George Frederick Beurling

George Frederick 'Buzz' Beurling, D.S.O., D.F.C., DF.M.*, was born on December 6, 1921, in Verdun, Quebec, where he was educated. As a youngster he built and sold model aircraft to earn money for flying lessons, and hunted game birds to improve his shooting skills. By 1939 he was a licensed private pilot and had won an aerobatics context in Edmonton, Alberta, against civilian and military pilots.

Refused enlistment in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at the outbreak of World War II, he sought, and was refused, enlistment in the Chinese Air Force and the Air Force of Finland. Beurling again attempted to join the RCAF as a pilot and again was rejected. This refusal caused him to join the crew of a merchant ship and cross the submarine-infested Atlantic in order to enlist in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in England. Again he was refused, this time for lack of proper documents. He promptly returned to Canada, secured the required papers, and within a week sailed back to England, where he was finally accepted for pilot training by the RAF.

After completing advanced training and graduating with his wings as a Sergeant Pilot in September 1941, Beurling was assigned to No. 403 RCAF Squadron flying a Hurricane fighter. Within weeks he was transferred to the all-Canadian, RAF Spitfire Squadron 242, where he shot down one enemy aircraft. In June 1942, he was posted to No. 249 Squadron on the Island of Malta, in the Mediterranean, and by mid-July had destroyed eight enemy aircraft and won the Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.). In September 1942, his score rose by 17 enemy aircraft destroyed and he was given a Bar to the D.F.M. Within four months of his posting to Malta, he had destroyed 28 enemy aircraft.

Beurling was then commissioned as a Pilot Officer and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) for downing more hostile aircraft. On October 13 and 14, 1942, he fought his last battles from Malta and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) with the following citation: "Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Pilot Officer Beurling has destroyed a further six enemy aircraft, bringing is total victories to 28. During one sortie on October 13, 1942, he shot does a Junkers 88 and two Messerschmidt 109s. The following day, in a head-on attack on enemy bombers, he destroyed one of them before he observed his leader attacked by an enemy fighter. Although wounded, Pilot Officer Beurling destroyed the fighter, then, although his aircraft was hit by enemy fire, he shot down another fighter before his own aircraft was so damaged that he was forced to abandon it. he descended safely into the sea and was rescued. This officer's skill and daring are unexcelled.

After recovering from his wounds in England, Beurling returned to Canada to assist in selling war bonds as Canada's leading ace of World War II. His exceptional ability as an airborne marksman was then directed to the training of new fighter pilots in Britain but he wanted to be back in the air. He was then transferred to the RCAF in September of 1943. That same month, serving with No. 403 Squadron, he destroyed another enemy fighter. He was transferred to No. 412 Squadron and promoted to Flight Lieutenant. In December of 1943 he destroyed two more enemy aircraft. He found service discipline difficult, and was released from service in October 1944 and returned to Canada, after 31 affirmed aerial victories.

Until 1948 he barnstormed across Canada and accepted occasional bush flying assignments. But, lost in a world without air combat - "it's the only thing I can de well; it's the only thing I ever did I really liked" - he looked for an air force to join.

He was refused enlistment in the Nationalist Air Force in China, but was accepted by the Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot in the war between the Jew and Arabs in Palestine. He was killed at Rome Airport on May 20, 1948, when the aircraft he was ferrying to Palestine crashed.

George Beurling was named as a Member of the 'Quebec Air and Space Hall of Fame' in 2001.

George Frederick 'Buzz' Beurling was inducted as a member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1974 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.

Beurling was originally buried in Rome. However, the Jewish people. as a gesture of respect of him, had his body exhumed and re-buried with honours in Israel.