David Ernest Hornell

David Ernest Hornell, VC, was born in Lucknow, Ontario, on January 26, 1910, and educated in Toronto. He worked for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company from 1927 to 1940. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on January 8, 1941, was commissioned to serve as a pilot and was posted to No. 162 Squadron at Reykjavik, Iceland, on January 2, 1944.

On June 24, 1944, Flight Lieutenant Hornell was captain of a Canso flying boat on anti-submarine patrol operations from Iceland. A German U-boat was sighted in waters north of the Shetland Islands, fully-surfaced and travelling at high speed. At once Hornell turned to attack. The U-boat's Captain decided to fight on the surface, and opened up with fierce and accurate anti-aircraft fire. The Canso was hit hard. Big holes were torn in the wing and the fuselage, and the starboard engine caught fire.

Ignoring the enemy fire, Hornell carefully maneuvered for the attack. Oil poured from the starboard engine which was on fire, as was the starboard wing, endangering the fuel tanks. Meanwhile the aircraft, hit again and again by enemy fire, was vibrating and difficult to control. Despite his precarious position, Hornell brought his aircraft in low to the target and released depth charges in a perfect pattern. The bow of the U-boat rose out of the water, toppling some of its crew overboard before plunging beneath the surface.

Hornell contrived, by superhuman effort at the controls, to gain a little height. The fire in the starboard wing had grown more intense and the vibration had increased. Then the burning engine fell off. The plight of the crew was now desperate. With the utmost coolness Hornell took his aircraft into the wind and despite the manifold dangers, brought it safely down on the heavy swells. Badly damaged and blazing furiously, the aircraft settled rapidly.

After ordeal by fire came ordeal by water. With only one serviceable dinghy, the crew of eight took turns going into the icy water, holding onto the sides. Once, the dinghy capsized in the rough seas and was righted again only with great difficulty. An airborne lifeboat was dropped to them from a search aircraft, but it fell some 500 yards (460 m) down wind. The men struggled vainly to reach it and Hornell, who throughout had encouraged them by his inspiring courage and leadership, proposed to swim to it, although he was nearly exhausted. He was restrained with great difficulty. After 21 hours in the sea, during which time both flight engineers died from exposure, they were picked up by a rescue launch. Hornell, blinded and completely exhausted, died shortly after being rescued.

Hornell had completed 60 operational missions involving 600 hours of flying time; he well knew the dangers and difficulties attending attacks on submarines. By pressing home a skillful and successful attack against fierce opposition, with his aircraft in a precarious condition, and by fortifying and encouraging his comrades in the subsequent ordeal, this officer displayed valour and devotion to duty of the highest order.

For this display of "valour and devotion to duty of the highest order", Flight Lieutenant David Hornell was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) - the first such award to a Canadian airman in the Second World War - for service with the squadron on June 24, 1944. He died at age 34 that day and was buried in the Shetland Islands.

David Ernest Hornell was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.