Found this image while 'browsing' and rather liked it - not one I've seen in the books ; -

http://www.bomber-command.info/Vulturestrikes.htm

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

WOW! It is an awesome picture, Martin! Thanks for sharing!

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Since were on Bomber Command, I just watched a show that said 25% of bomber Command was Canadian.

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Go-Flames-Go

Other sources state 20 percent, but the difference is 'splitting hairs' and is unfair.

Canada had no conscription during WWII and her contribution to Bomber Command was remarkable by any standards.

RAF historian Denis Richards, in ' The Hardest Victory ' , says : -

Reflecting its greater population ( than other Commonwealth countries ), wealth and industrial resources..Canada made an exceptionally large contribution. With its own individual Bomber Command Group, No 6, from January 1943, the RCAF provided no fewer than 15 squadrons. Most of these operated contiuously from 1943 onwards....
All told, Commonwealth nationals, whether in Commonwealth or RAF squadrons, provided a surprising proportion of Bomber Command's aircrew...That defines the quantity. The quality is perhaps indicated by the fact that more than a third of the Victoria Crosses awarded to Bomber Command went to Commonwealth airmen. ' ( pp 296-297 ).

For the full story of Canada's effort, try to get hold of a copy of Spencer Dunmore and William Carter's near-definitive study, ' Reap The Whirlwind - The Untold Story Of 6 Group ' published in Canada in 1991 and the UK in 1992. A great book, absolutely full of personal accounts and historical data.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Indeed Canada really contributed to the Allied war effort. Let's remember the Canadian divisions that fought in Italy and Western Europe, the Royal Canadian Navy which fought in the battle of the Atlantic and of course, the RCAF, which contributed with the best Allied ace: Jonnhy Johnson. [img]smile.gif[/img] As well as in WWI, when Canada lost 15% of its population in the trenches and gave the Allies its best air men.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Actually, I hate to say this..it appeared here a few days ago and I thought .. 'Johnnie' Johnson was actually very English

Born in Melton Mowbray in 1915 and educated at Loughborough and Nottingham, he joined Leicester Yeomanry (TA) after being turned down for the RAFVR due to a rugby injury, finally being accepted for the RAF in August 1939.

I think the understandable confusion arises because Johnnie famously led the Canadian Wing at Kenley from 1943 onwards - but he wasn't Canadian !

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

That explains EVERYTHING!

Friedrich was a bit messed up! I do remember building and painting my little Johnny Johnson's 1/72 Spitfire Mark IX with a little mapple leaf on it... Well, that explains his weird and silly accent in his interview I watched on the telly... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Don't worry, Friedrich - I'm still smarting from my recent 'Halifax Production Figures' cock-up ! [img]redface.gif[/img] [img]redface.gif[/img] [img]redface.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

I now remember:

Raymon Collishaw, born in Nanaimo, British Columbia on November 22nd 1893. Since he was a very young boy he had been sailing and in January 1916 he entered the Royal Navy Air Service and was appointed to the Corps' 3rd wing, where he started participating in bombardment missions in a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter.
After being shot down and fortunately unharmed in December 1916, Collishaw was transferred in 1917 to the naval 3rd squadrille to fly the new Sopwith Pup. He had only shot down one German aeroplane when he was appointed the command of B squadrille of naval 10th squadron, which included Canadian pilots only and was to be known as the 'black squadrille'. The squadrille's planes had very uncommon names; by example, Collishaw's was named 'Black Mary', II lieutenant Sharman's 'Black Death', W.M. Alexander flew his 'Black Prince' and J.E. Nash the'Black Sheep'...
When he was shot down again on July 15th 1917 he had shot down 36 enemy aeroplanes. He scored a total of 60 during the great war and served the Commonwealth excellently with his fine leadership in the next war. He died in Canada in 1976.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

John Alexander Kent was born in Canada in 1914. He got his flying certificate in Winnipeg Flying School and in 1935 marched to England and joined the RAF. He was appointed to a base at Duxford, where he flew a biplane Gloster Gauntlet. In Farnborough base he tested many new fighters and finally was transferred to 212th squadron in France where he flew air photography reconaissence missions in a Supermarine Spitfire.
In August 1940 he was given the command of squadron 303rd, Polish unit formed in Northolt with Hawker Hurricanes. He developed strong relation with the Poles and earned himslef respect and admiration. He shot down two Me-109, one Me-110 and a Ju-88 and he had other not-confirmed victories.
Afterwards he was appointed commander of 92nd squadron at Biggin Hill, equipped with Spitfires. On november 1st 1940, Kent shot down the squadron's 100th Me-109!!! And the next day he shot down two more... In june 1941 he was already wing commander in Northolt again, as commander of another Polish unit (formed by three squadrons). As wing commander, Kent adopted two very peculiar signs for his Spitfire. The Polish National Eagle on a green Canadian mapple leaf and the sign J (John) A (Alexander) K (Kent). He shot down six more Me-109 and was awarded the Polish Virtuti Militari for valour and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.
He spent some time in the USA and Canada teaching flying lessons and testing new fighters after that he came back to England and was promoted group captain [correction, please] in Church Stanton base. He was transferred to North Africa, where he didn't fly much. His final record at the end of the war was of 13 kills, although there were at least another 6 kills, confirmed by his wingmen.
When the war ended he was appointed pilots chief at the RAF experimentation base at Farnborough. In 1950 he went to the test-base of Wright-Patterson in Ohio, USA. He at least, flew and tested more than 200 different aircraft types...

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

On April 10th 1918, the 24-year-old Canadian captain A. Roy Brown was suffering from stomach-ulcers when he lift up with a patrol of 5 aeroplanes and above the motorway in Sailly-le Sec and Le Hamel he got involved in air combat with six German aeroplanes. With him, there was flying his old school mate, the unexperienced pilot Wilfred May. Then, Wilfred mate turned around and headed home, as Brown had ordered him in case of a serious combat. Then, a red triplane turned around and started chasing May, Brown headed the nose of his Sopwith Camel immediately to protect his friend. He shot his two Vieckers machine guns and hit the German aeroplane. Brown saw how the eyes of the German pilot, behind the big glasses got glosed and how he fell from his seat. The aeroplane kept flying another two kilometres before crashing strongly in an Australian trenches line.When Brown returned to base he received a phone call: "Roy. Get yourself ready to receive a medal!" "Why?" asked Brown. "The pilot you shot down had a 'Por le Mérite' on his neck" "And?" asked Brown "He was Richthofen!"

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

If were going to talk Canadian airmen, lets not forget the best markedd, Billy Biship, believe he shot down 74 or 76 enemy planes and was all around West Europeian battles in WW1. He was even flying above Vimy Ridge. You are probably right about the 20% were RCAF but I believe another 5% were Canadians serving in the RAF.
We didnt lose them, but thats about how much we sent there.

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Go-Flames-Go

Yep, Billy was a hot pilot for sure. Brad, didn't he serve on a consultation board for the future RAF before the SEcon world war ? seems like I read this somewhere in an outdated booklet back in the 1960's.

E

William A. Bishop: 72 confirmed kills.

Of course I do remember him. I will bring his biography later.

And Brad: Canda lost some 1.500.000 men out of Canada's 10.000.000 population in 1914. That's 15%.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

I believe Billy did, I think the Canadian airforce during WW1 merged its like 1 plane with the RAF. Canada lost like 63,533 or somthin near that in WW1, The population was near 6 million or somthing, atleast thats what we learned in our textbooks in social.

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Go-Flames-Go

Well, Brad. I have been studying WWI's battles since a while back and I have realised that every total numbers of men killed in WWI are wrong. They say that 20.000.000 men were killed during the war, however, in that very same book they speak of some numbers of every individual battle and I did the mathematic operations, adding every individual cypher and I realised that the total ammount was of some 32.000.000... That is why I have come to my own numbers, which are averages of many books about the war and social geography.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun