Twenty-five years and 22 Spitfires

“The only one who would know more about his military career would be Sid himself.”

Titled ‘Traded for 22 Spitfires,’ this is his first book.

Sid Ford was also from Liverpool, and served in World War II as a fighter pilot. Ford enlisted in 1940, and was the first person in the Commonwealth pilot training to reach the rank of wing commander, and also the youngest person to hold the rank.

He was twice decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, sank a German destroyer and reached Ace status. A German E-Boat shot down Ford off the Dutch coast in 1943.

Nickerson first became interested in Ford after seeing a photograph of him in a Reader’s Digest volume on Canadians at war. He excitedly showed his mother the article, who told him the little she knew about Ford.

That was the start of the journey.

“I knew absolutely nothing (then) about Canada’s contribution to the war. Our Canadian history was on how Canada was formed, the great depression, settling the west, the English and French Wars, et cetera,” says Nickerson.

It was difficult to piece together the life of Ford, since no direct relatives are living. Nickerson’s research took him to Ottawa, where he pored through diaries of Squads that Ford served on, and wrote letters to veterans associations looking for people that knew him.

Nickerson also got a chance to talk to Johnnie Johnson, the leading ace in the Royal Air Force during the war. According to Johnson, Ford was the one who showed him how to properly harmonize his guns for better accuracy.

Nickerson also believes that this is the first book published about Ford.

“Unfortunately people who study war aviation judge a pilot by how many planes he shot down. There’s a heck of a lot more involved. He was responsible for the life of 11 other guys every mission they flew. To make sure they’re in the right positions, you certainly sacrifice any personal victories for the group as a whole.”

Sentinel Printing in Yarmouth printed the book, with a first run of 250 copies. Nickerson is selling them for $20, and donating $10 of that to the Legion. Copies will be available directly through Nickerson.

“I feel that the legion is always giving. They give to all these organizations.”

He’s also doing book launches at several locations in the coming month.

On Oct. 18 he’ll be in Yarmouth from 11 a.m. to 3p.m. In Liverpool, he’ll be at the Queens County Museum on Nov. 8 from 2-4 p.m. to promote his book, and will give a talk to the historical society at the museum on Nov. 19. There is also a planned launch at the Liverpool Royal Canadian Legion on Nov. 22, with a time to be determined.