Douglas Franklin "Hubby" Husband

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Local Flyer, Bill Olmsted, One of Canadians
Who Are Doing a Good job in Tunisia
Increasing Number From Canada Seeing Action on Desert Front

(By Ross Munro, Canadian Press War Correspondent)
With the RAF in North Africa, Feb. 25, 1943 – (CP Cable) – An increasing number of Canadian fighter pilots are in action on the Tunisian front and squadron leader Jimmy Walker of Edmonton, now commands a Spitfire squadron, the first Canadian-led RAF squadron in North Africa.
Walker has just been awarded a bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation reads: “This officer has destroyed four enemy aircraft and damaged four others since his arrival in North Africa. His untiring efforts and leadership merit the highest praise. His example has been an inspiration to other pilots in his wing and has contributed greatly to the wing success in the air.”
Flying with Walker at different times during the campaign have been several other Canadians who have been knocking off enemy aircraft.

Toronto Man Promoted
Alan Aikman, of Toronto, has been promoted from the rank of flying officer to that of flight lieutenant and he now is leading a flight of Spitfires. Aikman flew No. 2 to the famous Irishman, Paddy Finucane, and was with him the day he was shot down off the French coast by anti-aircraft fire. The Torontonian has a score of five enemy planes destroyed in North Africa. Recently he shot down a Focke-Wulf 190 in an air fight over the Mediterranean. The German plane crashed on the shore.
Aikman said Spitfires have been doing a large number of sweeps recently to harry the Germans on the northern sector of the front. "The Jerries don't seem to want to mix it up with us," he said, "Sometimes we get a dozen or 15 in the sky but they sheer off when we get in at them. So life is a little dull at times these days."
Another high-scoring Canadian is P/O Harry (Junior) Fenwick, of Leamington, Ont., who has destroyed five of the enemy and damaged five more, besides having a probable to his credit. He wears the ribbon of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Flying in the same squadron as Fenwick are six other Canadians: Sgt. Louis Hamilin, Sgt. Donald Rathwell, and P/O Calvin (Pep) Peppler, all of Winnipeg; Flt.-Sgt. Douglas Husband, of Toronto; F/O Bill Olmsted, of Hamilton, Ont., and Sgt. John Olsen, of Kirkland Lake, Ont.
With another squadron that flies on sweeps with Fenwick and his crowd are P.O. Jim Woodill, of Halifax, Flt.-Lieut. Glen Lynes, of Montreal, who has just been promoted from the rank of pilot officer and leading a flight like Aikman; P.O. C. F. Sorensen, a Dane from Kingston, and P.O. Howard McMinniman, of Fredericton.
Flying with still another R.A.F squadron that included a half-dozen Canadians is F.O. R. W. Robertson, of Sydney, N.S., who has been through a couple of recent scraps over Tunisia. On a dawn patrol he ran into seven Nazi fighters and engaged them immediately. He took on three at first and headed straight at them. At less than 100 yards he squirted lead at one and saw it break away and dive for the ground, riddled with bullets. Troops on the ground saw it crash and Robertson got the credit for destroying it.
He was not finished, though. He chased after the rest and damaged two before returning to his base in time for breakfast. Robertson flies a Spitfire with the name Bluenose painted on its nose. He has done almost 150 operational hours as a fighter pilot. .
A great friend of a large number of Canadian pilots out here is Flt-Sgt. Tony Jonsson, the only Icelander in the R.A.F., who was recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. His score is three destroyed, one probable and one damaged

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HUSBAND, F/L Douglas Franklin (J17192) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.401 Sq.
Award effective 18 January 1945 as per London Gazette dated 26 January 1945 and
AFRO 471/45 dated 16 March 1945.

Now on his second tour of operational duty, this officer completed his first tour in Africa where he destroyed an enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of another. During the first three months of Normandy Flight Lieutenant Husband destroyed another enemy aircraft. More recently this officer has been engaged on low level operations and against some of the enemy's most heavily defended targets. Throughout he has displayed fearlessness in the face of the enemy and great devotion to duty.

NOTE: Public Records Office Air 2/9045 has recommendation dated 14 November 1844 when he had flown 171 sorties (320 operation hours); text much more detailed than that published:

This officer is now on his second tour of operations, having completed his first tour in Africa where he destroyed one enemy aircraft and assisted in the destruction of a second. Flying Officer Husband joined this squadron on June 4th, 1944. His ability and daring were soon recognized by his fellow pilots and his eagerness to attack the enemy both in the air and on the ground, no matter what the odds, was admired by all.

During the first three months of the invasion he destroyed another enemy aircraft, and through his persistent attacks against ground targets destroyed or damaged over 50 enemy vehicles, often against extremely heavy flak opposition. During the hectic days of the Arnhem parachute dropping operations, he destroyed a further two enemy aircraft on one sortie, bring his total number of aircraft destroyed to 4 1/3. Latterly, this officer has been engaged in dive-bombing railway communication and ground staffing locomotives, which are among the most heavily defended enemy targets. However, his fearlessness and dauntless courage have again come to the fore and he pressed home his attacks with absolute disregard for his personal safety, achieving remarkable results. Flying Officer Husband's devotion to duty, regardless of the task, has been an inspiration and an example to the other pilots in the Wing.   Husband as a Sgt. Pilot

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Victories Include :

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