George Beurling
| George Frederick Beurling | |
|---|---|
"Buzz" Beurling in March 1943
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Buzz" "Screwball" |
| Born |
6 December 1921 Verdun, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | 20 May 1948 (aged 26) Rome, Italy |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom Israel |
| Service/branch |
Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Israeli Defence Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1944 1948 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Medal & Bar |
George Frederick "Buzz" Beurling DSO, DFC, DFM & Bar (6 December 1921 – 20 May 1948) was the most successful Canadian fighter pilot of the Second World War.
Beurling was recognised as "Canada's most famous hero of Second World War", as "The Falcon of Malta" and the "Knight of Malta", having been credited with shooting down 27 Axis aircraft in just 14 days over the besieged Mediterranean island. Before the war ended his official total climbed to either 31 or 31 1⁄3. Beurling's wartime service was terminated prior to war's end. In an attempt to continue combat flying in the postwar era, Beurling lost his life in a crash while attempting to deliver an aircraft to Israel.
Born in Verdun (now part of Montreal), Quebec, Beurling first took the controls of an aircraft in 1933 and was flying solo by 1938. He left school to work for an air freight company in Gravenhurst, Ontario, and soon gained a commercial license. Beurling joined the Royal Air Force in September 1940.
With the outbreak of war, Beurling tried to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, but his lack of academic qualifications led to his rejection. He then tried to join the Finnish Air Force (which was fighting the Soviets in the Winter War), but could not get his parents' permission. Instead, Beurling sailed across the Atlantic on a convoy, landing in Glasgow, intending to enlist in the Royal Air Force. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his birth certificate and had to return to Canada. In September 1940, after he had survived the return trip, the RAF accepted him as a pilot.
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