My Military Ancestor – Benjamin Nelson Harrop WWI Pilot

Day 3 of the 11-day Military Challenge

In rural Saskatchewan (before it was a Province) in a small town called Indian Head, Benjamin Nelson Harrop was born on a fall day in October, 1894.

Growing up on the farm, helping his father William with chores seems a long way off from piloting planes in WWI but that is where life took him.

Benjamin wasn’t the Harrop to fight in WWI but he was the only WWI pilot in my family. I located a photograph of him on Ancestry in the database Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950

Benjamin received his certificate on a Maurice Farman biplane at the Royal Naval Air Station in Eastbourne in 1916.

While in England he married Cecil Powel in 1917 and at the end of the war returned safely to Canada with his bride.

In WWII he became Wing Commander and was the chief supervisor at an Air School in Winnipeg.

Benjamin spent his life as a pilot.

I was able to locate his death record on the Royal B.C. Museum database and upon learning he died in Kelowna a search at Find-a-Grave lead to me to his headstone.

R.I.P. Benjamin Harrop.

#mymilitaryancestor