15.
  41. ^ a b "Canadian Olympic Track Team Selected: Bobby Kerr Will Captain 25 Athletes". Windsor Star. July 3, 1928. p. 16.
  42. ^ a b "Real Facts Regarding Selection of Athletes". The Hamilton Spectator. July 5, 1928. p. 19.
  43. ^ Marsh, Lou E. (August 1, 1928). "Jean Thompson, Pickard and Rosenfeld Advance to Finals in Events". Toronto Star. p. 1.; Marsh, Lou E. (August 1, 1928). "Jean Thompson, Pickard and Rosenfeld Advance to Finals in Events (Continued from Page One)". Toronto Star. p. 2.
  44. ^ "Canuck Deeds At Amsterdam". Windsor Star. August 2, 1928. p. 21.
  45. ^ "Percy Williams Takes 200 Metres At Amsterdam". Windsor Star. August 1, 1928. p. 1.
  46. ^ Ingram, W. H. (August 3, 1928). "Canadian Squad to Participate in Three Meets". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. p. 22.
  47. ^ Robinson, M. M. (August 27, 1928). "Canadian Team Ends Successful Journey". The Hamilton Spectator. p. 16.
  48. ^ "Records Shattered By Canadian Athletes at Toronto Indoor Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. February 22, 1929. p. 24.; "Records Shattered By Canadian Athletes at Toronto Indoor Meet (Continued from page 24)". The Hamilton Spectator. February 22, 1929. p. 27.
  49. ^ "Thrills Galore When Records Were Broken Over Indoor Speedway". The Hamilton Spectator. March 21, 1929. p. 24.; "Thrills Galore When Records Were Broken Over Indoor Speedway (Continued from page 24)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 21, 1929. p. 26.
  50. ^ "Remarkable Success Achieved by H.O.C." The Hamilton Spectator. May 17, 1929. p. 34.; "Remarkable Success Achieved by H.O.C. (Continued from Page 34)". The Hamilton Spectator. May 17, 1929. p. 37.
  51. ^ "Toronto Marathoners Get A Real Trouncing". Toronto Star. May 25, 1929. p. 10.
  52. ^ "Olympic Runner Hurt at Hamilton In Auto Smash". Toronto Star. June 1, 1929. p. 8.
  53. ^ "Fitzpatrick, Edwards, Brilliant as Ox-Cams Score Close Victory". The Hamilton Spectator. July 8, 1929. p. 16.; "Fitzpatrick, Edwards, Brilliant as Ox-Cams Score Close Victory (Continued from page 16)". The Hamilton Spectator. July 8, 1929. p. 18.
  54. ^ "Big Entry List for Track and Field Meet". Toronto Star. August 9, 1929. p. 9.
  55. ^ "Records Shattered As Great Runners Showed Wares on Board Track". The Hamilton Spectator. March 20, 1930. p. 30.; "Records Shattered As Great Runners Showed Wares on Board Track (Continued from opposite page)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 20, 1930. p. 31.
  56. ^ a b c d e f "'Lucky Grif's' Luck Failed: Only One of Crew to Die". Toronto Star. February 22, 1944. p. 2.
  57. ^ "What Will These Athletes Do at the British Empire Games?". Toronto Star. July 26, 1930. p. 12.
  58. ^ Marsh, Lou E. (August 6, 1930). "With Pick and Shovel". Toronto Star. p. 8.
  59. ^ "Cleveland Star Features Games". The Hamilton Spectator. August 5, 1930. p. 15.
  60. ^ "Sensational Running By Olympic Champion Featured Title Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. August 11, 1930. p. 16.; "Sensational Running By Olympic Champion Featured Title Meet (Continued from page 16)". The Hamilton Spectator. August 11, 1930. p. 18.
  61. ^ "Brilliant Marquette Four Breaks World's Record in 91st Meet". The Hamilton Spectator. March 19, 1931. p. 24.; "Brilliant Marquette Four Breaks World's Record in 91st Meet (Continued from page 24)". The Hamilton Spectator. March 19, 1931. p. 26.
  62. ^ "Eddie Rae Best in Feature Run At The Stadium". The Hamilton Spectator. July 4, 1931. p. 23.
  63. ^ "Halifax Star Runs In Relay At Local Park". The Hamilton Spectator. August 27, 1932. p. 22.
  64. ^ "Int. Cagers Clash in Semifinal at Y.M.C.A. Tonight". The Hamilton Spectator. March 15, 1924. p. 36.
  65. ^ a b c d e "F.O. David Griffin Missing; Liberator Bomber Overdue". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. February 21, 1944. p. 7.
  66. ^ a b c d e "Six Canadians Believed Lost On Bomber". Ottawa Journal. The Canadian Press. February 21, 1944. p. 1.; "Six Canadians (Continued from Page One)". Ottawa Journal. The Canadian Press. February 21, 1944. p. 12.
  67. ^ "Members of the Spectator Editorial Staff". The Hamilton Spectator. July 15, 1926. p. 14.
  68. ^ "Flying Officer David Griffin Killed, Five Safe in Crash". Windsor Star. February 22, 1944. p. 7.
  69. ^ a b "David Griffin's Book Tells of Aleutians". Toronto Star. April 8, 1944. p. 15.
  70. ^ Marshall, John (October 6, 1943). "Today In Ottawa". Windsor Star. p. 20.
  71. ^ "Griffin Dead Five Others Safe". Ottawa Journal. The Canadian Press. February 22, 1944. p. 1.; "Griffin Dead (Continued from Page One)". Ottawa Journal. The Canadian Press. February 22, 1944. p. 10.
  72. ^ "Olympians Who Died in Aviation Crashes". Olympedia. 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  73. ^ a b c "Details Given of Rescue of Two District Airmen In North". Windsor Star. April 3, 1944. p. 5.; "Rescue (Continued from Page 5)". Windsor Star. April 3, 1944. p. 6.
  74. ^ "Dog-Teams Remove Crash Survivors". Montreal Star. The Canadian Press. March 6, 1944. p. 6.
  75. ^ McIntosh, Ian (May 27, 1944). "Aleutian Fogs". Windsor Star. p. 15.
  76. ^ "Alexander Unveils Plaque in Honor of Newspapermen". Toronto Star. November 22, 1946. p. 25.
  77. ^ "27 Canada Reporters Honored in Memorial". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. November 27, 1947. p. 2.
  78. ^ Jackson, Fred (September 19, 1941). "Spinning the Sports Wheel". Toronto Star. p. 16.
  79. ^ "Ulster Group Here Thanked By Belfast". Toronto Star. January 31, 1942. p. 35.
  80. ^ "Wife of Killed Flier Local Girl". The Expositor. Brantford, Ontario. February 23, 1944. p. 5.
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