Donald Francis Church

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Borden Graduation

Camp Borden, Jan. 16. 1942 - (CP) - Six United States fliers and one Australian, were included in a Royal Canadian Air Force class which graduated today from No. I Service Flying Training School here.
Graduates from Ontario included: W.T. Blakeney, R.F. Reid, G.R. Hare, J.L. McManus, F.J. Silk, M.G. Cleworth, J.L. Lush, R.W. Orr, P.K. Gray, R.C. Yeates, H.K. Hamilton, J.H. Slimon, Toronto; L.D. Manzer, Ingersoll; R.S. Gage, Oshawa; C.J. Walker, G.E. Mott, Sarnia; M.R. Thompson, Windsor; J.C. Montieth, Paris; D.F. Church, Peterborough; G.R. McConnell, Sault Ste. Marie; H.J. Ross, St. Catharines; A.G. Hare, St. Catharines; R. Thomson, North Hamilton; C.E.A. O'Brien, Thorold; C.R. Coome, Hamilton; J.D. Douglas, St. Pauls; A.S. Meilly, North Galford; E.A. Magee, Wallaceburg; W.P. Paris, Weston; J.P. Lumsden, Hamilton.

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COMMISSIONS GIVEN AIRMEN

October 22, 1943 - R.C.A.F. headquarters yesterday announced that the following air crew members serving in the Dominion have been appointed to commissioned rank: A. Whitelaw, R. S. Ewart, J. H. Bellinger, W. E. McLean, F. A. Dixon, P. N. Hart, H. L. McKenzie, F. R. Aitken, J. E. McInerney, J. Buda, W. Wright, W. K. Clarke, D. Watson, J. C. G. Moore, P. J. Weber, and H. J. Powell, all of Toronto.
K. C. Gallinger and S. F. L. Cuthbert, both of Port Colborne; T. C. Wager and W. C. Nobes, both of Kingston; E. W. Page, K. Norris and J. J. Halcrow, all of Hamilton; W. Campbell, R. N. Elvin and L. J. Walter, all of Windsor; G. L. Smith and S. W. Fechet, both of Fort Frances; B. H. Biggar and J. G. McNamara, both of Niagara Falls.
N. W. McAlpine, Tillsonburg; M. V. Smyth, Chatham; W. C. Lawrence, Galt; G. A. Smith, Sudbury; W. C. Maxwell, Mount Dennis; D. H. Neelin, Merritton; W. R. Hibbert, Sioux Lookout; G. L. Passmore, Hensall; W. E. Cairns, Weston; J. W. Chapman, Napanee; F. R. Skelly, Kirkland Lake; D. F. Church, Peterborough; G. Baker, Stouffville; S. W. Smith, Riverside;
W.I. Williams, Merlin; K R. Liss, Uxbridge; B. D. Henry, Muskoka; A. M. Park, Fort William; C. B. Dockrey, Port Arthur; E. R. Millbank, Simcoe; J. A. Thompson, Port Dover; N. E. Patterson, Welland; D. J. Shapter, Bracebridge; J. O. Payton, St. Thomas; P. J. Hurley, Owen Sound; J. P. Duggan, Petrolia; W. A. King, Collingwood; J. R. Poste, Woodstock; J. W. Butcher, Brantford; and J. T. Evans, Georgetown.

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Don Church with a Spitfire - probably 401 Sq.

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Canadians Down 8 Nazi Planes; Audet Gets 2 Jets

London, Jan. 23, 1945 – (CP) – Canadian fighter pilots in continuous strikes today destroyed at least eight German aircraft in combat, damaged as many others and blew up ground targets with withering cannon and machine-gun fire.
Five of the destroyed planes and six of those damaged were twin jet-propelled ME262s.
They fell to the planes of the Ram and Grizzly Bear Spitfire Squadrons in two separate engagements. This is believed to be a record day’s bag of jet-propelled aircraft.
Two of the jets were shot down by F/L Dick Audet, DFC, of Lethbridge Alta., and the double kill brought his score to 11½. Audet, a Grizzly Bear Squadron pilot, only started scoring a few weeks ago when he destroyed five German planes in one dogfight, in one of the greatest single triumphs of aerial warfare.
The latest victims were about to land at an airfield near the city of Rheine on the Ems River, 65 miles north of Dortmund.
Ram pilots destroyed the three remaining jet craft when they encountered more than 15 of the jets either landing or taking off an airfield near Osnabruck. F/O D. F. Church of Peterborough, Ont., was credited with one.

Attack Near Hamm
Remainder of the planes destroyed were FW190’s. The Red Indian Squadron pounced on several near Hamm, big rail center east of the Ruhr, and shot down two in flames. F/L M. J. Gordon of Edmonton and F/O Fred Evans of 310 Durle St. Toronto shared one of them.
During the day Spitfires of this wing destroyed a locomotive and damaged four others and 15 freight cars. They also destroyed eight motor vehicles.
RCAF squadrons flew almost 400 sorties and among other achievements, 17 cuts were made in German rail lines carrying supplies and reinforcements to the front.
The day-long activities cost the RCAF five planes but one of the pilots is safe.

Audet Is Modest
F/L Dick Audet, the young Canadian who made air-war history in a Spitfire over Germany by destroying five German aircraft in a single dogfight failed to claim a fifth kill at first interrogation, the Maple Leaf reports from Holland.
It wasn’t until he and his squadron mates returned from a subsequent mission and retraced the battle Hun by Hun that the 22-year-old Lethbridge Alberta pilot claimed two Me109s and three FW190s destroyed.
It was all the more remarkable in that it was his first success in the air. He had no luck at all on his first operational tour from English bases.
Audet’s five-to-seven minute dream battle materialized 14,000 feet over Osnabruck where, leading a section of the high-scoring grizzly Bear Squadron, he spotted a mixed gaggle of 12 MEs and FWs

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250 Mark Passed By Canadian Wing

An RCAF Airfield In the Netherlands, Jan. 25, 1945 - (CP) - A Canadian Spitfire wing in the 2nd Tactical Air Force has become the first to pass the 250 mark in enemy aircraft destroyed since D-Day, last June 6, it was announced today.
The wing's total now is 254, and a haul of six German planes Tuesday by the Grizzly Bear and Ram Squadrons was what put the wing past the quarter-thousand.
Honor of bagging the 250th plane went to F/O D. F. Church, Peterborough, of the Ram Squadron.
The wing also has an excellent record in rail and road transport destroyed or damaged, and rail lines cut.

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Victories Include :

3 / 0 / 2

Score from "Those Other Eagles" by Christopher Shores

After your 3rd kill, it was customary to be awarded a DFC

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