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Four Canadians Awarded D.F.C.'s

London, 16 Oct. 1942 — (BUP) — The award of four Distinguished Flying Crosses to members of the Royal Canadian Air Force was announced by R.C.A.F. overseas headquarters here today.
Recipients were: Acting W/C Lennox Gordon Douglas Fraser, a native of Kinistino, Sask., whose present home is at Winnipeg, Man.; F/O Dallas Wilbur Schmidt, of Wetaskiwin, Sask.; F/L John Angus MacLean, who was born at Lewis, Ont. but whose present home is in Prince Edward Island, and P/O Orville Waterbury, of Birtle, Man.

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SCHMIDT, F/O Dallas Wilber (J7336) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.227 Squadron
Award effective 5 October 1942 as per London Gazette dated 16 October 1942 and
AFRO 1731/42 dated 30 October 1942.

This officer has displayed fine fighting qualities. On his first sortie he shot down an Italian aircraft. In September, 1942, he obtained a hit with a heavy bomb on an enemy merchant vessel which subsequently sank. A few days later he attacked a destroyer, in a convoy, with gunfire. In spite of intense opposition he pressed home his attack causing an explosion behind part of the ship's gun positions, which probably indicated hits on a magazine. This officer has set a praiseworthy example.

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COAST AIRMAN GETS TWO HUNS
Downs Troop-Carrying Planes in 100 Seconds

Cairo, 9 Dec. 1942 — (CP Cable) — F/L Dallas Schmidt, D.F.C, of Millet, Alta., member of a Malta-based long-range fighter squadron, destroyed two Junkers-52 troop-carrying aircraft Tuesday in a combat lasting 100 seconds.
The successes raised Schmidt's list of victims to seven enemy aircraft. He has also destroyed two merchantmen. In addition, the young westerner has probably destroyed another aircraft and damaged still another.
Tuesday's air battle was joined when R.A.F. twin-engined fighters intercepted a formation of 50 Junkers with an escort of Messersehmitt-110 fighters.
Describing the action, Schmidt said, "We played leapfrog with the Messerschmitts."
A third Junkers was shot down by another member of Schmidt's squadron.

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SCHMIDT, F/L Dallas Wilber (J7336) - Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross - No.227 Squadron
Award effective 26 December 1942 as per London Gazette dated 29 Dec. 1942 and
AFRO 185/43 dated 5 February 1943.

Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, this officer has completed many sorties. In an engagement in November 1942, he destroyed two Junkers 52 and assisted in the destruction of a Dornier 24. His aircraft was hit in some thirty places by return fire and the port engine was set alight, but he succeeded in extinguishing the flames and flew the damaged aircraft to base, landing it safely in difficult circumstances. Some days later he shot down a Junkers 52 and shortly afterwards he destroyed a Fiat CR.42 in attacks on enemy shipping. Flight Lieutenant Schmidt has achieved notable success. He has at all times displayed outstanding skill and gallantry.

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Victories Include : 27 August 1942 13 November 1942 23 November 1942 28 November 1942 8 December 1942 15 December 1942 18 December 1942 one C.Z1007 two Ju.52s 1/2 Do.24 one Ju.52 one CR.42 two Ju.52s one Ju.52 one Ju.52 one Ju.52 one Ju.52 one Me110 two SM.82s 1/2 SM.82 destroyed destroyed & destroyed destroyed destroyed destroyed & damaged destroyed, probable & damaged damaged [1] destroyed [2] & damaged 10.5 / 1 / 3.5

With 227 Squadron he completed 43 sorties (163 hours five minutes) At the end of the war he claimed 60 hours on Mosquitos 235 on Beaufighters 46 hours 45 minutes on Blenheims   5 on Hurricanes 760 on Harvards & 137 hours 5 minutes on miscellaneous types He was a member of the Caterpillar Club He claimed to have participated in the sinking of four ships DFC and Bar presented 14 June 1947 See Chris Shores, Aces High & Fighters Over Tunisia & H.A. Halliday-Larry Milberry, RCAF at War, 1939-1945 (Canav Books, Toronto)

[1] Claimed by F/S Andy Campbell DFM with a hand-held vickers VGO gun from the rear cockpit [2] Shores shows these as being damaged only. If so, it would make his score 8.5 / 1 / 5.5

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NOTE: In 1993 Mr. Paul Ferguson provided to the Directorate of History copies of notes he had prepared on Canadians in Malta. They included the following (sources unknown):

Shot down on five occasions, D.W. Schmidt managed to crash-land on Malta four times and baled out once. On one occasion he saved the life of Pilot Officer J.F. Briffet, an observer whose Beaufighter was forced to ditch in the sea. The aircraft sank with the loss of the pilot, 4 October 1942, but D.W. Schmidt threw down to P/O Briffet his dingy tied to his Mae West. He scored 10½ victories and on 17 September 1942 sank the tanker Carbonia with a 500-pound bomb dropped directly amidships.

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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Thanks go out to

Unfortunately, I forgot the name of man who sent me this pic (if its you let me know) but I will run across the info one day I'm sure & i will post it here