Canadian Aviation Moments - Personnel
PERSONNEL
Question: What percentage of the combatant force in RAF Bomber Command was killed in accidents?
Answer: "Air traffic control was primitive at best and air traffic congestion incessant. For example, the overlapping traffic patterns at the 6 Group stations have already been mentioned, and with only the most rudimentary navigational aids, mid-air collisions and ground impacts caused by spatial disorientation were common place.
"Also with thousands of young, relatively inexperienced air men at the controls of complex, multi-engine aircraft, there were a huge number of crashes very likely due simply to pilot error.
"RAF bomber command had nearly 6,000 airmen killed in training accidents alone during 1943 and 1944. For the entire war period, accidents killed nearly 12 percent of the combatant force."
Source: No Prouder Place – Page 184
Question: "In his memoirs 'One Foot On the Ground', wartime bomber navigator Norman Emmott wrote: …'in those last five hours, he had put on the most spectacular display of aerial gymnastics that any Canadian, and very probably any man alive, has ever made in a plane – certainly a twin-engined plane.
"Who was the pilot referred to in the preceding quote and from what town in Saskatchewan did he come?
Answer: "On Dec 6th, 1944, the RCAF lost two bombers – a B-24 Liberator and a B-25 Mitchell – and one of its most gifted pilots, Sgt. Donald Palmer Scratch of Maymont, Sask. It was wartime, but Don Scratch did not die in a theatre of operations. He was killed at an air base at Boundary Bay, BC.
"His flight was not authorized. He was joy riding. For 5 1/2 hours, he terrorized airports in Seattle, Vancouver and nearby Boundary Bay with risky zero-altitude aerobatic flying."
"Four Hurricanes arrived from RCAF Stn Sea Island. Their primary orders were to force the Mitchell out over the sea and shoot it down. They also had orders to shoot Scratch down if he tried to return to Vancouver or Seattle. The fighters tried to box him in but his superior flying skills enabled him to easily elude them. "Scratch made fools of the fighter pilots. He kept low to restrict their maneuvers. He teased them for three hours.
"Scratch put that B-25 through aerobatics that most of us thought only a Tiger Moth or a Harvard could do.
"Tiring of the game of cat and mouse, Scratch flew over the wrecked Liberator" vertically.
"He climbed to 2,000 feet, rolled the Mitchell over on its back, aimed for a spot on the uninhabited Tilbury Island and dived vertically in.
Source: Air Force Revue – Winter 08 –Page 17
Question :What was the total number of personnel who served with the RCAF during World War II, how many served overseas and how many lost their lives.
Answer: "For a country the size of Canada, with a population of only 16 million, it was quite an impressive contribution: 249,662 personnel served with the RCAF during the war, of which a total of 93,844 served overseas. 17,100 people lost their lives, of which 14, 544 occurred overseas"
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft- Page 31
Question: What was the name of the company -- which, with its name on elevators all over the prairies -- confused British student pilots and navigators?
Answer: "After cross-country flights on the prairies, British students often returned in confusion and abject fear of being washed out because of poor map-reading. Ogilvie Oats had grain elevators sprinkled all over the prairies with the name 'Ogilvie' standing distinctly tall. British student pilots and navigators checking landmarks invariably saw Ogilvie, but failed to find it on a map. Confusion grew by the second because there were few other landmarks as distinctive as the elevators, and if they flew on they came to another Ogilvie.
"Canadian trainees would nod sympathetically as the distraught Britishers later told their story, but there is no record of anybody ever actually telling a Brit that Ogilvie was a guy who made oats."
Source: From Baddeck to the Yalu – page 98
Question: How many Canadian airmen served overseas in World War 1? How many were killed and wounded? How many of the top 20 highest-scoring British aces were Canadians? Who were they and how many victories did they have?
Answer: "…, the nation teemed with young men anxious to join the Royal Flying Corps or its sister force, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). By war’s close, an estimated 11,160 Canadian airmen had served overseas with the RFC, the RNAS and the fledgling Royal Air Force (RAF), an amalgamation of the two previously mentioned British flying services.
"Of those who served, 1,388 were fatal casualties, while a further 1,130 were wounded or injured. In all, at least 495 British decorations for gallantry, 170 Mentions-in-Dispatches and many Allied national awards were presented to this courageous band of warriors. Canadian airmen thus served with great distinction in all the air combat disciplines during the Great War, including strategic and tactical bombing, reconnaissance and artillery observation, and maritime patrol.
"However, it was the scout or fighter pilots that truly captured the interest and adulation of the air-minded Canadian public, and of the top 20 highest-scoring British service flyers, eight were Canadians.
"Maj. William Avery "Billy "Bishop of Owen Sound, Ont., was the unrivalled virtuoso of the Commonwealth scorers, with 72 confirmed victories. Close upon Bishop’s scoring heels was Mr. Raymond Collishaw with a score of 62. They were followed by Capt. Donald MacLaren with a total of 54, Maj. William Barker with 52, Capt F.R. McCall with 37 kills, and Capts W.G. Claxton and J.S.T. Fall, each with 36 confirmed victories. Capt A.C. Atkey was the last of the top eight Canadians, with a score of 35."
Source: Airforce – Vol. 22 No 3 Fall/Automne 1998, Page 32
Question: What was the connection between Rockcliffe and W/C William Barker, VC, the famous WW1 fighter ace?
Answer: "On a tragic note, W/C William Barker, VC, the famous WW1 fighter ace, was killed at Rockcliffe on March 12th 1930, when he crashed onto the frozen Ottawa River after stalling his Fairchild KR-21 during a demonstration flight."
Source: Airforce – The Magazine of Canada’s Air Force Heritage – Volume 28 No. 3 -Fall 2004
Question: What was the total number of personnel in the RCAF at the beginning of WWII -- and at the end of WWII? What was the authorized strength after WWII and how long did it take to reach that strength
Answer: Around the end of 1939, "the RCAF had only 4,061 officers and airmen (including the Non-permanent Force)"
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: Page 26
Answer: "At the cessation of hostilities the RCAF had 164, 846 all ranks ( the peak was in 1944, with 215, 200) serving; this was to be reduced to an authorized strength of 16,000 all ranks. This demobilization was to take place over two years."
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: Page 32
Question: There was only one Canadian squadron named after a person. Which squadron was it and after whom was it named?
Answer: "419 Squadron was based at Mildenhall in 3 Group territory and flew its first operational sorties in January 1942. Again, following what had become something of a tradition, the unit’s first commanding officer was a CAN/RAF, the highly capable and charismatic Wing Commander J. "Moose "Fulton, DFC, AFC, who had already completed a distinguished tour of thirty operations with 99 Squadron and an equally distinguished tour of duty with the Armament Defense Flight Experimental Section at Farnborough.
"Fulton was a tireless, fearless and popular commander, who led from the front and fully shared the risks of his men, in spite of orders at the time to squadron skippers to minimize their operational flying.
"This combination of dedication and concern would lead the squadron into taking Fulton’s nickname for its own after his death in action, and eventually getting it officially recognized, so it became No 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF – the only Canadian squadron to be named after a person."
Source: No Prouder Place: Page 84
Question: What was the last name of the three brothers from Saskatchewan who all served on operations with Bomber Command and all received the Distinguished Flying Cross? What town were they from?
Answer: ‘Sergeant Robert Steele Turnbull of Govan, Saskatchewan, enlisted early and had won his pilot wings by January 1941. He was one of three brothers who served on operations with Bomber Command, all of whom were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Bob Turnbull had a meteoric rise through the ranks, progressing from sergeant to wing commander in less than one year. War’s end found him promoted yet again to group captain and in command of RCAF Station Croft within 6 Group of Bomber Command. Along the way, he flew more than two operational tours beginning with seventeen operations in antediluvian Whitleys, and ending with command of 426 Squadron out of Leeming, flying both Halifaxes and Lancasters. Handsomely decorated for his accomplishments, Turnbull returned home with a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), a DFC and Bar, the Air Force Cross ( AFC), a Mention-In-Dispatches (MiD) and the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Palm.
"During late 1943 and much of 1944, while Bob Turnbull was continuing to make his distinguished presence felt as commanding officer of 427 Squadron, then later as station commander at Croft, his brother John, another pilot, and Walter, a navigator, were also carving out commendable records within Bomber command. Both eventually received DFCs for their superior performance under difficult operational circumstances. The trio hailed from the tiny prairie town of Govan, Saskatchewan. Between them, the three brothers, collectively known as "The Flying Turnbulls" completed four tours and 118 operations. On five separate occasions, brothers Bob and John flew to the same target unbeknownst to each other.
"John Turnbull, a Halifax II/V pilot with 419 Squadron, and then later a Halifax III deputy flight commander on 424 Squadron, always managed to keep a sense of humor about his wartime experiences. His recollections of the period illustrate the point.
"21 April 1944: I recall being hit by predicted flak while 'Gardening' in Brest harbour: one engine knocked out, a sharp pain in my left elbow. 'Finally,' I told myself, 'You've got it!'
"With my flight engineer, Mike, holding the control column, I checked for blood and/or torn clothing. Nothing. The hit had banged my 'funny bone 'against the oxygen tube holder. I was almost too embarrassed to announce my 'frightening wound' to my crew!
"26 April 1944: Over Essen. You could read a newspaper by its thousands of searchlights. The gunners said they were reading their bibles!
"17 June 1944:As a crew, we celebrated in a Ripon pub with draught beer plus fish ‘n’ chips. That evening, when my DFC was announced, I think it was our jovial rear gunner, Joe Males, who comments, 'What the hell for? We do all the work!' A truism! A most memorable day was that of the parade square investiture for the medal on August 11 when accompanied by the Royal Family. King George VI visited 6 Group bases. A gusty wind caused his small carpet to curl just as I presented my snappy salute and stepped forward to him. I’ve often wondered what one would do if one was to trip and stumble into the arms of one’s monarch!"
Source: No Prouder Place – Page 59 and 316
Question: What was the last name of the three brothers, all with the RCAF, who all died within a 12-month period in 1943-1944? What town in Saskatchewan did they come from?
HINTS: 1. Their last name is the same as the name of one of the buildings in Regina. 2. One of them had the distinction of being American by birth.
Answer: "Before the war, Peter Leboldus worked as a service man for the John Deere dealer in Yorkton, but he was in love with aviation, having taken an aeronautical course at Balfour Tech in Regina in 1936.
"At the end of a twelve-week observer training course in Malton, Ontario, Pete (as he was known) flew in one of fifteen Avro-Anson trainers on a flight from Toronto to Montreal. At noon one August day in 1940, dozens of notes fell to the streets of Ottawa from one of the aircraft; 'Lonesome flier wishes to correspond with a young lady,' the message said. Peter Leboldus’s name and address were attached, although he was quick to deny responsibility for the prank: Indeed peter received dozens of letters.
"On one occasion, he had tea at Windsor Palace with the Queen and the two Princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret.
"He was killed in action on February 13, 1943, his Boston shot down while engaged in night operations over France.
"Like everyone else in his family, Martin Leboldus was a musical fellow, who at home had frequently performed with one or more of his siblings on guitar and piano. Martin had followed his brother Peter to Balfour Tech into the RCAF, and into active service.
"When Peter embarked on the mission from which he never returned, it was his brother Martin who had helped him into his parachute harness. Later, Martin remustered to aircrew as a flight engineer in No. 419 'Moose' Squadron.
"On February 20, 1944, Martin’s Halifax was one of 823 aircraft in a raid on Leipzig. It was a difficult operation. The bomber stream was under attack from night fighters all the way to the target, and wind and cloud conditions were unsuitable for accurate bombing. Seventy-nine aircraft – one of them carrying Sergeant Martin Leboldus and his crewmates – did not return that night, the heaviest Bomber command loss of the war to that point.
John Leboldus was sent to the Middle East in April 1943, an air gunner in RAF No. 142 Squadron. Before enlisting, however, his education had taken him to St. Peter’s College, in Muenster, Saskatchewan, where he studied arts in 1940-41 and, as often as he could, played hockey. . . and had the added distinction of being American by birth, having been born in Yakima, Washington, where his mother was visiting his aunt.
"During a raid on Turin in northwest Italy on November 24, 1943, his plane crashed on a hillside. It had been flying low in foggy conditions.
"Twelve years later, the boys’ mother, Mrs. Regina Leboldus from Vibank, placed a wreath on the National War Memorial during the Remembrance Day service in Ottawa. She was the Silver Cross Mother for 1955, the first to be chosen from outside Ontario. Reports of the service noted that as she came down the granite steps of the memorial after laying the wreath, Mrs. Leboldus paused, turned and looked up to the bronze figures at the top of the column. She bowed her head and, for a time, did not move. The flight to Ottawa was the first she’d ever taken.
"I swore that I would never go up in a plane,' she said at the time, 'but now they want me, so I guess I will have to go.'
"Her husband John confirmed that "Yes, she will go, for she has the courage of her sons."
Source: Their Names Live On – Page 118
Question: Who was Canada’s most decorated WW II hero? He was the first Canadian to command a bomber squadron in battle.
Answer: "Johnnie Fauquier was to hell and back almost 100 times on bombing raids over Berlin, other key German targets and the Peenemunde V-2 rocket bases on the Baltic Sea. The normal tour for a bomber pilot was 30 raids. He did three tours and then some. He was the first Canadian to command a bomber squadron in battle. He commanded both the crack RCAF 405 Pathfinder Sqn. and later, , the RAF’s legendary 617 Sqn. "Dambusters." Johnnie Fauquier was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) –second only to the Victoria Cross – three times – more than any other Canadian warrior. He also wore the distinctive ribbon of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on his tunic.
"The main fear of a pilot of a slow-flying Lancaster was being 'coned' by searchlights and raked by anti-aircraft shrapnel. Fauquier solved that problem over Bremen. He used his bomber to strafe the searchlight and anti-aircraft batteries. He threw his aircraft into a steep 10,000 foot dive, leveled off just above the tree tops and his nose, tail and mid-upper gunners raked the ground installations with a hail of lethal fire – dousing searchlights and destroying gun batteries. It was an amazing feat of flying few others would attempt with a fighter plane. Asked if he was scared, his reply was: 'A man who isn’t frightened, lacks imagination and without imagination he can’t be a first-class warrior. Let’s face it: the good men were frightened, especially between briefing and take-off. The bravest men I knew used to go to bed after briefing and refused to eat. Sick with fear. Any man that frightened who goes to the target is brave."
Source: Airforce Revue Magazine – Summer/08 - Pages 40,42
Question: Who was Johnny Canuck?
Answer: "At first glance, Johnny Canuck, one of four Canadian 'Comic Book Superheroes' stamps issued in 1995, might seem like an unlikely subject for a colourful postage stamp! Johnny Canuck, the fearless air force captain, was the comic-book creation of 16-year-old Leo Bachle of Toronto. Since Bachle was too young to enlist in 1941, he decided to create a superhero 'to right all the world's wrongs and fight Nazi oppression.' Although the character had no superpowers, he was tall and strong and reportedly had a mean right hook! He first appeared in the February, 1942 issue of Bell's Dime Comics No.1. (see the following link to Library and Archives Canada for some of the original Johnny Canuck comics: httn:// www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ sunerheroes/t3 -3 0 1-e .html). Johnny Canuck served on the front lines during the Second World War as a secret agent who worked with partisans and guerilla forces. He even came face-to-face with Hitler himself!
"In the 1950s, Bachle changed his name to Les Barker and became a nightclub comedian in the United States and Canada. He performed with stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Eartha Kitt, Tony Orlando, Loretta Lynn and Mickey Rooney.. Johnny Canuck's creator died in 2003."
Source: Windsock – February 2009- Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter – Canadian Aviation Historical Society – "Aviation Heritage through Canada’s Postage Stamps – Personalities and Canadian Contributions" by Ross Herrington – Page 3
Question: How many Canadians were in RAF service as aircrew at the outbreak of World War II?
Answer: "During the 1920s and early 1930s, a trickle of worthy Canadian lads joined the RAF through nomination to the RAF Cadet College at Cranwell, and also as recent graduates of Canada’s Royal Military College. Once rearmament commenced in earnest during the mid-1930s, an ever-increasing number of 'Imperials' applied to join the RAF as both aircrew and groundcrew. Hugh Halliday maintains that as many as 950 CAN/RAF aircrew, serving as both commissioned and non-commissioned members, and many additional members in the ground trades may have been in RAF service at the outbreak of the war. However, Halliday feels that there would not have been more than 700 CAN/RAF pilots or observers who had achieved a measure of operational proficiency by that time."
Source: No Prouder Place – Canadians and the Bomber Command Experience 1939-1945 – Page 20
Question: What was the World War II fighter pilots’ survival tactic?
Answer: "They climbed to height as quickly as was permitted and they treasured possession of an altitude advantage. The pilot’s hope was to sight the enemy before he himself was sighted and use his slight advantage to gain a position between the enemy aircraft and the sun. Diving out of the sun, he was virtually invisible to his foe. He accelerated in the dive and positioned himself to attack the rear of the formation. Thus he hoped to avoid their defensive fire and maintain enough speed to carry out a successful attack on his first dive and still be able to maneuver away. If the attack failed, a dedicated professional fighter pilot used his speed to flee in order to fight another day rather than pursue an alerted enemy."
Source: Canada’s World War II Aces – Introduction ( 1st Page)
Question: The personnel in control tower at a training station (No. 4 FTS at RCAF Stn Penhold) had to be more vigilant than normal. What is an example of the process that was put in place that would stop the control tower from going into a panic when its staff saw an aircraft possibly in danger?
Answer: "Because we were a training station, the people in the control tower were required to be even more vigilant than normal as to what was happening on and around the airfield. One thing we practised was what to do in the case of an engine failure immediately after take-off. The instructor would chop the power down to near idle to simulate total power loss and would at the same radio to the tower that our aircraft was 'Cornfield'.
"The tower, then, seeing the aircraft dropping back out of the sky, would refrain from the normal panic such a scene would normally cause, watch until we regained our upward motion, and life would go on as normal."
Source: Airforce Revue Magazine – Spring 2009 – Page 41
Question: Who was the Canadian pilot from Lethbridge AB, who in 27 days destroyed 10 and 1/2 aircraft in the air and one on the ground? This feat has never been equaled by any RCAF or RAF pilot. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bar and was killed in combat in March 1945 at the age of 23.
Answer: "Dick (Richard Audet) had set an incredible record. In 27 days, December 29 (1944) to January 24 (1945), he had destroyed 10 ½ enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat and one more on the ground. No RCAF or RAF pilot has ever equaled this feat."
Source: Canada’s World War II Aces – Larry Gray - Page 18
Question: Who was born in Regina, SK and raised on a farm near Zehner, Saskatchewan and became one of the 17 Red Knight pilots?
Answer: "D.C. 'Tex' Deagnon was born in Regina and was raised on a farm near Zehner, Sask. He joined the RCAF in 1957 and received his wings in 1959. After training on the F-86 Sabre at Chatham, he was posted overseas in Nov 1959. Deagnon went to Grostenquin, France to No., 2 Wing and served with 430 'Silver Falcon' Sqn. He returned to Canada in late 1962 and became a flying instructor at Portage La Prairie. While at Portage, Deagnon was selected as the 1964 alternate Red Knight. In 1965, he assumed the role of the Red Knight. Deagnon completed 21 displays during his year as the Red Knight."
Source: Airforce Revue Magazine – Fall/2008 – Page 15
Question. Who was officially credited with bringing down the Red Baron?
1. Billy Bishop
2. W.R. (Wop) May
3. Flight Commander Roy Brown
4. Two soldiers on the ground
5. None of the above
Answer:"Nobody will ever know for sure who shot down the Red Baron. Many have claimed to be the one, however only three contenders are 'in the running' -- Flight Commander Roy Brown had a good chance in the air and two soldiers on the ground. Nobody was officially credited with bring down the Red Baron."
Source: Website – The Chronicles of W.R. (WOP) May – www.wopmay.com/resources/myths.htm
Question: How did Wilfrid Reid "Wop" May get his nickname?
1. He was an illegal immigrant
2. It’s the sound a propeller makes
3. He whopped the enemy
4. He learned to fly on the Westland "Wapiti"
5. None of the above
Answer: None of the above is correct. "'Wop' got his nickname when a two-year-old cousin could not pronounce 'Wilfrid' – she tried and it came out 'Woppie', got shortened to 'Wop' and stuck. And the Westland Wapiti was not built until 1927 – Wop learned to fly in 1917 on a French-built Caudron G.III."
Source: Website – The Chronicles of W.R. (WOP) May – www.wopman.com/resources/myths.htm
QUESTION: When Ace Wop May was awarded the D.F.C in 1918, it was mentioned in dispatches that he shot down seven aircraft. How many aircraft was Wop May credited with at the end of hostilities?
1. 7 aircraft shot down and 1 probable
2. 10 aircraft shot down and 0 probables
3. 13 aircraft shot down and 4 probables
4. 18 aircraft shot down and 3 probables
5. 19 aircraft shot down and 5 probables
Question: Which of the following is true re: Flight Lieutenant Richard J. Audet of Lethbridge, Alberta ?
1. He became an ace (five victories) in less than five minutes in his first operational sortie on December 29, 1944
2. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
3. He had destroyed so many aircraft in 27 days that no RCAF or RAF pilot has ever equaled this feat.
4. He was awarded the bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross a month and a half after he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
5. He had been overseas for two years, spending most of his time either in training or as a tug aircraft pilot, before firing his guns at an enemy target.
Answer : All are true.
1. "In less than five minutes , Audet had destroyed five German aircraft. With his wingmen’s confirmation, he had become an ace on his first aerial combat sortie-an astonishing fear."
2. "On January 14, 1945, Dick was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross: 'In a most spirited action, Flying Officer Audet [his promotion had not reached everyone] achieved outstanding success by destroying five enemy aircraft. This feat is a splendid tribute to his brilliant, shooting, great gallantry, and tenacity'"
3. "In 27 days, December 29 to January 24, he had destroyed 10 ½ enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat and one more on the ground. No RCAF or RAF pilot has ever equaled this fear."
4. "On March 9, the London Gazette announced Audet’s award of a bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross: 'This officer is an outstanding fighter. Since his first engagement, towards the end of December 1944, he has completed numerous sorties during which he has destroyed a further six enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to 11. Flight Lieutenant Audet has also most effectively attacked locomotives and mechanical vehicles. His skill and daring have won the highest praise.'"
5. "In December 1944, Flight Lieutenant Richard J. 'Dick' Audet had been overseas for two years. Although Dick was flying with a front line Spitfire squadron, he had yet to fire his guns at an enemy target.""
Source: Canada’s World War II Aces – Heroic Pilots& Gunners of the Wartime Skies – Larry Gray – 1- Page 16, 2 – Page 17, 3-Page 18, 4 –Page 19, 5 – Page 8.
Question: What did F/L Bill Baggs, an RCAF Typhoon pilot, do during WWII that possibly made him the envy of the Canadian Navy?
Answer: "Early in May of 1945 as the war was ending, Bill and a Canadian major in the Intelligence section took Bill’s jeep on a reconnaissance of Wilhelmshaven harbor as no one seemed to know what was going on. Bill drove along the wharf to have a good look at the German cruiser Nurnberg when suddenly the captain, Helmuth Gressler, came down the gangway and asked Bill to come aboard and accept the surrender of his ship. Bill, like all of on the continent at that time, and his buddy had had a few shots of magic elixir and felt quite bold. On deck, they were surrounded by over 700 of the ship’s crew to witness the surrender by the captain. Bill received the captain’s 7.65 mm Mauser automatic pistol and the huge swastika flag from the stern of the ship, as well as a few incidental items."
Source: Airforce Revue – Spring 2008 – Page 20
Question: What were Al Lily’s accomplishments, where was he born and what is his connection to the Hawk One F-86 Sabre?
Answer: "The name 'Al Lily' is not so commonly spoken in the same worldly context as other legendary aviation greats of this past century such as J.A.D. McCurdy, Amelia Earhart, the Wright Brothers or Billy Bishop. Nevertheless, he was indeed one of this nation’s most distinguished test pilots and a remarkable one at that.
"Alexander 'Al' Lilly was Canada’s first pilot to break the sound barrier. It happened at RCAF Stn Dorval, Que., in early August 1950 in a Canadair Sabre 1 prototype, the first off the manufacturer’s assembly line in Cartierville Que. Al Lilly was, at the time, the Canadair chief test pilot, responsible for flight testing over 100 models of different aircraft during an era when Canada was a world leader in cutting –edge aviation technology.
"Al Lilly’s distinguished career in aviation began while serving with the RCMP, flying bush planes; and later with the RCAF as chief flying instructor for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
"Born Alexander John in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, he was a son to Harold Lilly, owner of an automotive and farm equipment dealership that specialized in Ford automobiles.
"This year," (2010),"the year that Al Lilly would be 100, his name gained an honorable distinction that it deserves. On May 26th, in a special dedication ceremony at Ottawa’s Uplands Airport, Vintage Wings of Canada and the RCMP joined forces to pay special tribute to the late Al Lilly by dedicating his name to the Hawk One F-86 Sabre."
Source: Airforce Magazine– Summer 2010 – Pages 22,23
Question: Al Lily was Canada’s first pilot to break the sound barrier in early August 1950 Another Avro Aircraft Ltd pilot broke the sound barrier in 1952 and was hailed in error in 1989, by the press as the first Canadian pilot to break the sound barrier, which has since been retracted. Who was the famous Canadian pilot who was deemed, in error, to be the first to break the sound barrier?
Answer: "Later however, media would confuse Al’s accomplishment with that of Janusz Zurakowski, a Polish native who moved to Canada in 1952 to join Avro Aircraft Limited in Toronto as chief development pilot. That year, Zurakowski flew supersonic in the Canadair CF-100 Canuck fighter, the first straight-winged jet aircraft to achieve this feat. At the time of his passing in 1989, the press hailed Zurakowski as Canada’s first pilot to break the sound barrier – a factual oversight that had since been retracted."
Note: Janusz Zurakowski was the chief development test pilot for the Avro Arrow program and flew the Avro Arrow on its maiden flight in 1958.
Source: Airforce Revue – Summer 2010 – Page 23
Question: What personnel in the RCAF were under-appreciated by the general population during World War II?
Answer: "It is generally conceded that during World War II, it took ten persons on the ground to keep one person in the air. The general population has under-appreciated those who worked tirelessly to keep the air-craft flying in all capacities as the ‘glory’ was directed to the aircraft flying crews. The ground staff deserves more recognition by historians. Their training was just as rigorous as was the aircrew’s.
"Ground staff consisted of everything from engine mechanics (fitters) to airframe riggers, instrument fitters, administration, armourers, vehicle mechanics, drivers, cook, service police and other various trades and occupations." Source: CAHS Journal – Spring 2010 – Page 16
Question: When and who established the original Snowbirds’ team in 1971? The establishment of the Snowbirds was connected with the Golden Centennaires in at least two ways. What were they?
Answer: "Colonel O.B. Philp, former commanding officer of the Centennaires and base commander of Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw (now15 Wing Moose Jaw), established the original Snowbirds team in 1971. It was comprised of volunteer instructor pilots from the Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They flew seven ex-Centennaire Tutor aircraft, practicing in the evenings and performing on weekends."
Source: Snowbirds – Behind The Scenes With Canada’s Air Demonstration Team – Photographs And Text By Mike Sroka – Page 23
Question: During World War II, American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt referred to Canada as 'The Aerodrome of Democracy'. Which Canadian wrote this phrase? Hint: This person became very well known in Canadian politics after World War II.
Answer: "By 1945, the RCAF had become the world’s fourth-largest air force and the American president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, referred to Canada as 'The Aerodrome of Democracy' – a phrase written for him by Lester B. Pearson, who was the consul to the Canadian legation in Washington at the time."
Source: CAHS Journal – Spring 2010 – Page 19
Question: Alfred Atkey was a WW I pilot, who heralded from Nunebar, SK, and was described in Arthur Bishop’s True Canadian Heroes in the Air. What did he accomplish that caused Arthur Bishop to put him in his book? How many planes did he shoot down?
Answer: "Alfred Atkey was credited with being the only Canadian two-seater pilot to have shot down a pair of German planes in a single combat. Born in Nunebar, Sask., Atkey joined the RFC, trained as a pilot and served with 18 and 22 Squadrons, flying both Bristol and DH 4 two-seater fighters. On February 14, 1918, he and his observer were returning from a photographing and bombing mission when ten German fighters attacked them. In the ensuing battle Atkey managed to destroy two of the enemy machines, forcing the remainder of their assailants to break off the engagement. Despite heavy damage to the DH 4, Atkey managed to fly back to base and land safely. By war’s end he had been given credit for seventeen aircraft destroyed and, jointly with his observer, for shooting down another two."
Source: True Canadian Heroes in the Air by Arthur Bishop – Page 5
Question: What connection was there between the most famous aviatrix in history, Amelia Erhardt, and the RAF training plan in Canada during First World War?
Answer: "While working as a nurse in Toronto, the most famous aviatrix in history, Amelia Earheart, was inspired by the RAF to take up the challenge of flying."
Source: Dancing in the Sky– Page 13
Question: Where was Canada’s first school of aeronautics? Why and when was it created? What types of aircraft were used to illustrate its lessons?
Answer: "... Consequently, virtually all the recruits who travelled to Toronto did so by train. When they arrived, they were billeted at the University of Toronto, where they studied at Canada’s first school of aeronautics. Created specifically for the training of RFC flight cadets, the school’s instructors had only one type of aircraft with which to illustrate their lessons; the JN-4."
Source: Dancing in the Sky – Page 25
Question: What first did Flying Officer Allen B. Thompson of Penetanquishene, Ontario accomplish on September 10, 1939?
Answer: "... The following night, Flying Officer Allen B. Thompson of Penetanquishene, Ontario,, became the first Canadian wartime guest of the Third Reich when his 102 Squadron Whitley was brought down on another leaflet raid. This occurrence was still such a novelty that Thompson was personally greeted by Reichmarschall Herman Goring before the Canadian was packed off to prison camp."
Source: No Prouder Place – Page 26
Question: How did Nelles Timmerman from Kingston, Ontario, make Bomber Command history on May 1-2 1940, flying a Hampden?
Answer: "During the spring of 1940, Timmerman was flying Hampdens with 49 Squadron out of Scampton in Lincolnshire. On the night of 1-2 May, after returning from an abortive mine-laying mission near Norderney in the Frisian Islands, he made Bomber Command history by engaging an enemy Arado 196 floatplane with his front gun and successfully driving it into the sea. Arthur Harris himself, then the 5 Group commander, was instrumental in recommending Timmerman for a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for this singular feat."
Source: No Prouder Place – Page 23
Question: What role did Ernest Lloyd Janney, a motor mechanic from Galt, Ont., who had no experience in flying, nor in building airplanes, but was a gifted hucksters who in all probability could have sold baby seal meat to Brigitte Bardot, play in the Canadian Air Corps, play in the Canadian Air Corps in 1914?
Answer: "How the virtually unknown Janney gained access to Hughes is not known, but on 16 September 1914, the minister of militia made Janney the provisional head of the new Canadian Air Corps (CAC). Hughes also appointed Janney a captain in the Canadian Militia, and had him outfitted with a new uniform, Sam Browne belt, and shiny new service revolver. All this was done without consulting any governmental authority or advising Major-General Alderson, commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Moreover, Janney was never properly gazetted as a captain, although he drew pay from the militia as of the date of his probationary appointment."
Source: Dancing in the Sky, Page 19
QUESTION: What did Max Aitkin, who was raised in New Brunswick, contribute to the war effort of WWII?
ANSWER: "It was the summer of 1940. France had fallen and Hitler's armies were massing for the invasion of England. Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew that only air power could stop the Nazi advance, and Britain was quickly running out of planes. New bombers were rolling out of American factories but delivery by ship across the U-boat-infested ocean was impossibly slow. Senior cabinet minister Lord Beaverbrook hatched a desperate plan to fly the new bombers across the sea. Royal Air Force commanders were scathing -- few aircraft had ever flown the North Atlantic and none had done it in the fall or winter. The distance was too great, the weather too severe and unpredictable. Beaverbrook was unstoppable. With the help of the world's most experienced aviator, Australian Don Bennett, he organized an all-civilian operation to ferry bombers from the California factories through Canada and across the North Atlantic to Britain. By war's end, they had delivered some 20,000 aircraft, turning the tide of victory and opening up the North Atlantic air route, which would unite the old and new worlds as never before.
SOURCE: http://www.popeproductions.com/en/projects/ferrycommand.php
Question: What was the reaction of Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Hughes, Canada's minister of militia at the outbreak of war, to a proposal from the pioneer airman, engineer and inventor J.A.D. McCurdy for creating a Canadian Air Force?
Answer: "...in Canada, the minister of militia, Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Hughes, ruled the army without regard for existing channels of communication, opinions of his fellow cabinet ministers, or even those of the prime minister. At the outbreak of the war, Hughes met with the pioneer airman, engineer, and inventor, J.A.D. McCurdy. The aviator laid out a proposal to create a Canadian air force. Never one to understate his views, the minister decisively dismissed the supplicant. "My boy, the aeroplane is the invention of the Devil and will never play any part in such a serious business as the defence of the nation."
Source: Dancing in the Sky, Page 16
Question: What was the average life expectancy of a pilot in 1916? What was the name of one of the 20,000 Canadians who served in the RFC or the Royal Naval Air Service and went on to be a prominent Canadian politician?
Answer: “The average life expectancy of a pilot in 1916 was three weeks. In all 20,000 Canadians served in the RFC or the Royal Naval air Service, including former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.”
Source: The Nova Scotia International Tattoo 1999– Page 14
Question: Who was the first Canadian to score the first aerial victory during WWI. Where was he from, which Air Force was he with (RAF, RFC, RNAS), and when was the first Canadian aerial victory scored.
Answer: C - “On 14 December, 1915, a two-seater Nieuport, No.3971, of No.1 wing, R.N.A.S., Dunkirk, was patrolling over the sea between Nieuport and Dixmude, hunting for enemy aircraft which had been trying to bomb a British ship stranded on a sandbank off La Panne.” “Thus concluded the air battle in which the first aerial victory was scored by a Canadian.” “Flight Sub-lieutenant Arthur Strachan Ince was born at Toronto, Ontario in 1892. He joined the Royal Naval air service in 1915 and trained as a pilot at the Curtiss Aviation School, Long branch, Ontario, being the first to graduate on July 11, 1915.”
Source: The First Canadian Aerial Victory, by H. Creagen,, Journal of what is now called the Canadian Aviation Historical Society Journal, Jan.’63 , Page 4-5
QUESTION: What were Roland Groome and/or Richard MCCombie’s achievements?
ANSWER:“The end of WORLD WAR I saw the return of military pilots and ground crew, notably ROLAND GROOME, who gained a place in Canada’s aviation history in the spring of 1920 when the federal government’s new Air Board, which was traveling across western Canada, issued Canadian commercial pilot’s licence No. 1 to him. Groome’s business partner, Robert McCombie, received aero engineer’s licence No. 1; their airfield (in Regina’s Lakeview district) became Canada’s first licensed “air harbour”; and their Canadian-built JN-4 (Can) Canuck was registered G-CAAA—the first licenced aircraft in Canada..”
SOURCE: http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/aviation.html