West Germany and Luxembourg in variants of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and English Electric Lightning. His tenure at SHAPE ended in 1964. In 1961 he accepted an invitation from Robert Spreckels, his victor on 25 June 1944 air battle, to Germany. Spreckels had attempted to locate Braham for some years. While in England on business for a Hamburg shipping firm, he learned Braham had survived the war and was still alive. He persuaded the German consul in Bath to forward a letter to him. Correspondence followed from 1956 but it was only in 1961 that the circumstances permitted a meeting. Spreckels had learned English sufficiently to allow for two to communicate. Braham wrote in Scramble, "Robert Spreckels became, in spite of world tension and hatreds, one who is counted among my company of friends." For the remainder of his career, Braham flew around the World but, in 1968, Canadian policy pointed to the amalgamation of all the Canadian armed forces. Worse still, the cancellation of the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow put an end to Canada's plan to build their own fighters which curbed Braham's ambitions as a test pilot. He resigned from the RCAF in January 1968 and settled in Nova Scotia with his wife and three sons. He had flown 5,370 hours in 66 types of aircraft with the RCAF. Only 48, Braham was not willing to retire. He had always been interested in history and so he joined the Historic Sites Department of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He became an area superintendent and served for five years. In December 1973 he experienced a sudden onset of headaches and complained of nausea. He was admitted to hospital but his health declined rapidly. Bob Braham died from a brain tumour on 7 February 1974 at the age of 53. Personal life Braham's father, Reverend Dr E.P Braham, was an RAF chaplain. His mother was a housewife but she suddenly contracted pneumonia and died on 13 December 1941. By coincidence it was the same night that Braham was involved in a car accident in which a young woman died. In 1941 Braham met Joan Hyde on a night out. Within a few months they were married by Braham's father in Duxford on 15 April 1941 just nine days after his 21st birthday. Beaufighters from 29 Squadron were granted permission for a low-fly past to celebrate. They planned