The Professor and The Pilots

Letters Home from Wartime London by a Canadian Psychologist

This unique collection of letters offers a vivid glimpse of life in wartime London. C. Roger Myers, a young psychology professor at the University of Toronto, was appointed as advisor to the RAF on methods for pilot selection and training. His research at air bases in the UK and North America, significantly contributed to the reduction of the loss of pilots and planes. Many letters illuminate his struggle with fatigue and loneliness, missing his young family in Canada, while humour and satire shine through others. Myers was an entertaining storyteller and keen observer of daily life in Britain. He describes his frustration with the traditionalist approach of the RAF and the eccentricities of his senior colleague. Myers’ account is enhanced by letters from his wife, Helen, who like many women during wartime, did not expect to sign up to be a single parent.