German troops jump for cover in a Belgium street during 1944. Overhead, RCAF Typhoons scream into the attack.
Signatures
F/Lt. Harry James Hardy,
DFC, CD, joined the RCAF in 1941 and flew Tiger Moths, Cessna Cranes,
Bolingbrokes, Lysanders, Huricanes, Kittyhawks and Harvards. After
DDay he was flying Typhoons with 440 Squadron, operating from B9
Cruelly, France. F/Lt. Hardy lost 'Pulverizer 1' when the whole
squadron became lost while flying from Athens to Brussels, and all nine
aircraft force-landed. 'Pulverizer 2' crash-landed during the Battle of
the Bulge when hit by flak from a tank, but Hardy baled out again.
'Pulverizer 3' was taken off the line, presumably due to flak damage.
He flew 'Pulverizer 4' to the end of his tour. He completed 96 sorties,
with three force-landings and two bale-outs. F/Lt. Robert E. Spooner,
DFC, joined the Air Force in 1941 at High River, Alberta. In September
1944 he commenced operations against the enemy with 438 Squadron at
Melsbroek, flying Typhoons. By November he was a Flight Commander, and
flew support for the Nijmegan attack and in the Ardennes. Other
adventures included train-strafing and a mid-air collision in cloud,
with both aircraft returning safely to base. F/Lt. Spooner completed 97
sorties.
F/O A. M. Scott. After
training in Canada and a stint flying Miles Masters at Turnhill,
England, Scott converted to Typhoons and joined 440 Squadron at
Eindhoven, Holland. He flew a total of 30 operational trips. Among his
many exciting experiences was a spectacular wheels-up landing in his
Typhoon near the Rhine River after his tail had been damaged by flak.
F/Lt. Victor McMann
joined the RCAF in 1941 at Winnipeg, Manitoba, and flew Cessna Twins
and Venturas. He was then posted to Quebec to train on Hurricanes. In
March, 1943 he was sent to Annette Island, Alaska (118 F.S.) and in
April was in England with 438 Squadron. He acted in close army support
throughout the invasion of Normandy on June 6, then on through France,
Belgium, Holland and lastly, Germany. On his 63rd operational trip from
Eindhoven, his Typhoon had a complete engine failure. He force-landed
and was captured.
F/Lt. Alex A. MacDonald
signed up with the Air Force on his 18th birthday, January 15, 1941 and
was eventually posted to Turnhill, England, flying Miles Masters and
Spitfires. After converting to Typhoons and joining 438 Squadron, he
went on dive-bombing operations. He became a F/Lt. in 1942. On his
first operational sortie, McDonald collided with another aircraft,
totalling both planes. No-one was injured. He completed 36 operational
sorties while with the squadron, and was awarded the 1939-1945 Star,
Defence Medal, CVSM with clasp, and the Victory Medal.
F/Lt. Roy Burden
was with 118 Squadron on Annette Island, Alaska, flying Kittyhawks in
June of 1943. In November he joined 438 Squadron, training on
Hurricanes and converting to Typhoons at Ayr, Scotland. In March 1944,
Burden was on dive-bombing operations over Europe, striking V1 launch
sites. On DDay he bombed coastal defences at dawn and witnessed the
historic invasion from his Typhoon cockpit. On June 14 he was
dive-bombing bridges and motor transport. Through August he was
shooting up staff cars, despatch riders, etc. Shortly afterwards, he
was severely injured while riding a captured motorbike, but was back
with 438 Squadron by February. He then went to train-busting missions
with delayed action bombs and flew his 98th and last operational sortie
on May 3, 1945.
Additional Signatures
Sgt./Pilot Ramsay Milne, 245 Squadron and later with 440 Squadron. Shot down August 1944. POW.
F/Lt. Emerson Wallace was with 193 Squadron and completed 70 sorties.
F/Lt. C. Ivan Smith joined the RCAF in 1941. His first operational flights were with 268 Squadron. Total sorties: 104.
F/Lt. Victor J. Legear, DFC, first flew operations with 439 Squadron in 1944. Flew 81 sorties. He also taught 177 students to fly.
F/Lt. Ivan Mouat first flew ops in 1941 with 198 Squadron and flew 25 sorties. Shot down in July 1943 and made POW.
Capt. Frank Gilland joined RCAF in 1941 and flew ops same year with 198 Squadron. Flew 34 sorties and shot down September 1943. Made POW.
F/O Art Younger was with 247 Squadron and flew 69 sorties. Shot down August 1944. POW.
F/L Hugh O'Brien, M.C. was with 440 Squadron and flew an amazing 200 sorties. Holder of Maltese Cross.
The Story
September
1944. As the Allies moved relentlessly eastward across France after
DDay, Typhoon pilots fearlessly flew at low level to support ground
troops. Depicted is 'Pulverizer 2,' flown by F/Lt.Harry Hardy of 440
Squadron RCAF over Belgium.
Designed and introduced into
RAF service as an interceptor, the Hawker Typhoon was employed during
1944-1945 as an instrument of tactical air support, attacking ground
targets with bombs, rockets and cannon fire. Consequently it was
admired and respected by troops, who witnessed first-hand the
devastation it could cause.
All-Canadian 143 Wing
comprised 438, 439 and 440 Squadrons, flying Typhoons. Each aircraft
carried two 1000 pound bombs and four 20mm cannons. During the Normandy
invasion period, 151 Typhoons pilots were killed from 450 Typhoons
operating during this time. There is a monument to their honor at
Villous Borage in Normandy, France. Twenty of these pilots were from
the Canadian wing.
