"Modest and unassuming, he was just one
of the boys and a real credit to Canada and her RCAF. His daring
and keenness led to his presumed death. He was a leader, respected
and admired by all. Just one swell guy."
-
Epitaph writen in 411 sqaudron's Operations Record Book |
Canadian Fighter Pilots Get Biggest Bag of Huns
London, Jan. 2, 1945 - (CP) - Canadian fighter pilots
accounted for at least half of the 94 German planes destroyed by the RAF's
2nd Tactical Air Force New Year's Day when the Luftwaffe made an attempt
to cripple west front airfield operations.
A compilation tonight, based on the latest reports received from the Continent,
showed that RCAF fighters in their biggest day of the war destroyed at
least 36 enemy aircraft and half-a-dozen others fel1 to Canadian sharpshooters
in RAF Squadrons.
The top scoring wing in the 2nd Tactical Air Force during the day of close
to 100 "kills" was the Canadian Spitfire unit which brought
down 24 German machines, probably destroyed another three and damaged
seven. An untold number of probables and damaged planes was claimed by
other Canadians.
The wing’s scorers included two airmen who downed three planes apiece,
both from the Ram Squadron. FO G. D. Cameron
of Toronto destroyed a trio of ME-109s while Flt. Lt. John Mackay
of Cloverdale, B.C. destroyed two ME-109s and an FW-190. Mackay got the
last two without using his guns because they dived into the ground when
he chased them.
Flt. Lt. D. Pieri of Toronto and Elmhurst, Ill.,
destroyed two ME-190s and probably destroyed two others.
Flt. Lt. Dick Audet of Lethbridge, Alta., who last Friday
shot down five enemy planes in little more than five minutes, brought
his total to seven with two FW-190s bagged as they roared low over his
field. Friday's quintet were the first aircraft the 22 year-old Lethbridge
airman had downed.
Others from the Canadian wing, who helped to set up the day's record -
the previous top mark for the Canadians in a single day was 22 planes
- included Sqdn, Ldr. Dean Dover, DFC, and Bar, of Toronto, who destroyed
an ME-109 and shared another with FO. Dean Kelly of Peterborough, Ont.
and Flt. Lt Donald Gordon of Vancouver with two
ME-109's.
Double scorers included Flt. Lt. J. W. Garland.
Richmond, Ont., PO. Steve Butte, Michel. B.C.;
PO. Mac Reeves, Madoc, Ont.; and FO. A. H. Fraser,
Westmount, Que.
Single scorers included Flt. Lt. W. Banks, Toronto;
Flt. Lt. B. MacPherson, St. Thomas, Ont.; Flt Lt. Basil Doak, Cowansville,
Que.; FO. Vic Smith, Toronto; FO. J. C. Lee, Ottawa; PO. D. M. Horsburgh,
Carnduff, Sask.; Flt. Lt. N. Keen, White Lake. B.C.; FO. H. Laurence,
Edson. Alta.; and Flt. Sgt. Keith Lindsay. 10764 95th St. Edmonton. Lindsay
also claimed one probable.
______________________________________________
Son of Paul and Edewisca Audet;
husband of Iris Christina Audet, of Pinner, Middlesex
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, 13 March 1922; home there
Enlisted in Calgary, 26 August 1941
Attended Manning Depot in Brandon, Manitoba
Trained at No.3 ITS (graduated 10 April 1942)
No.22 EFTS (graduated 3 July 1942) and
No.2 SFTS (wings and commission, 23 October 1942)
Posted to "Y" Depot, Halifax for overseas movement, 7
Nov 1942
To OTU and then to No.421 Squadron, 20 July 1943
After several other postings, reached
No.411 Squadron, 23 October 1944
Killed in Action 3 March 1945
Award presented to next-of-kin, 5 November 1946. |
__________________________________________________
Lethbridge Airman Destroys German Plane
London, Jan. 5. — CP Cable) — Flt.-Lt. Dick
Audet, of Lethbridge, Alta., destroyed a German Focke-Wulf 190 yesterday
and shared in the destruction of another to raise to 8½ his bag
of enemy planes knocked down in a week, the R.C. A.F. reported.
Flt.-Lt. Audet, who shot down five German planes in a little more than
five minutes last Friday and got two more New Year's Day, shared one plane
yesterday with Flt.-Lt. J. J. Boyle, of Toronto.
The German planes downed were among six destroyed by the R.C.A.F. Grizzly
Bear Squadron in a mid-afternoon fight against seven aircraft just northeast
of Hengelo, Holland.
___________________________________________
"Strafing trains was especially dangerous since
flatcars attached to the trains were heavily armed. On March 3rd Audet
was flying an armed reconnaissance in the munster area. He spotted a train
and started down. A roar from the train's guns met Audet's oncoming Spitfire.
His body was found in the wreckage of his aircraft."
-
from "The Dangerous Sky" by Tom Coughlin
Another source says his body was never recovered and his
name is recorded on the
Runnymede War Memorial, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey, England.
A Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial "For those who have no known grave"
____________________________________________________
One Pilot Gets Triple Kill As Canadians Destroy 11
London, Jan. 15, 1945 - (CP) - Flt. Lt. J. Mackay
of Cloverdale, B.C., an RCAF Ram Squadron pilot, scored a triple victory
Sunday when planes of a Canadian Spitfire wing destroyed 11 Focke-Wulf
190's in 15 minutes over Enschede, Holland, near the German border.
Flt. Lt. MacKay's triple kill, his second in a fortnight, was scored in
a dog fight that developed after the Canadians saw 15 German planes taking
off from Enschede air field.
Others to destroy single enemy planes included:
Flt. Lt. Dick Audet, DFC, of Lethbridge, Alta., a Grizzly Bear Squadron
sharpshooter who boosted his total of downed planes to 9½. Five
of that total were destroyed in a single engagement recently.
Flt. Lt. J. J. Boyle, Toronto, and FO. J. A.
Doran of Victoria, both Grizzly Bear Squadron members.
Fit. Lt. J. H. G. Dick of Montreal and Flt. Lt. J. E. G. Reade, an American,
both of the Caribou Squadron.
Flt. Lt. F. Murray, Saint John, N.B., and FO.
D. B. Dack of Calgary and Taber, Alta.
Passing over the airfield, the Ram Squadron airmen saw 12 Focke Wulfs
flying east over the airdrome at 1,000 feet and others taking off. The
Canadians attacked.
____________________________________________________
AUDET, F/O Richard Joseph (J20126) - Distinguished
Flying Cross -No.411 Squadron
Award effective 16 February 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 563/45 dated 29 March 1945
This officer has proved himself to be a highly skilled
and courageous fighter. In December 1944 the squadron was involved in
an engagement against twelve enemy fighters in the Rheine/Osnabruck area.
In a most spirited action, Flying Officer Audet achieved outstanding success
by destroying five enemy aircraft. This feat is a splendid tribute to
his brilliant shooting, great gallantry and tenacity.
__________________________________________________
AUDET, F/L Richard Joseph (J20136) - Bar to DFC
- No.411 Squadron
Award effective 9 March 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 625/45 dated 13 April 1945
This officer is an outstanding fighter pilot. Since his
first engagements towards the end of December 1944, he has completed numerous
sorties during which he has destroyed a further six enemy aircraft bringing
his total victories to eleven. Flight Lieutenant Audet has also most effectively
attacked numerous locomotives and mechanical vehicles. His skill and daring
have won the highest praise.
___________________________________________________
Victories are as follows:
29 December 1944, three FW.190s and
- two Bf.109s destroyed
1 January 1945, two FW.190s destroyed
4 January 1945, two FW.190s destroyed (one shared
with F/L J.J. Boyle)
14 January 1945, one FW.190 destroyed
23 January 1945, one Me.262 destroyed in air and
- one destroyed on ground
24 January 1945, one Me.262 damaged
Although often described as having flown AU-A on
29 December 1944 (when he scored five in one sorties), Michel Lavigne
of Victoriaville, Quebec copied a portion of his logbook and determined
that the aircraft was AU-B. |
_________________________________________________
________________________________________
Photographs:
PL-35524 portrait with hat;
PL-41715 to PL-41719 a series of
individual shots posed in and around his Spitfire.
See H.A. Halliday, The Tumbling Sky, for biographical
details.
See Peter Mossman, "F/L Richard Joseph Audet, DFC
and Bar",
Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, Fall 1964.
_______________________________________
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--- Canadian Aces ---
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