Victory Loans were appeals to Canadians by the federal government for funds to help finance the war effort during WWII.
Nine appeals were launched between June 1941 and November 1945. War revenue was roughly evenly split between corporate and individual contributions amounting to approximately $12 billion.
“Paratroopers invaded Manitoba and inaugurated the 6th Victory Loan campaign. Following a ceremony at the Legislature Building in Winnipeg, twenty-two paratroopers carrying Victory Shields by plane, parachuted to many units throughout the province.” (Apr. 27, 1944, Dauphin Herald and Press)
Local residents turned out in record numbers on the Saturday afternoon of Apr. 22, 1944, to watch 18-year old Canadian paratrooper, Private Fred “Sticky” Stokotelny, make a spectacular jump from a twin-engine Lodestar aircraft flying at 800 feet above the fairgrounds. Skilled in spot landing it took Private Stokotelny less than a minute to drop to the infield of the race track. Upon touchdown he disengaged himself from the parachute harness and did an “on the double” sprint to deliver Unit 38’s Victory Loan shield to Mayor Johnston.
On behalf of the armed forces he appealed to citizens of the Dauphin area to lend every possible dollar in order that “our fighting men may continue to have the best of equipment in sufficient quantities.”
The jump on Saturday afternoon was the eighth one for Stokotelny and the 15 mile per hour wind nearly carried him right into his parent’s backyard. After the presentation, Stokotelny and the mayor embarked on a car ride through Dauphin’s main streets.
The next evening the official inauguration of the 6th Victory loan in Dauphin was marked by an official presentation of Unit 38’s shield at a rally held at the Dauphin Theatre.
The shield was presented by Private Stokotelny to local war finance chairman W. L. Breadner. In accepting the shield Breadner pledged full support to the unit to attain Dauphin’s commitment of raising $425,000.
Stokotelny also presented similar shields to Group Captain J.C. Huggard and Wing Commander H.E. Stewart, commanding officers of the two local air training facilities.
On behalf of No. 10 S.F.T.S and No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School both pledged campaigns of $75,000 and $80,000.
As part of the evening program, Flying Officer Donald Keith, a Nova Scotian stationed at the Elementary Flying Training School in Neepawa, gave an inspiring presentation of his enlistment as a pilot.
After 85 hours of training he was deemed combat ready. Keith was one of the first 44 Canadians to land in England and on April 5, 1940, he saw his first action. After spending a year as a Spitfire pilot, Keith was transferred to Singapore. On February 5, 1942, the boat transporting the troops was bombed for seven hours by the Japanese. Nine hundred servicemen were killed and another 400 wounded.
Keith escaped with four other airmen in a small boat and was later picked up by a battleship heading for Java. Fighting with the Dutch army the five airmen went to the front, held out for seven days and then headed for the hills. For 29 days they lived on coconut milk, bananas, berries and fruit.
They came upon a sampan and started on the 2500-mile trek to Australia. Five days later they were rescued and landed at Ceylon. Several weeks later they were sent to Australia where Keith was issued a tropical uniform consisting of a pair of shorts, a shirt, a pair of boots and a pistol.
He was wearing the same uniform when he returned to air force headquarters in Ottawa on July 24, 1943. Keith’s description of his escapes and sheer horror of modern warfare served to prove to the audience of backing “our fighting men to the full.”
The evening continued with violin and accordion solos by members of the paratroop show who had earlier entertained at No. 10 and No. 7. They were followed with some spirited community singing. Two war related films, “Target Berlin” and “War Department Report” concluded the evening’s program.
Victory Loan appeals during the course of WWII encouraged the citizens of the Dauphin area to contribute to Manitoba’s provincial quota.
