Edy, Donald Leslie (Flight Lieutenant)

Prisoner of War 1942-January-30

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

274 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Supero I conquer

Base

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Position

Service Numbers

J/5034
PoW: 2570

The evening of 22nd January Squadron Leader Derek Gould gave last instructions to 4 pilots for the next mission for tomorrow morning...

On the 23rd January 1942, Pilot Officer Don Edy took off at 07.30 AM (in P3822) (his 43rd & last operational mission) for a recco battle area with 3 other pilots: Flight Lieutenant Cloete & Sergeant Stammers, the first pair, and Pilot Officer L C Wade (Z4251) who was the leader of the second pair.

After 20 minutes flying, Don Edy saw some dust clouds ahead, He thought maybe it was some take off of 109. The orders were clear: no fight with 109. Suddenly Wade climbed at 1000 ft, it was difficult to Don Edy to follow him with his old Mk I. At first, Edy thought that Wade wanted to attack, finally Wade circled during 3/5 minutes, to be sure it was not 109 and to understand it was a column of German trucks. Wade made an attack followed by Edy, At the first pass Wade touched a gas truck which exploded when Edy was almost over it. They made 3 pass surrounded by the fire of the Flak (20 mm) posted at the back of some trucks, the sky was thick with little black puffs of smoke. At the third pass the old Mk I of Edy received 2 bullets one in the radiator, another in the engine.

Too difficult to fly, Don Edy made a successful belly landing, at the same time L C Wade was circling around him to protect. Some minutes after the wheels and flaps of his hurricane were down, but the ground was too rough to land and pick up Edy. After some times, Wade waved to Edy to say he was sorry to come back. At his comeback, Pilot Officer Wade has written: Pilot Officer EDY Missing, believed POW. Many Souffan, Paris France via RAF Commands

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Hurricane serial: P3822

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc.
Source BBMF

The Hawker Hurricane is a single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s"“1940s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Hurricane developed through several versions, as bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers, and ground support aircraft in addition to fighters. Versions designed for the Navy were popularly known as the Sea Hurricane, with modifications enabling their operation from ships. Some were converted to be used as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By the end of production in July 1944, 14,487 Hurricanes had been completed in Britain and Canada.

A major manufacturer of the Hurricane was Canadian Car and Foundry at their factory in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. The facility's chief engineer, Elsie MacGill, became known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes". The initiative was commercially led rather than governmentally, but was endorsed by the British government; Hawker, having recognized that a major conflict was all but inevitable after the Munich Crisis of 1938, drew up preliminary plans to expand Hurricane production via a new factory in Canada. Under this plan, samples, pattern aircraft, and a complete set of design documents stored on microfilm, were shipped to Canada; the RCAF ordered 20 Hurricanes to equip one fighter squadron and two more were supplied to Canadian Car and Foundry as pattern aircraft but one probably did not arrive. The first Hurricane built at Canadian Car and Foundry was officially produced in February 1940. As a result, Canadian-built Hurricanes were shipped to Britain to participate in events such as the Battle of Britain. Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) was responsible for the production of 1,451 Hurricanes. Wikipedia and Harold A Skaarup Web Page


YouTube Hurricane

Wikipedia Wikipedia Hurricane

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrel Publications Hurricane - Kestrel Publications