FLIGHT LIEUTENANT JAMES ARTHUR WALKER, D.F.C., of Gleichen, Alta., was a Canadian who enlisted in the RAF as a pupil pilot prior to the out break of World War ll. He fought with No. 111 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. F/L Walker accounted for 6 enemy aircraft before being killed while on active service on 8 February 1944 in a Dakota of No. 31 Squadron in Burma.
PILOT OFFICER CLAUDE WEAVER, D.F.C.,D.F.M., was born in Okiahorna City. He enlisted in the RCAF at Windsor, Ontario, and on completion of pilot training was posted overseas. Weaver flew with No. 412 Squadron for approximately a month before being sent to Malta, where he flew with No. 185 Squadron from July 15 until he was reported missing an 9 Septernber 1942. He was shot down and taken prisoner but escaped from an Italian POW camp and walked 300 miles to freedom. P/O Weaver was posted back to England and served with No. 403 Squadron. Unfortunately he was killed in action. His final tally of enerny aircraft was 11 1/2 destroyed.
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT JAMES HENRY WHALEN, D.F.C., of Vancouver, B.C., served briefly with No. 411 Squadron and was then posted to No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron. On 17 September 1941, Whalen was leading a flight when he spotted an Me.109F which he immediately attacked. The German plane plunged away, and the pilot bailed out. That was number one. Whalen then saw a squadron about 2-4000 feet above him and climbed to join them. At about 800 yards he realized they were Me.109Es flying in sections of threes, and each section in line astern of the other sections. Without hesitation, he attacked with cannon and machine-guns, registering strikes on several of the enemy fighters. One blossomed in flames. That was Number Two. He was attacking another when his ammunition gave out. Whalen barely limped back to Britain and was forced to crash-land, wheels up, and when he could not find a landing site. Two in one sortie. When the Japanese entered the war, No. 129 Squadron was sent to Ceylon. On 5 April 1942, when the Japanese attacked Colombo, Whalen shot down three Type 99 "Val" dive-bombers. F/L Whalen was killed in action on 18 April 1944, but not before taking toll of German and Japanese aircraft, 6 destroyed and damaged to one other.
GROUP CAPTAIN DAVID JOHN "BLACKIE" WILLIAMS, D.S.O., D.F.C., of Vancouver, B.C., served overseas first as a bomber pilot with No.408 Squadron. He left that squadron to join No.406 Squadron as its Commanding Officer. The squadron was flying Beaufighters, and did not convert to Mosquitoes until April 1944. Williams completed a large number of sorties, including several during which he successfully hit a variety of targets on the ground. He was a brave and resourceful pilot whose fine fighting qualities were well illustrated one night in July 1944, when he destroyed two Dornier 217s in eleven minutes. In the fighting his own aircraft sustained damage but he flew it safely back to base in extremely bad weather. G/C William's final score of enemy aircraft was 5 destroyed.
PILOT OFFICER FREDERICK ALBERT WILLIAM JOHNSON WILSON, of Port Arthur, Ontario, served with No. 80 Squadron in Africa. As well as No. 441 Squadron in Europe. Hewas a brilliant and determined pilot who engaged the enemy in aerial combat whenever the occasion arose. He was credited with 6 victories.
SQUADRON LEADER GORDON WONNACOTT, D.F.C. and Bar, of Edrnonton, Alta., served with No. 414 Squadron. In the initial stages of the liberation of Normandy, Wonacott twice fiew long sorties directing naval bombardments. His day intruder activities resulted in the destruction of numerous trains and barges. In January 1945, when, on returning to base on the completion of a reconnaissance, he saw the airfield being attacked by a large force of enemy aircraft. Wonnacott immediately engaged the enemy. Before all his ammunition was expanded, he had destroyed three of the attackers. S/L Wonnacott's final tally - 5 enerny aircraft destroyed.
SQUADRON LEADER VERNON CROMPTON WOODWARD, D.F.C. and Bar, a Canadian in the RAF, made his mark in the Middle East, where he was known as "Imperturbable Woody". In the early days of the war he flew Gloster Gladiators against the Italians in the Western Desert, shooting down two in one day. "We had thrilling individual dog-fights then", he recalled. "it was just like they had in the last war." Woodward served with both Nos 33 and 213 Squadrons in Africa and Greece. In Septernber 1941, be was posted for instructional duties to Rhodesia. In January 1943, he returned to operations as the Commanding Officer of No. 213 Squadron, flying Hurricanes in North Africa. S/L Woodward set a fine record of 21 enemy aircraft destroyed, 5 probables, 11 damaged plus another 2 aircraft destroyed on the ground.