Allan “Blair” Stewart was born in O’Leary, PEI in 1947 but gained his education in Ottawa.  He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1965 and was trained as an Electrician.  He served on HMCS Cape Scott until 1970 when he remustered to the Observer trade and gained his wings in April 1971.  Operational training was followed by a tour with 405 Squadron flying on the CP-107 Argus aircraft.

Beginning in 1975, Master Corporal Stewart served two years in a non-flying position at CFB Kingston before a return to flying duties on the Argus with 415 Squadron at CFB Summerside until 1981.  At that time, he was remustered to the newly formed Airborne Electronics Equipment Operator (AESOP) trade.

Sergeant Stewart next converted to the Sea King helicopter and was posted to flying duties out of CFB Shearwater.  The majority of his flying was with the Helicopter Air Detachment operating from HMCS Iroquois.  It was here that Sergeant Stewart earned the Star of Courage medal for rescue work from the Iroquois on December 5, 1983.  A Korean merchant ship, No. 5 Ho Ming, had encountered heavy weather off Newfoundland and while a rescue attempt had been made the night of 4/5 December, the darkness and bad weather precluded a successful mission.  In a further daylight attempt, Sergeant Stewart’s part was to help recover some of the sailors from the foundering ship and he did so by being lowered by winch to the canted and slippery deck of the ship to first assist 8 sailors to be hoisted aboard the Sea King and landed safely aboard Iroquois.  On a second Sea King trip, he assisted the remaining three sailors aboard the Sea King and, last to leave, he was winched aboard and all returned to the deck of Iroquois.  Sergeant Stewart was not a trained rescue specialist and he exhibited extreme bravery in undertaking such a dangerous task in bad weather that would have challenged a highly trained Search and Rescue Technician.  For his exceptional courage he was awarded the “Star of Courage” (SC) medal.

In 1984, Sergeant Stewart completed conversion on the CP-140 Aurora aircraft and served with 405 Squadron at CFB Greenwood and was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer.

In 1988, in the rank of MWO, he served with 404 Patrol and Training Squadron until 1994 when he moved to the CFB Greenwood Maritime Air Standards Team and completed a tour there before being promoted to Chief Warrant Officer and returning to 404 Squadron as its Squadron Chief Warrant Officer; a position he held until his retirement in 2002 after a very notable 37 years of service and 5600 hours of flying.