Ralph Isaac Edward Britten

Ralph Britten

RCAF   F/L   -   DFC

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Born 22 October 1922 in Descousse, Nova Scotia;
Home in Arichat, Nova Scotia;
Enlisted Halifax, 30 July 1941.
Trained at
No.1 ITS (graduated 7 November 1941),
No.15 EFTS (graduated 2 January 1942) and
No.10 SFTS (graduated 8 May 1942).
Staff pilot at No.7 AOS, Portage la Prairie,
- 25 May 1942 to 8 March 1943.
Embarked from Halifax, 2 April 1943;
Arrived in UK, 16 April 1943.
Further trained at
No.14 AFU (11 May to 17 August 1943),
No.12 AFU (17 August to 16 November 1943) and
No.51 OTU (16 November 1943 to 29 February 1944.
On strength of No.409 Squadron,
- 29 February 1944 to 19 April 1945.
Repatriated to Canada, 2 August 1945;
Released 23 September 1944.
Award sent by registered mail 20 April 1942.
His navigator, F/L L. E. Fownes, also received a DFC.

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BRITTEN, F/O Ralph Isaac Edward (J24431) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.409 Sq.
Award effective 6 February 1945 as per London Gazette dated 13 February 1945 and
AFRO 508/45 dated 23 March 1945.

Flying Officer Britten has completed a large number of operational sorties. Throughout he has shown outstanding airmanship, courage and devotion to duty. He has destroyed three enemy aircraft and damaged another. However hazardous the circumstances he has never failed to display great initiative and resourcefulness.

NOTE: Public Records Office Air 2/9048 has original recommendation dated 1 January 1945:

Flying Officer Britten is a keen and efficient night fighter pilot whose aggressiveness and determination have frequently been demonstrated on operational sorties over the Continent. In the course of these trips, of which he has made 51 since D Day, he has never failed to show outstanding initiative and ability, no matter how exacting or hazardous the circumstances. This fine operational spirit recently paid dividends when Flying Officer Britten destroyed three and damaged a fourth enemy aircraft in two night sorties.

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Victories Include :

25/26 Nov. 1944

27/28 Dec. 1944
21/22 Mar. 1945
25/26 Mar. 1945

 one Ju88 
one Ju88
two Ju88Gs
one Me110
one Ju88		 destroyed [Rheindallen/Krefeld]
damaged
destroyed [Kaldenkirchen]
destroyed [Dhunn]
destroyed [Dortmund]

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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Thanks to grandson Scott for the pic !

 

On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research (which includes info from numerous sources), newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) as well as other sources both published and private

 

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