Alfred Dudley Copland was born in Peterhead, Scotland in 1902, the son of a coach painter. At the age of 21, he began a career in Arctic Canada that extended over sixteen years. In 1940, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was assigned to establishing radio units and posts on the Labrador Coast and in isolated areas of Newfoundland. Squadron Leader Copland was named a Member of the British Empire–Military Division in 1945. Following WWII, Copland served as arctic adviser to the Armed Forces.