Memory Project Archive
Gilbert "Gilles" Boulanger (Primary Source)
In 2010, The Memory Project interviewed Gilbert “Gilles” Boulanger, a veteran of the Second World War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from that interview. Boulanger was born in Montmagny, Quebec, on 3 June 1922 to Emile Boulanger and Dauray Lepage. He was one of 10 children. His mother died when he was eight years old, after which he was raised by his father. In 1940, Boulanger quit college and enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He trained as flight staff and as a machine gunner in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, and Mont-Joli, Quebec. In December 1942, he was sent to England for further training. The following year he served in Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, before returning to England. While there, he met Marie Eileen Rees, a RAF Wire Services Operator; they married in May 1944 in London. Boulanger participated in various missions during the war, including D-Day. He returned to Canada in May 1945, followed by his wife (see War Brides). After the war, he had a long, successful career in civil aviation. Boulanger died on 31 December 2013. For more information about his life, please see his book, L’Alouette affolée – Un adolescent à la guerre (1939-45), published in 2006 (re-printed in 2010).Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.