Groome, Roland (1897-1935) · Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina
For Roland John Groome (1897–1935)
Regina's Roland Groome, born on July 10, 1897, was the first licensed commercial pilot in Canada: the Canadian Air Board (CAB) granted Groome his commercial license in April 1920. Groome enlisted in the Royal Air Force in March 1917 and completed his World War I service as a flying instructor at Camp Mohawk, Ontario. When he returned to Regina after the war, Groome and his plane attracted some attention by making the first delivery of a morning newspaper by air route in Canada. The Morning Leader was first delivered to Moose Jaw by air on May 27, 1919. A founding director of the Regina Flying Club (1927) and a popular instructor, Groome flew into northern Saskatchewan and throughout western Canada. Groome and one of his students were killed when they crashed near Regina on September 20, 1935.
Supports the exact birth date (10 Jul 1897), RFC enlistment (Mar 1917), Camp Mohawk Ontario training — matching Ruth's email that the local history group's interest was 'his training in the RAF in Ontario during WWI' — and the 1935 death. 'Regina's Roland Groome' does not clearly assert a Regina birthplace; none is set (see proposal note).