189:
207:
364:
just in time. He suffered a broken knee and burns from the crash and was captured by a German patrol the following day. In conveyance to an aid station, the patrol was ambushed by
American soldiers, which provided Switzer an opportunity to escape. Switzer crawled for a day towards Allied lines until
767:
365:
he was found by
American soldiers. He subsequently returned to England to recover for several months, then later returned to Canada before Christmas 1944, ending his service in World War Two. Switzer flew 135 missions during the Second World War.
421:
In 1965, Switzer attempted another run for the provincial legislature. He ran as a candidate in a by-election held on March 29, 1965, in the Edson electoral district, following Norman
Willmore's death in a car accident. Switzer defeated
844:
383:
Switzer unsuccessfully contested seats for both the provincial legislature and federal parliament before winning a provincial by-election in 1965. He initially ran for the
Alberta Legislature in the
829:
345:
when his and another aircraft diverted after sighting two enemy staff cars. Rommel experienced serious head injuries and returned to
Germany to recover.
576:
295:, where he received a degree in pharmacy. Switzer married Vivian Gertrude McLeod on July 22, 1946. They parented twin daughters, Joan and Janice.
291:
to Harvey
Alexander Switzer and Edith Amelia Lawrence, from respective Scottish and English descents. He attended Edson High School and later the
859:
854:
80:
849:
834:
824:
469:
276:
35:
799:
650:
507:
717:
628:
606:
335:
in France, his squadron was charged with taking out early warning and communication systems, and bombing the
Normandy beachhead.
275:
from 1965 to 1969 as a member of the opposition in the
Liberal caucus. Two years after his death the Government of Alberta named
803:
272:
739:
403:
448:
In the subsequent by-election held on
October 28, 1969, to fill the vacated Edson seat, Progressive Conservative candidate
864:
435:
388:
384:
423:
430:
and A. W. Leonard, a local grocery store owner for the Social Credit Party, by just over 100 votes each, to sit in the
380:
Switzer was elected as the first Mayor of his hometown of Hinton in 1958 and served in that position until 1964.
439:
431:
308:
260:
212:
407:
328:
132:
584:
465:
449:
392:
292:
163:
127:
70:
331:
based out of
England and later France, in a low-level ground-attack role. Switzer participated in the
839:
819:
395:
party in the electoral district of Edson. He was defeated both times by incumbent Social Credit MLA
324:
240:
702:
675:
442:. Switzer defeated Jorgensen by over 800 votes, while Reimer finished with a close third place.
497:
356:
Later in the war, when Switzer's airplane was hit with anti-aircraft fire during a mission over
679:
521:
513:
503:
357:
332:
312:
230:
411:
304:
264:
434:. Switzer faced Reimer again, as well as Social Credit candidate Arthur Jorgensen, in the
396:
268:
151:
58:
349:
later provided Rommel with a choice to commit suicide, following his alleged role in the
744:
320:
288:
105:
813:
775:
339:
453:
350:
346:
342:
472:
in his honour in 1974. In Hinton, the primary road link was named Switzer Drive.
303:
Switzer's attendance at university was interrupted during his second year by the
427:
415:
316:
158:
525:
517:
361:
368:
Switzer completed his studies at the University of Alberta and established
256:
452:
edged out Social Credit candidate Arthur Jorgensen and NDP candidate
445:
Switzer died from a heart attack, while in office, on June 30, 1969.
194:
845:
Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
551:
Taylor, Stuart (November 27, 2017). "William Switzer: A WWII Hero".
255:(September 21, 1920 – June 30, 1969) was a Canadian politician from
353:, with the German public told he died of wounds from the incident.
287:
William Alexander Switzer was born on September 21, 1920, in
338:
Switzer was part of the July 14, 1944 attack on German
391:
general elections as a candidate for the provincial
236:
226:
218:
200:
182:
177:
169:
157:
147:
139:
123:
111:
95:
90:
76:
64:
52:
34:
23:
502:. Ottawa: Mortimer Company Ltd. pp. 479–480.
456:. Liberal Party candidate Roger Woods was fourth.
267:and upon returning to Canada was elected Mayor of
570:
568:
566:
564:
562:
414:. He finished a distant third place to incumbent
830:Candidates in the 1963 Canadian federal election
546:
544:
542:
700:"Liberal Wins Upset Victory in Alberta Vote".
273:Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
36:Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
8:
768:"William A. Switzer Provincial Park History"
491:
489:
487:
485:
311:in 1940 as a pilot, attaining the rank of
20:
670:
668:
410:candidate in the electoral district of
720:. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation
631:. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation
609:. Alberta Heritage Community Foundation
481:
48:March 29, 1965 – June 30, 1969
315:. During the war, Switzer was sent to
653:. Parliament of Canada. April 8, 1963
577:"More than just a mayor - a war hero"
7:
496:Normandin, G. Pierre, ed. (1971).
470:William A. Switzer Provincial Park
277:William A. Switzer Provincial Park
14:
404:Canadian federal election of 1963
740:"North MLA Dies of Heart Attack"
575:Rooks, Dan (November 11, 2010).
499:The Canadian Parliamentary Guide
253:William "Bill" Alexander Switzer
205:
187:
804:Legislative Assembly of Alberta
651:"Jasper–Edson election results"
555:. Edson, Alberta. p. A.28.
351:Valkyrie assassination attempt
319:for training, and piloted the
259:. He served as a pilot in the
1:
860:University of Alberta alumni
855:Canadian World War II pilots
706:. March 30, 1965. p. 1.
850:Mayors of places in Alberta
307:, where he enlisted in the
881:
835:People from Edson, Alberta
825:Alberta Liberal Party MLAs
748:. July 2, 1969. p. 1
246:
173:pharmacist and politician
100:William Alexander Switzer
86:
41:
30:
676:"By-elections 1905-1973"
440:16th Alberta Legislature
432:15th Alberta Legislature
309:Royal Canadian Air Force
261:Royal Canadian Air Force
213:Royal Canadian Air Force
329:British Royal Air Force
143:Vivian Gertrude McLeod
466:Government of Alberta
436:1967 general election
293:University of Alberta
219:Years of service
164:University of Alberta
865:Canadian pharmacists
718:"Edson results 1967"
629:"Edson results 1955"
607:"Edson results 1952"
406:Switzer ran as the
317:RCAF Station Borden
16:Canadian politician
800:William A. Switzer
703:The Globe and Mail
438:for a seat in the
103:September 21, 1920
680:Elections Alberta
553:The Weekly Anchor
333:Normandy landings
313:Flight Lieutenant
250:
249:
231:Flight lieutenant
872:
787:
786:
784:
782:
764:
758:
757:
755:
753:
736:
730:
729:
727:
725:
714:
708:
707:
697:
691:
690:
688:
686:
672:
663:
662:
660:
658:
647:
641:
640:
638:
636:
625:
619:
618:
616:
614:
603:
597:
596:
594:
592:
587:on March 4, 2016
583:. Archived from
581:The Hinton Voice
572:
557:
556:
548:
537:
536:
534:
532:
493:
376:Political career
305:Second World War
299:Second World War
265:Second World War
211:
209:
208:
193:
191:
190:
178:Military service
118:
91:Personal details
67:
55:
46:
21:
880:
879:
875:
874:
873:
871:
870:
869:
810:
809:
796:
791:
790:
780:
778:
772:albertaparks.ca
766:
765:
761:
751:
749:
738:
737:
733:
723:
721:
716:
715:
711:
699:
698:
694:
684:
682:
674:
673:
666:
656:
654:
649:
648:
644:
634:
632:
627:
626:
622:
612:
610:
605:
604:
600:
590:
588:
574:
573:
560:
550:
549:
540:
530:
528:
510:
495:
494:
483:
478:
462:
397:Norman Willmore
378:
370:Switzer's Drugs
301:
285:
279:in his honour.
269:Hinton, Alberta
206:
204:
188:
186:
152:Hinton, Alberta
131:
124:Political party
116:
104:
102:
101:
65:
59:Norman Willmore
53:
47:
42:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
878:
876:
868:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
812:
811:
808:
807:
806:Member Profile
795:
794:External links
792:
789:
788:
759:
745:Calgary Herald
731:
709:
692:
664:
642:
620:
598:
558:
538:
508:
480:
479:
477:
474:
461:
458:
377:
374:
321:Hawker Typhoon
300:
297:
289:Edson, Alberta
284:
281:
271:, and later a
248:
247:
244:
243:
238:
234:
233:
228:
224:
223:
220:
216:
215:
202:
201:Branch/service
198:
197:
184:
180:
179:
175:
174:
171:
167:
166:
161:
155:
154:
149:
145:
144:
141:
137:
136:
125:
121:
120:
119:(aged 48)
113:
109:
108:
106:Edson, Alberta
99:
97:
93:
92:
88:
87:
84:
83:
78:
74:
73:
71:Robert Dowling
68:
62:
61:
56:
50:
49:
39:
38:
32:
31:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
877:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
817:
815:
805:
801:
798:
797:
793:
777:
776:Alberta Parks
773:
769:
763:
760:
747:
746:
741:
735:
732:
719:
713:
710:
705:
704:
696:
693:
681:
677:
671:
669:
665:
652:
646:
643:
630:
624:
621:
608:
602:
599:
586:
582:
578:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
559:
554:
547:
545:
543:
539:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
509:9781414401416
505:
501:
500:
492:
490:
488:
486:
482:
475:
473:
471:
467:
459:
457:
455:
451:
446:
443:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
419:
417:
413:
409:
405:
400:
398:
394:
390:
386:
381:
375:
373:
371:
366:
363:
359:
354:
352:
348:
344:
341:
340:Field Marshal
336:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
298:
296:
294:
290:
282:
280:
278:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
245:
242:
239:
235:
232:
229:
225:
221:
217:
214:
203:
199:
196:
185:
181:
176:
172:
168:
165:
162:
160:
156:
153:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
129:
126:
122:
115:June 30, 1969
114:
110:
107:
98:
94:
89:
85:
82:
79:
75:
72:
69:
63:
60:
57:
51:
45:
40:
37:
33:
29:
22:
19:
779:. Retrieved
771:
762:
750:. Retrieved
743:
734:
722:. Retrieved
712:
701:
695:
683:. Retrieved
655:. Retrieved
645:
633:. Retrieved
623:
611:. Retrieved
601:
589:. Retrieved
585:the original
580:
552:
529:. Retrieved
498:
463:
454:Grant Notley
447:
444:
420:
412:Jasper—Edson
401:
382:
379:
369:
367:
355:
347:Adolf Hitler
343:Erwin Rommel
337:
325:193 Squadron
302:
286:
252:
251:
241:193 Squadron
130:(provincial)
117:(1969-06-30)
77:Constituency
66:Succeeded by
43:
25:Bill Switzer
18:
840:1920 births
820:1969 deaths
450:Bob Dowling
428:Neil Reimer
424:Alberta NDP
416:Hugh Horner
372:in Hinton.
263:during the
54:Preceded by
814:Categories
781:August 14,
752:August 14,
685:August 14,
591:August 14,
476:References
468:named the
362:bailed out
283:Early life
183:Allegiance
170:Occupation
159:Alma mater
724:April 19,
657:April 19,
531:August 9,
526:893686591
518:0315-6168
323:with the
222:1940-1945
148:Residence
135:(federal)
44:In office
635:June 9,
613:June 9,
426:leader
408:Liberal
402:In the
393:Liberal
327:of the
257:Alberta
133:Liberal
128:Liberal
524:
516:
506:
460:Legacy
358:Falise
210:
195:Canada
192:
140:Spouse
360:, he
81:Edson
783:2020
754:2020
726:2010
687:2020
659:2010
637:2010
615:2010
593:2020
533:2020
522:OCLC
514:ISSN
504:ISBN
464:The
389:1955
387:and
385:1952
237:Unit
227:Rank
112:Died
96:Born
816::
802:–
774:.
770:.
742:.
678:.
667:^
579:.
561:^
541:^
520:.
512:.
484:^
418:.
399:.
785:.
756:.
728:.
689:.
661:.
639:.
617:.
595:.
535:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.