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Operation Chastise took place during the night of 16-17 May 1943 and was meant to destroy dams in the industrial Rühr region. Bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis were dropped by specially-modified Lancasters led by Guy Gibson, and succeeded in breaching two of the three dams. Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the raid. Operation Chastise took place during...
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC DSO* DFC* (1918-1944), was the first CO of the RAF's 617 Squadron, which he led in the Dam Busters raid (Operation Chastise) in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, but lost his life later in the war. He had completed over 170 operations at the age of... Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC...
George F. "Buzz" Beurling DSO, DFC, DFM* (1921-1948) became Canada’s highest-scoring ace of World War II, claiming 30 and one shared destroyed enemy aircraft, one probably destroyed enemy aircraft, and nine damaged, between 1 May 1942 and 30 December 1943. George F. "Buzz" Beurling DSO, DFC,...
Lionel "Elmer" Gaunce DFC was credited with 6 confirmed aerial victories, 3 probables and 6 damaged before he was killed in action in November 1941. Lionel "Elmer" Gaunce DFC was...
Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell DSO* DFC* was credited with 16 confirmed aerial victories and six shared. He was killed in a flying accident in August 1945. Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell DSO*...
Edgar Norman Ryder DFC (1914-1995) was credited with 8 aerial victories and became a Prisoner of War in late 1941. Edgar Norman Ryder DFC (1914-1995)...
Arthur Richard "Big" Elcock was credited with 8 aerial victories. Sadly, he only survived the war by a matter of days, as he was killed in a flying accident on 14 May 1945. Arthur Richard "Big" Elcock was...
Major General Carroll W. McColpin (1914–2003) first flew with the RAF's Egale Squadron before transferring to the USAAF. He was credited with 12 kills, 5 probable, and 12 damaged while in RAF service and another 8 confirmed kills while in the USAAF. Major General Carroll W. McColpin...
Major General Chesley G. Peterson (1920–1990) entered the conflict as a pilot of the RAF's Eagle Squadrons, which later became the US 4th Fighter Group. Peterson flew a total of 130 war missions and was credited with 9 aerial victories and 9 probables. Major General Chesley G. Peterson...
Duane Willard Beeson (1921–1947) scored 22.08 victories, including 17.3 air-to-air kills,12 of which were scored in the P-47C/D Thunderbolt, and 5.3 of which were scored in the P-51B Mustang. Beeson initially flew with the RAF's Eagle Squadrons and was one of ten USAAF pilots to became an ace in two different types of aircraft. Duane Willard Beeson (1921–1947)...
Duane Willard Beeson (1921–1947) scored 22.08 victories, including 17.3 air-to-air kills,12 of which were scored in the P-47C/D Thunderbolt, and 5.3 of which were scored in the P-51B Mustang. Beeson initially flew with the RAF's Eagle Squadrons and was one of ten USAAF pilots to became an ace in two different types of aircraft. Duane Willard Beeson (1921–1947)...
Ioannis Agorastos "John" Plagis DSO, DFC & Bar (1919–1974) was a Southern Rhodesian ace, noted especially for his part in the defence of Malta during 1942. Plagis was the top-scoring Southern Rhodesian ace of the war, and the highest-scoring ace of Greek origin, with 16 confirmed aerial victories including 11 over Malta. Ioannis Agorastos "John" Plagis DSO,...
Squadron Leader James Joseph "Orange" O'Meara DSO, DFC & Bar (1919 – 1974) was a Battle of Britain Spitfire ace whose final wartime score was 11 confirmed aerial victories, two shared victories, one unconfirmed destroyed, four probables, 11 damaged and one shared damaged. Squadron Leader James Joseph "Orange"...
Born in London in 1922 of Irish parents, Michael “Slim” Kilburn flew with No 124 and No 56 Squadrons during the war. Credited with 7 aerial victories and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and French Croix de Guerre, Kilburn graduated as an aeronautical engineer after the war and became a test pilot for de Havilland. Born in London in 1922 of Irish...
Flying SM825, 20-victory ace John Sheperd shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 110 towing a Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket fighter on 14 April 1945, destroying both. Flying SM825, 20-victory ace John...
Flying Spitfire SM823, seven-victory ace Patrick Coleman destroyed three Focke-Wulf Fw 190 over Germany on 1 May 1945. Flying Spitfire SM823, seven-victory...
Flying MB882, F/L Spencer shot down Hauptmann Emil ‘Bully’ Lang, a German ace credited with 173 aerial victories, on 3 September 1944. Spencer's final score was of ten confirmed victories. Flying MB882, F/L Spencer shot down...
Arthur A. "Pinky" Glen, DFC & Bar, was a Royal Air Force ace with 9 aerial victories. Arthur A. "Pinky" Glen, DFC &...
Jan Eugeniusz Ludwig Zumbach (1915-1986) was a fighter pilot in the Polish air force and joined the RAF after the fall of Poland. He scored 8 confirmed kills and a probable during the Battle of Britain, edning the war with 12 confirmed victories, 2 shared, 5 probables and one damaged. Jan Eugeniusz Ludwig Zumbach...
Tadeusz "Novi" Nowierski was a Polish reconnaissance pilot and one of the first Poles to join the RAF. His transition to fighters was a success as he shot down 5 German aircraft during the Battle of Britain. Hecommanded several units during the war, ending with 5 confirmed victories and two probables. Tadeusz "Novi" Nowierski was a Polish...
With 33 aerial victories, Pierre Clostermann DFC & Bar is France's ace of aces in World War II. He described his wartime experiences in his best-selling memoirs Le Grand Cirque (The Big Show), and notably his first flight in a Spitfire of OTU 61 in 1942. With 33 aerial victories, Pierre...
Air Vice Marshal James Edgar "Johnnie" Johnson CB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar (1915-2001) was credited with 34 individual victories over enemy aircraft, as well as seven shared victories, three shared probables, 10 damaged, three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground, making him the RAF's highest-scoring ace on the Western Front in World War II. Air Vice Marshal James Edgar...
Stanislaw Skalski became the first Allied ace of the war when he shot down 6 German aircraft between 1 and 16 September 1939. After joining the RAF he increased his score to a total of 18 11/12 (or 22 11/12 according to some sources), making him the top Polish ace of the war. Stanislaw Skalski became the first...
Duncan Smith, DSO*, DFC** (1914-1996) was credited with 17 confirmed kills, two shared kills, six probables, two shared probables and eight damaged in aerial combat. Duncan Smith, DSO*, DFC** (1914-1996)...