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Memories of Robert Donald (Donny) Butt - Terry Hayes

 

“Don” and I first met at EMI (Electronics Material International), a research and communications repair facility in Ottawa. This company mostly repaired and modified military electronics equipment. Henry Bruyere also worked for EMI while we were there.

 

Little did Don know that he and I were destined to meet again after EMI; both of us applied to join External Affairs on the same competition but it was only after we sat for the written part of the competition that we realized we were in competition for the same job; more than a year later both of us were offered a communications technician position, along with several faces familiar to some of you. Larry McKeown, Charlie Hall, Bob Fulthorpe, John Carter and Dave (Doug) Robb were inducted at the same time as me. Few of you will know of Doug because he quit within a couple of years into his first posting to Rome, after a disagreement with the Admin Officer (Doug did not suffer fools).

 

Doug, Don, Larry and I were good friends in those early months and we spent a lot of time together even though Don was still living at home. I remember vividly a scary lead footed race up Bank Street in Don’s parent’s car.

 

John Carter was married and other than some Friday nights, after work, he did the right thing and went home to family.

 

Russ Scott was in charge of the techs during this early period of our training and learning on the job; he insisted that we do Friday maintenance on the cipher and teletype equipment, even though it was all perfectly serviceable; the result of this extra maintenance usually meant many hours of unpaid overtime. This is where Andre Thivierge got the nick name “oil can Harry.” One of the lady communicators ruined a beautiful linen skirt while typing at an over lubricated typing position.

 

On Fridays most of us, and sometimes John, ended up at the old Savoy hotel for a beer, one beer, for some, always led to two or more. With Andre Thivierge part of the Fri group we usually ended up in Hull for dinner or a visit to one of the night clubs or pubs on that side of the border. Andre knew them all! John succumbed to the pressure of Don, Andre, and others and was pored into our taxi to Hull. It was probably the same coming home but my senses and memory were dulled by that time.

 

Prior to Christmas of 1963 our entire group was given an interview with Russ and notice of our postings the following summer. Don was off to Bonn, Doug to Rome, John to Cairo and me to Tel Aviv. Larry was left at home because he was not yet twenty three and so ineligible for posting. I think Bob Fulthorpe went to Hanslope but I can’t recall where Charlie Hall went.

 

Following our overseas assignments Doug and Don thought the three of us should meet somewhere in Europe for a holiday the following year. I did not disagree, nor did I agree to this plan, but Larry thought it was a great idea, anticipating a posting the following year.

 

By April I made plans to marry and this announcement set off a verbal battering from the threesome; this incessant kibitzing came to the attention of Sid Woodham, Head of the tech training school. We were all on the same course in the Langevin Building and Sid’s office was only a couple of doors down from the basement school room. He invited the three amigos to his office where he tore a strip off them. I’m sure his lecture could be heard on the floors above; those of us in the class room could certainly hear him clearly. My antagonists returned to the classroom with bowed heads. No apologies but the derogatory comments like “taking a sandwich to a banquet” ceased. Both Doug and Larry participated in my wedding party. Don had already departed for Bonn.

 

Don and I shared many experiences in that first year at External and even before that at EMI. While at External we played broomball for the shorthanded EMI team and brought along Larry and Doug to help out. We went skiing, went to house parties, on sleigh rides, curling and on a memorial drive to Toronto to see Ronnie Hawkins perform at one of the TO pubs. It was an interesting time. Don even dated my wife’s sister.

 

Thanks Don, you will be remembered.

 

I expect you to pay for the first round at the super Legion in the sky.

 

Terry Hayes