Robert Bruce "Bill" Barker

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In the book Kittyhawk Pilot by Stocky Edwards and Michael Levigne, Stocky describes an incident involving Bill that took place as the newly-winged pilots rode the train to Halifax where they were to board ships, then convoys, heading to England and the war -

(When the train stopped for re-supply) ... "some of the boys had planned to run to the liquor store, purchase some refreshments and bring them to the train. The train normally stopped for about twenty minutes, which seemed like ample time to carry out the mission. However, the store was some distance away and many of the troops had not come back when the conductor prepared for boarding.
One of my friends, Bill Barker, had the quick presence of mind to run out in front of the engine
and hang onto the railroad tracks. He yelled to the conductor, 'You can't go yet. You've got to wait for my friends. You'll have to run over me first!'
The conductor got excited and ran to the front of the train. At the same time, the engineer stuck
his head out of the engine window and wanted to know what was going on. Then, like the conductor, he climbed down from the engine to investigate. All this time Barker pretended to be hanging onto the rails for dear life. He refused to be moved.
By the time the conductor decided to call the local law enforcement officer, the troops had
arrived back and smuggled their goodies aboard the train. All of a sudden, Barker jumped up and shook hands with both the conductor and the engineer while apologizing for holding up the train. Before they knew it, he was aboard with his buddies. The conductor dismissed everyone and got the train underway."

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CANADIAN SPITFIRE SQUADRON
THIRSTING FOR 300TH VICTIM
Down Seven of Enemy in One Day, But Poor Weather Halts Hunting

(By F/O James P. Rennie, D.F.C. War Correspondent for the Spectator and Southam Papers) On the Western Front, Feb. 26, 1945 - Eagerly, almost impatiently, these youthful Canadian Spitfire pilots raced through their noonday meal. One hour before they screamed their deadly little craft into base to report seven Jerry fighters destroyed and two damaged. Now, just one more "kill" would bring the wing's total bag to a nice round figure of 300. But the weather was deteriorating fast.

Brisk Scrap
Even as a mess guest I sensed this electric atmosphere on entering the room. After five minutes with the pilots I wanted that one additional kill as earnestly as any man in the place. But, as so frequently happens in flying, the weather-man won. Sorties ended for the day at noon. The Luftwaffe was safe for another few hours.
Flyers of the all Canadian fighter wing displayed obvious disappointment. In two sorties before noon they had encountered Jerries twice and for the first time in weeks the enemy showed willingness to fight. This delighted our airmen, who saw it only as bad judgment, for both scrambles cost Goering eight fighters destroyed and three damaged. All our Spits returned safely.
Twelve pilots figured in the sweep which knocked out seven enemy aircraft in a brisk eight-minute scrap. They were patrolling north of the Ruhr, Germany's industrial heart, when more than 40 FW-190's and ME-109's were sighted at 8,000 feet. After eight minutes of mad scramble the Jerries sped for home. Seven of their number had hit the deck in flames.

Share Destruction
Between gulps of coffee F/L R. B. Barker, of Vancouver, described his two kills and one probable. Quick bursts of cannon fire finished both.
"I followed my first one down to see him hit the deck in flames," he said. "My second just broke up in the air."
Credited with two kills each during the forenoon's work were F/L Ken Trumley, of Toronto, and F/O Ernest Baker, of London, Ont. The other victim fell to F/L Don C. Gordon, D.F.C., of Vancouver.

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Canadians Down Six Nazi Planes

AN ADVANCED R.C.A.F. AIRFIELD IN HOLLAND, 11 Feb. 1945 — The top-scoring Canadian Spitfire wing flying support for the Canadian 1st Army offensive shot down six German aircraft Thursday, and in addition, it was disclosed Friday, scored six rail line cuts, destroyed one locomotive, damaged six, damaged nearly 50 railway cars and one motor transport, blew up four warehouses and made direct hits on a road.
At the same time, Canadian Typhoons showered German border towns in the vicinity of Wesel, Udem and Geldern with hundreds of new-type anti-personnel bombs. These towns were marshalling points for German reinforcements.
Typhoons also made at least 10 rail cuts around Wesel and Kempen which normally would be used by the Germans in shifting reinforcements and supplies to the fighting zone.
Pilots of the Caribou squadron sighted a formation of five Stuka dive-bombers north of Gladbeck and destroyed all five. F/L D.C. Gordon, D.F.C., of Vancouver, shot down two of them and shared in the destruction of a third with F/L J.G. Doyle, who also destroyed another. Bill Barker of Vancouver got the 5th.
The Canadians were enthusiastic about the results of the new Molotov cocktail anti-personnel bombs which they dropped on a dozen towns where German troops were quartered.

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TWO 'KILLS' FOR VICTORIA FLYER
F/L R. B. Barker Also Gets Probable in Ruhr Sweep

(By F/O James P. Rennie, D.F.C. War Correspondent for the Spectator and Southam Papers) On the Western Front, 26 Feb. 1945 - Eagerly, almost impatiently, these youthful Canadian Spitfire pilots raced through their noonday meal. One hour before they screamed their deadly little craft into base to report seven Jerry fighters destroyed and two damaged. Now, just one more "kill" would bring the wing's total bag to a nice round figure of 300. But the weather was deteriorating fast.

Brisk Scrap
Even as a mess guest I sensed this electric atmosphere on entering the room. After five minutes with the pilots I wanted that one additional kill as earnestly as any man in the place. But, as so frequently happens in flying, the weather-man won. Sorties ended for the day at noon. The Luftwaffe was safe for another few hours.
Flyers of the all Canadian fighter wing displayed obvious disappointment. In two sorties before noon they had encountered Jerries twice and for the first time in weeks the enemy showed willingness to fight. This delighted our airmen, who saw it only as bad judgment, for both scrambles cost Goering eight fighters destroyed and three damaged. All our Spits returned safely.
Twelve pilots figured in the sweep which knocked out seven enemy aircraft in a brisk eight-minute scrap. They were patrolling north of the Ruhr, Germany's industrial heart, when more than 40 FW-190's and ME-109's were sighted at 8,000 feet. After eight minutes of mad scramble, the Jerries sped for home. Seven of their number had hit the deck in flames.

Share Destruction
Between gulps of coffee F/L R. B. Barker, of Vancouver, described his two kills and one probable. Quick bursts of cannon fire finished both.
"I followed my first one down to see him hit the deck in flames," he said. "My second just broke up in the air."
Credited with two kills each during the forenoon's work were F/L Ken Trumley, of Toronto, and F/O Ernest Baker, of London, Ont. The other victim fell to F/L Don C. Gordon, D.F.C., of Vancouver. Earlier in the day F/O Harold McLeod, who lives near Summerside, P.E.I., returned from a sortie near Bohxen to report one kill and one probable.
Mixing it this way with the Luftwaffe warms the hearts of these young flyers. But as a unit giving air support to our ground forces they have other important and hazardous functions. These additional jobs are done with equal tenacity but the all-out enthusiasm just isn't there. Such enterprises as diving through flak at 400 miles an hour to wreck enemy trains and motor transport doesn't pack the thrill. At least that's what pilots say.

Prefer Combat
"Yes, a fighter pilot always prefers an enemy fighter to trains or dive bombings." said their 24-year-old wing commander (Dal Russel –jf). This blond, chunky product of Minnedosa, Man., ought to know. He has completed three operational tours, one of them in Malta. Along the way he's collected the D.S.O. and two D.F.C.s.
Typical of these fighter boys is F/L Bill Banks, D.F.C., of Leaside, Ont. Bill has 11 kills to his credit in addition to four trains and 40 motor vehicles destroyed or damaged. But he looked none too happy as he walked into the mess. Two days ago he finished his operational tour with a dive bombing sortie on railways deep inside Germany. Now he is faced with what he considers the horrible fate of spending some months as ground instructor in England. "Bill is really browned off," the wing commander said with a laugh.
When that 300th kill is recorded, F/O D. F. Church, of Peterboro, will be ousted from his place of eminence in the mess. To him fell the honour of bringing the wing's count to 250. Competition is keen for this next one.

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BARKER, F/L Robert Bruce (J5983) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.412 Squadron
Award effective 3 September 1945 as per London Gazette dated 14 September 1945 and
AFRO 1672/45 dated 2 November 1945.

Flight Lieutenant Barker has taken part in numerous sorties against the enemy. He has destroyed four enemy aircraft in aerial combat and damaged a further two. On several sorties he has attacked enemy lines of communication with excellent results. Throughout his tour of operations Flight Lieutenant Barker has proved himself to be a resolute and determined fighter and has at all times shown outstanding courage in the face of the enemy.

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1945 - "The Boys of 442" - Top, L to R - John Mallandaine (very top), Anderson, MacKay. Standing - Ken Trumley, Bill Barker, Jack Whitelaw, Jeff Jeffries, Vince Shenk, Tex Pieri, John Bailey, Vern McClurg (on wing), Ernie Baker, Art Nowlan, Rusty MacCrae. Crouching - Smitty Smith, Gordie Watkins, Johnny Johnston, Max Perkins, Rocky Robillard & S.H. "Happy" Lorenz.

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Victories Include :

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