James Francis Edwards

Born on a Saskatchewan farm on June 5, 1921, James F. “Stocky” Edwards, C.M, DFC*, DFM, CD, attended school at St. Thomas College in Battleford. Known as Jim or Jimmy, in June 1940, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, graduating as a sergeant pilot in June 1941. Posted to the Middle East in November 1941, he was assigned to No. 94 Royal Air Force Squadron in the western desert, Egypt, flying fighter/bomber Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk aircraft with the Desert Air Force.

Promoted to Flight Sergeant, on his first operational flight in 1942, Jim shot down a Messerschmitt Me 109. Now known as "Eddie", on May 9, he was transferred to No. 260 RAF Squadron. Aircraft of the Desert Air Force relocated frequently to temporary bases as the Allied army retreated from German and Italian armies commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

However, by October 1942, the Axis Forces were defeated and in full retreat. On one day Eddie shot down two Me 109s and on one strafing operation, he destroyed an Me 109 and an Me 110 on the ground. On another day he dropped his bomb between two Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, demolishing both, and destroyed three Me 109s on the ground in a single burst of gunfire.

The Desert Air Force supported the 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. Eddie was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and assigned as Flight Commander. On April 14, 1943 he shot down three Me 109s. On April 22 he shot down a six-engine Me 523, the last recorded victory for No. 260 Squadron in North Africa. On May 13, Axis troops surrendered; Eddie had flown 195 sorties over African deserts.

After helping to form and instruct at the Middle East Central Gunnery School in El Ballah, Egypt, in December 1943 Eddie was posted to RCAF No. 417 Squadron in Italy, flying Spitfires, then was transferred to No. 92 East India Squadron in Italy. In February 1944 he shot down four enemy aircraft in 26 sorties over the Anzio beachhead, south of Rome.

Edwards was then promoted to Squadron Leader with command of No. 274 RAF Squadron. In April, his squadron was posted to England with two other Spitfire squadrons flying support for Allied bombers, including on D-Day, June 6, 1944, for aircraft in the invasion of Normandy. Through June and July, his squadron escorted bombers over Europe. He completed his second tour and was awarded a Bar to his DFC.

In February 1945, at age 23 he was promoted to Wing Commander of RCAF No. 127 Wing, heading four RCAF Spitfire squadrons over Europe. On May 3, 1945, Eddie flew his 373rd and final sortie of the war, shooting down a Ju 88 with other pilots of his Wing. The war was over two days later. His official count in air-to-air combat was 18 aircraft destroyed, l6 damaged and 7 probables, with another 14 destroyed on the ground. Edwards stayed in uniform until his retirement in 1972 as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Canadian Forces. Post-war, a nickname from his days in training, "Stocky" , caught up with him and he has been known by that name ever since.

Following the war, Stocky served as Officer Commanding RCAF Station Centralia, flew and instructed on Vampire jets in Trenton, and was OC St. Hubert. In 1949 at the RCAF Station at Sea Island, Vancouver, with the Search and Rescue Unit he was checked out on Cansos and Lancasters. After serving as OC of a recruiting unit in Vancouver, in 1951 he formed and commanded the first RCAF F-86 Sabre squadron, No. 430 Squadron in North Bay, Ontario.

In 1952 Stocky was posted to France, flying F-86 Sabre jet aircraft. In 1955, he was posted to USAF Air Defence Headquarters at Colorado Springs, then flew CF-100 jets at Cold Lake, Alberta.

He held staff positions in Ottawa, North Bay, and his last posting was CO of RCAF Station Baldy Hughes, near Prince George, British Columbia. In 1972, after nearly 32 years of service, Stocky Edwards retired and settled with his wife, Toni, and their four children in Comox, British Columbia.

Awarded both the Distinguished Flying Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his combat success, James Francis Edwards was honoured again by his country in 2004 when he was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada.

Stocky Edwards was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held on May 30, 2013 in Ottawa, Ontario.