Clifford Denzel Woodrow
"Denny" Wilson

Denny Wilson flanked by 411 squadron mates Gardiner & Young - December 1944

RCAF    F/O

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RECEIVE THEIR WINGS

April 24th 1942 - Among a large class of graduates receiving the "wings" of sergeant pilots at No. 6 Service Flying Training school, R.C.A.F., at Dunnville, this afternoon, are seven Hamilton flyers. One of whom is Denzel C. Wilson,. son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, of 36 Stinson street.

Sgt-Pilot Denny Wilson
Sgt Pilot Denny Wilson

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Born 6 Sept 1920
Joined RCAF in Hamilton N.B. 11 July 1941
Got Wings at Dunnville 24 April 1942
Posted to 8 B & GS Lethbridge, as a staff pilot
Sent to UK Sept 1943
Served with 411 Squadron
Back to Canada Sept 1945
Released from servicew on 9 Nov 1945

Joined Israeli Defense Forces in 1948

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BEHIND THE LINES

Hamilton, November 6th 1943 - Pilot Officer C. D. (Denny) Wilson, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, 36 Stinson street, is another recent arrival overseas. He attended Central Collegiate here and was employed at the Firestone plant.

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BEHIND THE LINES

June 30th 1944 - Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, 36 Stinson Street, have been advised of the promotion of their son, C. D. (Denny) Wilson, to the rank of flying officer with the R.C.A.F. overseas. He is a graduate of Central Collegiate Institute and a former employee of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.

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Victories Include :

16 April 1945
29 April 1945
02 May 1945     

one Ju88
one FW190
one Me109      		destroyed
damaged
destroyed


Additional Victories Include :

??
29 Dec 1948
31 Dec 1948    
- 		one u/i e/a
two Spitfires    
one G55
one Spitfire 		destroyed
damaged
&
destroyed

Denny describes his 3 victories over the Egyptians in
"Spitfire - the Canadians" by Robert Bracken -

"While I was flying a Spitfire over the Faluja Pocket on photo reconnaissance one day, our headquarters intercom picked up a conversation between an Egyptian pilot and his people on the ground. Apparently, he was flying supplies to his ground crew and, though I didn't know it, was carrying no ammunition. As I was flying without ammunition, it was a surprise to me that the Egyptian pilot panicked when he saw me, and promptly bailed out, making no effort to fire at me or elude me. Obviously he thought I was armed. What a way to get an aircraft! Not a shot was fired! I was credited with a destroyed.
The other two Egyptian planes I downed were legitimate kills, and I was credited for them. On December 31, 1948, while flying a Spitfire (2015) on a patrol over the Sinai, I spotted an Egyptian aircraft—an Italian Fiat (or Macchi)—coming back to its airfield at Bir Hama. He was below me, and I shot him down—the pilot bailed out.
On the way back, over Faluja, I caught an Egyptian Spitfire flying escort for a transport plane. The Spit started a tight turn, but I tightened with him. I used my machine guns only, as we were so short of ammunition that we'd been asked not to use our cannons. I made hits around his engine cowlings, and he spiraled down and blew up."

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Denny's 101 Squadron missions :

Oct 19 - Spit 130, patrol with Augarten
Oct 20 - Spit 133, B-17 escort with Antin
Oct 21 - Spit 133, escort S. Cohen's recce
Oct 22 - Spit 130, patrol with Antin
Oct 24 - Spit 133, escort S. Cohen's recce
Oct 25 - Spit 130, recce
Oct 31 - Spit 133, scramble with Lichtman
Oct 31 - Spit 133, scramble with Peake
Nov 20 - Spit 130, recce
Nov 29 - P-51 190, recce with Goodlin
Dec 01 - Spit 130, recce with Goodlin
Dec 03 - P-51 191, recce with Goodlin
Dec 03 - Spit 131, escort Senior's recce
Dec 04 - Spit 130, recce
Dec 09 - Spit 132, scramble with Nott
Dec 15 - Spit 131, recce with Goodlin
Dec 15 - Spit 131, scramble with Goodlin
Dec 22 - Spit 133, B-17 escort with Weizman
Dec 29 - Spit 2004 (133), B-17 escort with S. Cohen
Dec 31 - Spit 2002 (131), dive bomb with S. Cohen and J. Cohen,
            - shot down Macchi and strafed another (claimes 2 destroyed)
Jan 01 - Spit 2012, patrol with Goodlin
Jan 02 - Spit 2002 (131), B-17 escort with Goodlin
Jan 03 - Spit 2008, Harvard escort with Levett
Jan 04 - Spit 2013, Harvard escort with Ruch, dive bombed and strafed trucks
Jan 05 - Spit 2008, patrol with Goodlin
Jan 06 - Spit 2008, patrol with Goodlin, strafed trucks
Jan 07 - Spit 2003 (132), patrol with Ruch, damaged one Macchi

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Check out this page on Wilson over at the 101 Squadron site for more details

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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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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