Hedley Joseph "Snooks" Everard

_________________________________________________

Aerial Slaughter Shared in Monday By Two Canadians
Manitoba and Nova Scotia Pilots Helped to Down 21 Nazi Transports

Near Catania, Sicily, July 28, 1943 — (CP Cable) — Two Canadian fighter pilots, Sgt. Donald Rathwell, of St. Vital, Man., and F.O. Edward Burrows, of New Glasgow, N.S., shared in Monday's greatest aerial slaughter of the Sicilian campaign, it was announced today.
They were part of the British Spitfire force which shot down 21 German transport planes, four German fighters and one Italian fighter.
Rathwell downed one Junkers Ju-52 transport and Burrows shared another with an English squadron-mate.
The flyers described the foray as "an absolute shambles," reminiscent of earlier and similar destruction of transport aircraft in the Tunisian campaign.
There are approximately 25 R.C.A.F. men flying in one Sicily-based, fighter-bomber wing which has been doing spectacular work over the enemy positions near Catania, bombing supply lines and strong points.
One daring strafing foray was led by Sqdn. Ldr. Stanley Turner, D.F.C. and bar, of Toronto, who was accompanied by F.O. Hedley Everard, of Timmins, Ont., and W.O. Paul Lapointe, of Escourt, Que.
Yesterday P.O.'s William Steel, of Toronto, and Malcolm Bakken, of Edmonton, returned from a patrol with flak holes in their planes.

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

ONTARIO FLIERS ARE PROMOTED

London, Sept. 27, 1943 (CP) — R.C.A.F. overseas headquarters announced the following promotions of Ontario fliers (in part):
From Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant – D. E. Noonan, Kingston; W. A. Olmsted, Hamilton; W. R. McRae, Port Arthur.
From Flying Officer to Temporary Flight Lieutenant – J. H. Turnbull, St. Thomas; H. J. Everard, Timmins.
From Pilot Officer to Temporary Flying Officer – D. H. Dover, Mount Dennis

_________________________________________________

23 July 1943 - Everard (standing far right) and his 417 Squadron mates. Aces Stan Turner and Bert Houle are in front w/ Jack Doyle on wing 2nd from left. Click the photo to see it closer with all the pilot's names

_________________________________________________

NINE CANADIANS CHASE 35 NAZIS
Damage at Least Five, Force Others to Flee

Allied Field Headquarters, Italy, Feb. 15, 1944 — (BUP) — The City of Windsor Spitfire Squadron of the R.C.A.F. damaged at least five enemy planes in a spectacular battle aver the Anzio bridgehead yesterday in which nine Canadian planes tackled about 35 German craft.
The Canadians, flying in two small formations, headed by Squadron-Ldr. Albert Houle, of Massey, Ont. and Flight-Lieut. Hedley Everard, of Timmins, Ont., surprised a large formation of Focke-Wulfs and Messerschmitts preparing to attack Allied shipping and troops at Anzio.
Both Canadian formations roared into the attack while troops on the ground gazed spellbound and fearful at what looked like an impending disaster for the attacking aircraft. But in spite of their great superiority, the Germans went on the defensive and after a brief battle turned and headed north.

_________________________________________________

BUSY WEEK FOR CANADIANS IN AIR WAR

Ottawa, Feb. 26, 1944 - (CP) - Severely damaged during 11 attacks by enemy night fighters, an R.C.A.F. Halifax bomber continued to its target of Leipzig, bombed it and then returned to base to provide the high-light of last week's bomber activity, the R.C.A.F. reported today in its weekly summary of operations.
The big aircraft, piloted by F/O Bill Blake of Hamilton and a member of the Canadian bomber group's Ghost squadron, suffered loss of its starboard tail fin and the port under-carriage and severance of the inter communication and oxygen lines.
"I never saw so many fighters," Blake said later. "The sky seemed to be full of them."
While the bombers were adding to their laurels, Canadian fighter pilots, too, were busy making history.

Toronto Filer Gets Two
Sqdn. Ldr. C. A. Anderson of Toronto, a former Sunday school teacher, who never before had bagged an enemy plane, got two high-speed German bombers, a Junkers 88 and a Junkers 188, in 20 minutes last Tuesday night while the Germans were bombing London. From his night-fighter Mosquito, Anderson sent the Ju-88 flaming into the sea and watched the 188 explode after crashing on the ground.
S/L Anderson’s navigator on this trip was P/O George Bodard of Mannville Alberta.
Two Messerschmitt 410’s, returning from a previous raid on London, ran afoul of a Canadian night fighter Mosquito over their base near Juvincourt, Northern France, and were shot down. The Mosquito was piloted by F/L Bob Kipp of Kamloops, B.C. The navigator was F/O Peter Huletsky of Montreal. The trip was the 13th together for the pair. Their leave was supposed to start two hours before they took off, but they decided to get the 13th trip over with and not have it to look forward to at the end of their furlough.

Score Against E-Boats
Canadians in coastal command also were busy and Monday night Albacore dive-bombers of an RCAF squadron attacked and damaged two enemy E-boats in the English Channel.
From Italy came news of activity by the city of Windsor squadron. Monday four of its Spitfires tackled a vastly superior enemy force over the Anzio beachhead, compelling the Germans to flee. F/L Hedley Everard of Timmins is believed to have brought down a Messerschmitt 109.
WO Tom Bradshaw of Edmonton, pilot of an R.A.F. Wellington bomber, was bringing his aircraft home from a bombing at Anzio when icing caused an engine to go dead and the aircraft went into a violent spiral. Bradshaw ordered his crew to jump, but he stuck to his plane. Five hundred feet from the ground he conquered the spiral and flew safely back to base.

Heavies Out Three Times
Heavy R.C.A.F. bombers were out on "Ops" three nights. Lancasters and Halifaxes helped attack Leipzig and Stuttgart, and on a third operation Halifaxes laid mines in enemy waters.
The squadrons which attacked the German industrial centers included several recently converted to Halifaxes from medium bombers, including the French-Canadian Alouette squadron, on operations for the first time since returning from North Africa. Swarms of enemy fighters defended the way to and from Leipzig.
Spitfires operated for three days, providing support and cover for United States Army Air Force bombers in attacks on German targets and on enemy-held Europe.

_________________________________________________

D.F.C. Is Awarded Flyer From Timmins

On the Fifth Army Front in Italy, March 30, 1944 — (CP Cable) — One of the few R.C.A.F. fighter pilots who fought both Japanese and Germans, Flt.-Lt. Hedley Everard, of Timmins, Ont., has been awarded the D.F.C.
Word of the award has been received by the R.C.A.F. City of Windsor squadron with which Everard recently concluded an operational tour.

_________________________________________________

EVERARD, F/L Hedley Joseph (J6222) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.417 Sq.
Award effective 20 April 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 April 1944 and
AFRO 1075/44 dated 19 May 1944.

This officer has completed a very large number of sorties, most of them during the fighting in Sicily and more recently in the Italian theatre. He has at all times displayed outstanding keenness, great skill and resolution and has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft, two of which he shot down over the Anzio beaches. He has set a fine example to all.

_________________________________________________

AERIAL HONORS

Ottawa, April 23,1944 - (CP) - The R.C.A.F. announced tonight the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal to Sgt. C. McRae, Winnipeg, and released the citation to the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Flt. Lt. H. J. Everard, Timmins, Ont., pilot who shot down two enemy planes over the Anzio Beach-head recently.
(Everard's award was announced previously from the 5th Army front in Italy)
Sgt. McRae, rear gunner with an R.A.F. squadron, was awarded the D.F.M. following an encounter with an enemy fighter during a raid over Frankfurt. Wounded and with his turret out of commission, he continued to operate his gun, (swinging the turret by hand, until he had driven off his attacker.
Everard, who flies with the famed City of Windsor Spitfire Squadron, at the time of his award had accounted for at least three enemy planes.

_________________________________________________

DRIVE IN ITALY NO SURPRISE, AIRMAN NOTES

Ottawa, May 29, 1944 - (CP) - The big push in Italy was no surprise to Flt. Lt. H. J. Everard, D.F.C., of Timmins, Ont., back in Canada today with one of the largest groups of R.C.A.F. repatriates ever to return from overseas. Nearly 200 men were in the party.
Everard served with the crack City of Windsor Spitfire fighter squadron in Italy and saw the British 8th Army and its Canadian corps move from the Adriatic to the other Italian front in preparation for the surprise attack.
"We watched the British and Canadians move and saw the equipment piling up and we knew the Germans were in for a heck of a pasting," he said.
Everard won his "gong" (medal) for fighting in Sicily and Italy, where he knocked down at least three enemy planes. But he has served in India and Burma and also China, where his squadron co-operated with the famous American Volunteer Group (AVG).

Flies Italian Plane
The accomplishment of which he is most proud however, is his credit of five hours flying in an Italian Macchi fighter. He saw a bunch of Macchis on a Sicilian airdrome he was shooting up. When the Germans retired he took a truck and a couple of mechanics and found the 'drome. Most of the abandoned planes had been destroyed but one Macchi was in fair condition. He refueled the plane and climbed aboard.
"I didn't know how in heck to operate the thing and I couldn't read the Italian instructions. But it looked something like the instrument board of a Spit so I pulled out gadgets and trusted to luck.
"I got up in the air ok, but when I had to land it was a different matter. I found I had no flaps. The Italians had cut them away. So I landed awful fast and amid a cloud of steam, for the radiator had also been damaged."
"Spirit" of Windsor
Later he got spare parts from other Italian booty and he finally had the Macchi running smoothly. He used it "to have fun in" around his own drome and he painted it grey and called it "The Spirit of the City of Windsor."
He put in five hours hazardous flying — for he had to warn ground gunners who he was before each flight. Then one day the plane took a direct hit from a German bomb. "I was trying to figure a way to bring it home with me and the Jerry bomb solved the whole problem," he smiled ruefully.
Among the group of returning airmen were: Flt. Lt. James B. Cleveland, D.F.C., of Toronto; FO. A. R. Carter, D.F.C., of Toronto, and FO. A. G. Smith, D.F.M., of Toronto.

_________________________________________________

Air Force Casualties

Ottawa, Feb. 2, 1945 — The Department of National Defense for Air today issued Casualty List No. 1107 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, showing next of kin of those named from Ontario as follows (in part):
Missing After Air Operations
EVERARD, Hedley Joseph, D.F.C., S/L. Emile Everard (father) Timmins, Ont.

_________________________________________________

Air Force Casualties

Ottawa, March 13, 1945 — The Department of National Defense for Air today issued Casualty List No. 1140 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, showing next of kin of those named from Ontario as follows (in part) :
Previously Missing, Now Reported Prisoner of War
EVERARD, Hedley Joseph, D.F.C., S/L. Emile Everard (father), Timmins.

_________________________________________________

Liberated Canadians

The names of the following personnel are Included in a further list of liberated prisoners announced by the Department of National Defence for Air. The total of RCAF prisoners of war officially announced as liberated (all lists to date) now stands at 1,745.
The latest list with Ontario names includes :
EVERARD, Hedley Joseph, DFC, S/L. Timmins.

_________________________________________________

Bert Houle & Snooks sit and listen to a 417 Sq. breifing, Marcianise, Italy

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________