The Sailor and The Airman were both erected in Canadian Memorial United Church by Mr. William Poulton and their inscriptions are to be read together. For many years, Mr. Poulton and his wife had taken a great interest in Canadian Memorial Chapel.
A tribute to the many young Canadians who lost their lives on the high seas while serving in Canada’s navy, The Sailor depicts an ordinary seaman with sincerity, strength and courage standing out in his strong face.
The Airman honours the hundreds of young Canadians who gave their lives in flimsy aircraft with the Royal Flying Corps or Royal Naval Air Service and, when the two joined, the Royal Air Force. It was reproduced from a painting by Sir William Orpen, R.A., and depicts the extreme youthfulness of those who served in the Royal Air Force in the First World War. It was unveiled by Mrs. N. B. Gale, sister of the late Mrs. Wm. Poulton and dedicated by Reverend Arthur Bischlager, Naval Chaplain, Esquimalt.
