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-------------------------------------------------- Keen Canadian Fliers Delight His Majesty(By LOUIS HUNTER) Somewhere in England, Nov. 14, 1941 - (CP Cable) - Canada's aces of the skies, young men who carry the air offensive to enemy territory in fast fighter aircraft and powerful bombers were reviewed Thursday by the King during the first visit His Majesty has paid to R.C.A.F. squadrons formed under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Formality Broken Visits Night Fighters -------------------------------------------------- 1942 -------------------------------------------------- DAVOUD, W/C Paul Yettvart (C325) - Mention in Despatches - No.409 Squadron -------------------------------------------------- 1943 -------------------------------------------------- DAVOUD, W/C Paul Yettvart (C325) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.409 Sq. This officer has been engaged on night flying operations for more than a year. He is a skilful pilot whose fine example and inspiring leadership have been worthy of high praise. He has destroyed one and probably destroyed another enemy aircraft. -------------------------------------------------- RCAF MEMBERS RECEIVE AWARDS
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Canadian Airman Awarded D.S.O.Ottawa, March 18, 1944 — (CP) — Group Capt. Paul Y. Davoud, D.F.C., of Montreal and Kingston, Ont., veteran R.C.A.F. night fighter now serving at a group headquarters overseas, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his brilliant leadership at intruder operations, the R.C.A.F. announced today. Distinguished Flying Cross Doug Alcorn, Davoud & S/L Charles Moran |
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Ottawa, March 19, 1944 - (CP) - Group Capt. Paul Davoud, D.F.C., of Montreal and Kingston, veteran R.C.A.F. night fighter now serving at a group headquarters overseas, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his brilliant leadership at intruder operations, the R.C.A.F. announced Saturday.
The air force also announced awards of the D.F.C. to the following:
F/L J. R. Owen, Windsor, Ont.
F/L J. R. F. Johnson, Omemee. Ont., whose wife is serving in the R.C.A.F. (W.D.) at St. Thomas.
F/L C. E. J. Murphy, Belleville.
P/O D. D. Graham, Vancouver.
P/O Claude Weaver, Oklahoma City, Okla., since reported missing.
F/O N. J. Gibbons, Vancouver.
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With the R.C.A.F. Somewhere in England, June l5, 1944 - (CP) – "Rockets are accurate but bombs are far more spectacular from the pilot's point of view."
Thus is the consensus of pilots of an all-Empire Typhoon squadron based in Southern England in which there are many Canadians serving. The squadron made its first rocket attack Oct. 25, 1943, destroying the power house at Caen, France.
Only recently was the use of rockets by Allied aircraft taken off the secret list.
And since this sector, commanded by Group Capt. Paul Davoud, D.S.O., D.F.C., of Kingston Ont. includes rocket-carrying Typhoons and an R.C.A.F. Typhoon bomber squadron, practically all types of targets can be assigned to it.
Compare Observations
The aircraft take off from the same base after attending the same briefing and, after the show, compare observations. Frequently these various squadrons act as "flak busters" for the one completing the high or low-level mission. "They strafe anti-aircraft defenses from "the deck" while R.P. or bombing attacks are delivered from above.
As may he expected, the devotees of R.P. and bombs seek to out-do each other in complete destruction of targets, so that a slightly damaged bridge or rail junction does not have to be finished off with the other weapon.
Both have reported exceptionally good results recently. Two squadron of R.C.A.F. Typhoon fighter-bombers, escorted by two R.A.F. "flakbusting" squadrons, accurately bombed and destroyed an important railway bridge south of Rouen, May 28, and disrupted rail communications near by. The leader, Sqdn. Ldr. William Pentland, Calgary, described the target as "ideal."
Hit Wireless Equipment
"Rocket pursuit" Typhoons, as the pilots have nicknamed themselves, from the R.A.F. unit using the same airfield, neatly dispatched enemy wireless installations in an old fortress in the Channel Islands the day previously, and destroyed German barracks near Dieppe the same day.
"The stone building just crumpled at the corners when the rockets drilled in and exploded," reported P/O N. E. U. Arrons of Suffolk.
The squadron has among its personnel one pilot from Trinidad, four Australians, three Canadians, a resident of the Orkneys and the remainder from England.
The Canadians include F/O Kenneth Allison, Vankleek Hill, Ont. and W/O Kenneth (Chad) Hanna of Brockville.
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An Airfield In France, July 7, 1944 (CP) — The Typhoon, as versatile an aircraft as the Hurricane and Spitfire of Battle of Britain fame, is a veritable warship of the air that as a rocket-carrying plane is giving front-line troops closer support than they have ever enjoyed.
Not only is the support extremely effective but it cheers the ground troops tremendously to see the racket-carrying "Tiffies" scream down over their heads to obliterate an obstinate strongpoint in the path of their advance.
Eight rockets are carried by the Typhoon, together with its four cannon, and the targets these aircraft tackle vary. In Normandy the objectives usually are enemy armor and transport buildings used as strongpoints.
Earlier this week Typhoons in a sector commanded by Group Capt. Paul Y. Davoud, D.S.O., D.F.C., Kingston, Ont., were called in to help the Canadians fighting on Carpiquet airfield where the Germans had dug in 17 tanks which were giving the Dominion troops trouble.
Two Canadians who took part in the attack, F/Os Lorin Metcalfe, 25, of St. Thomas and Bert Thrilwell, 25 of Victoria, B.C., told today about the attack.
Two other Canadians, F/Os Fred Botting, Vancouver, and Ross Clarke, Montreal, also are members of the same R.A.F. squadron.
The Canadian ground troops held hangars at one side of the airfield and the Germans held the other. The opposing forces were not more than 150 or 200 yards apart. The tanks were dug in in V shape with the apex pointing toward the Canadians.
Germans had just dug big holes and backed the tanks in and covered them with earth up to the top of the tracks. Diving at a speed of more than 400 M.P.H. through very heavy flak, Metcalfe said, the Typhoons launched their rockets at the tanks. Neither Metcalfe nor Thrilwell knew how many tanks the squadron had knocked out because as soon as they fire their rockets, they pull out of their dive to avoid hitting debris blown into the air.
But they were pleased to learn that the troops who watched the rockets streak home have been high in their praise ever since because the attack resulted in the pressure on the Canadians being eased considerably.
Thrilwell said: "You feel you are helping the boys out and I get a big kick out of being able to do I that."
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London, July 12, 1944 — (CP Cable) — Competition among all-Canadian fighter wings operating from Normandy in support of the Allied invasion reached such a pitch by today that pilots are plaguing operations officers to have one more show "laid on" so they can top the score of German planes downed by rival wings.
Excellent Record
A summary of the operations of one Normandy-based fighter wing during four weeks of the invasion period shows that 170 Nazi aircraft have been shot out of the skies. This summary covers the period up to Monday, since when poor weather in the bridgehead area has reduced tactical flights to a minimum.
Since D-day W/C J. E. (Johnny) Johnson, who holds the D.S.O. and two bars, the D.F.C., and bar, and the American D.F.C., has skyrocketed to new fame as Britain's leading ace with a score of 35 German aircraft downed. Johnson, native of Nottingham, England, now heads a Canadian fighter wing.
Downs 35th Victim
He downed his 35th enemy victim June 30 to top the record of 33 set up by G/C A.G. (Sailor) Malan, from South Africa, who now is on ground duty. At the same time Johnson's wing went on to win a bet made with the late W/C Lloyd V. Chadburn, of Aurora, Ont., holder of the D.S.O. and bar and the D.F.C., six weeks before D-day.
The two wing-commanders wagered that their respective wings would outscore the other during the month after the invasion was launched. After Chadburn lost his life over France in the early days of the invasion, the wager was taken over by S/L Walter Conrad, D.F.C. of Richmond, Ont., of the Red Indian Squadron.
Until Johnson's wing scored seven victories in one operation July 5 Chadburn's wing, now led by W/C R.A. Buckham, D.F.C., of Vancouver, was only two behind. The latest available accounting showed Johnson's wing is in the lead 47 to 40.
Others in Race
Meanwhile however, another Canadian-led wing under W/C George Keefer, of Charlottetown, although not included in the wager, is just as interested in finishing at the top and in the last reckoning was tied with Johnson's wing with 47 enemy planes destroyed.
Furthermore, Keefer's pilots claimed 23 enemy aircraft damaged against 11 by Johnson's wing. F/L Charlie Trainor of Charlottetown, who until June 28 was scoreless, entered the ace class by being credited with 7½ victories in the subsequent seven days. This was half a point more than Johnson achieved during the first month of the invasion.
Other Canadian airmen who have achieved notable scores during that period are: F/L Doug Lindsay, Arnprior, Ont., four; S/L H.W. (Wally) McLeod, D.F.C. and bar, Regina, four; F/L W.T. (Bill) Klersy, Toronto, four; F/L Paul Johnson, Bethel, Conn., four.
Typhoons Prominent
These scores brought Lindsay's total kills to six, McLeod's to 19, Klersy's to five and Johnson's to five also. McLeod became Canada's leading operational pilot with his score of 19.
The Normandy-based Empire fighter plane group to which these Canadian wings are attached is commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Henry Broadhurst, of the R.A.F. Total of 12,000 sorties were flown by British and Canadian members of Air Vice-Marshal Broadhurst's group during the four weeks following D-day.
An all-Canadian Typhoon wing in the sector, commanded by Wing-Cmdr. Paul Davoud, D.S.O., D.F.C., of Kingston, Ont., has achieved a high degree of precision in dive-bombing since assigned to this role in Normandy.
More than 8,000 rockets have been projected by R.A.F. Typhoons from close range at enemy targets within the battle area.
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Supreme Headquarters, A.E.F., Aug. 4, 1944 — (BUP) — Group Captain Paul Y. Davoud, R.C.A.F., of Kingston, Ont., said today that the Germans seem "hopelessly lost" without direction from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and he said the Royal Air Force was busy checking plane by plane in effort to place the credit for strafing Rommel's car and cracking the marshal's head.
(After credit shifted around for many years, it has been established that Charlie Fox did the deed -ed)
Rockets Deadly
On brief leave from the front, Davoud told a headquarters press group that Rommel "obviously was no longer directing the German defences because the Nazis generally were conducting their campaign like school children."
One of the chief factors in cracking the morale of Nazi troops, Davoud said, is the vicious-sounding rocket-carrying Typhoons which sweep low with a piercing scream before launching their deadly accurate missiles. Although he no longer leads rocket-carrying aircraft, having transferred to Typhoon fighter-bombers, which carry 2,000-pound bombs, Davoud is one of the foremost Allied experts in the new type of assault.
A fair example of the value of the rockets occurred on July 29, in the St. Lo area of Normandy. Davoud said.
"American Thunderbolts destroyed a Seine river bridge and about 25 German tanks were left wandering in circles. The Americans, realizing what a fine target they made for rocketeers, called the Typhoons in and they destroyed 17."
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(By Alan Randal, Canadian Press Staff Writer) London, Aug.16, 1944 —(CP)— Remember back in 1940 when our troops were streaming back from France and the German Stuka dive bombers were the terror of retreating British army? Well, today our Typhoons make those Stukas look like a baby's pram.
That is the word of Group Capt. Paul Davoud, D.S.O., D.F.C., of Kingston, Ont., commanding a Canadian Typhoon fighter-bomber wing in Normandy, and he says they haven't really got down to business yet. They haven’t had a chance. The weather hasn't been too good and the Germans haven't been sufficiently on the move.
But "once it starts it should be a three-ring circus," he said.
He was referring to the part the Typhoons with their bombs and rockets will play when the battle of Normandy reaches a point where the German armour becomes dislodged and attempts more fluid operations than tried in the early operations.
Illustrates Point
To illustrate his point, he spoke of a Typhoon attack on 18 German tanks in a valley near the Seine. Bombers had knocked out a bridge across the Seine river over which the tanks were to go. With its destruction, they deployed about the valley, each of them becoming an individual target. Bombers would not be so good for the job so they sent out rocket-firing Typhoons and then knocked out 17 of the tanks.
"The valley of death was an understatement," said the group captain.
But before the Canadian troops in the Caen front the Germans have been using a different technique, digging their tanks in hull down and using them as sort of forts with heavy screens of cross-firing guns about them.
"Those are tough nuts to crack," said Davoud. "They are difficult to spot because the German is a master of camouflage and once found they are not good targets for aircraft because the Germans just go below ground and come up when the attack is over and the positions are well protected by antiaircraft emplacements."
"But," he added, "when that armour is finally on the run — that is where we come in; we'll make a fortune."
Great Fire Power
The Typhoons can hit an individual tank with two, four or eight rockets, which beat cannons for destructiveness and bombs for accuracy. They are twice as fast as the Stuka ever was, carry twice the weight of bombs — two 1,000-pounders — and four cannon. Rockets are alternative to bombs and the bomb-carrying "Tiffies" work closely with the "Rockphoons."
Canadian Typhoon squadrons are working as close-support formations for the army.
And from the morale angle the Typhoons are great boosters for our own soldiers and great breeders of fear for the enemy. The sound effect alone is quite something — the normal thunder of a Typhoon engine, the horrifying "swish" of the rockets and the noise of the cannon. As Davoud himself said, "If I were on a French road and saw a Typhoon coming? Well, I'd write myself off right then."
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1945
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DAVOUD, G/C Paul Yettvart, DSO, DFC (C325) - Mention in Despatches - No.143 Wing
Award effective 1 January 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 337/45 dated 23 February 1945.
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By KENNETH C. CRAGG
Ottawa, Feb. 27, 1945 - (Staff) - The story is documented — brought out from captured enemy papers, according to Group Capt. Paul Davoud of Kingston and other points in Canada.
He says that when the Americans broke through in the Cherbourg Peninsula last summer "Hitler, the genius, got on the telephone personally and over four of his generals ordered German armor scattered along the front, out in close packed formation on the highway." "One of our Typhoons saw them. He yelled back on his radio for help and went down on them himself. We got 89 Panther and Tiger tanks that day with a loss of three Typhoons. They told us later that day's work was the equivalent of what might have been done by two armored divisions."
Canadian airmen have a tendency toward enthusiasm, and stocky Paul Davoud has a special brand of it for his flying artillerymen. He is in Canada on a brief professional visit and is returning soon to his post with operational headquarters of a tactical air force group. He was one of the planners of air support for ground troops on D-Day.
Worked With Infantry
He sent his Typhoons and Spits and fighter bombers into action before Caen where they sprayed rockets, cannon fire and bombs a bare 400 yards before our troops. "We used them just like artillery," he said. "The plan of close support is absolutely workable. We have proved it."
In his group, half of the pilots are Canadians, but he makes a point that in no arm of the services is the morale higher than in the tactical air formations. "When you get a cocky air force like we have, with good equipment, they can't do anything with them. They go through," he said.
In the Caen battle he described how the pilots, rising over their air strips, could see to the north the bulk of battleships popping shells over into the German lines, and could see the shells exploding. Their own run, out and back, was but a 10-minute affair.
"Then after the peak at Falaise, things happened that every one prayed for — the Germans put their vehicles on the road without air cover. We went after them with rockets, bombs and cannon. In one day, north of Falaise, the Tactical Air groups destroyed 3,000 vehicles."
Relieve Paratroops
As an example of what he described as the "finest close-support effort," he told how the tactical peeled off and knocked out positions in the dash toward Arnhem, cutting through enemy-held territory on a straight road, the only road, in daylight in that desperate fighting to relieve the airborne force.
"These boys of the Household Cavalry are the ones who sit on horses in front of Buckingham Palace in peacetime and sometimes get laughed at. But don't laugh at the Guards," said Davoud. "I know what happened that day."
"The pilots were issued large-scale maps, with each enemy strong-point numbered. One tank led the procession. Behind it was a scout car and in it was one of our men who was in radio contact with the fighter bombers above."
"The signal to start was given in the approved Guards fashion. Everything went well for the first four minutes and then the lead tank was blown off the road by a direct hit. Our man telephoned up, 'Knock out position 47,' and five Typhoons peeled off and knocked out position 47. And that's the way it went."
Jump From Foxholes
"We strafed for 100 yards each side of the road and people were jumping out of foxholes pure white. They went through 28 miles that way."
In preparation, he said a Guards lieutenant drove over that road and back again, like a singed cat on to rocket power, and brought the information back. "Don't laugh at the Guards," said Davoud, as he mimicked the unnamed lieutenant and his so very, very correct Guards salute as he reported to his superior.
As a fighter, he places Spitfires first — absolutely lethal with the new gyro sight. He would only say that German jet planes are "very fast and I think that the Huns are groping around, experimenting with them."
The German night air organization, he says, is the best part of the enemy air force that is left.
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With the RCAF in Germany, April 18, 1945 - (CP) - German strongpoints, supply columns and gun positions now are being blasted by RCAF Typhoon fighter-bombers flying from this airfield in Germany.
This is the first all-Canadian Wing to set up shop in Germany and one of the first of all Allied air-forces to challenge the Luftwaffe from its home ground.
Near-by is an RCAF air evacuation unit, speeding wounded back to Britain or rear areas in Europe, and an RCAF mobile field hospital in tents.
Moving day was like a circus on the road. From morning to night long convoys piled with tents and equipment wound along the Netherlands highways, across the Maas River and into Germany. A huge airfield had been carved out of a forest and RAF planes already were flying from it.
F/O E. F. Kent of Ottawa, assistant to Sqdn. Ldr. D. A. Brownlee of Ottawa, organized the move. For air and ground crews it meant moving back into tents for the first time since Normandy, and many officers moved back into caravans and the backs of trucks.
Sqdn. Ldr. J. D. Robertson of Watson, Sask., chief flying control officer, soon had his mobile control tower installed and Flt. Lt. Joe Lyall of Banff, Alta. and Winnipeg had turned a caravan into an intelligence room.
A day later the ground crew arrived, the first Typhoons touched down on the still-bumpy runways and the first operation was carried out.
For most of the pilots, flying against German targets from German soil was what they had wanted to do since the wing landed on the continent last June 21 under Group Capt. Paul Y. Davoud of Kingston, Ont.
Their first airfield was near Creuilly in Normandy and then they moved to St, Andre, near Amiens. An airfield near Brussels was their third stop and on Sept. 27 they began flying from a Dutch base — the second Allied fighter wing to do so.
They stuck to their Dutch field longer than to any other and ground and aircrews were glad to be on the move again when the switch to Germany became possible.
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DAVOUD, G/C Paul Yettvart, DSO, DFC (C325) - Officer, OBE - No.83 Group HQ
Award effective 14 June 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 1219 dated 27 July 1945.
No citation in Canadian sources. Public Records Office Air 2/9056 has recommended citation which, however, seems rather confused as to sequence of his postings.
Group Captain Davoud has served with this Group since January 1944. He was given the task of forming and commanding two new airfields from squadrons and personnel recently transferred from Canada. He showed himself to be a commander of considerable resource and ability and completed his task with great enthusiasm and efficiency. He arrived on the Continent a week after D Day, and shortly afterwards a reorganization of the Group placed him in command of 143 Wing. He filled this post with energy and distinction until January 1945, when he was appointed Group Captain, Operations at Group Headquarters. Previous to joining 83 Group this officer gave outstanding service whilst commanding a Canadian Typhoon fighter bomber wing.
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Paul Davoud with Dean Dover & Gord McGregor
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1 Nov 1941 29 July 1942 |
one Do.217 one He.111 one Do.217 |
destroyed * probable & damaged |
409 sqn 409 sqn |
1 / 1 / 1
All with Sgt. T. Carpenter (RAF), as Navigator
* 409 squadron's first kill. Davoud's combat report reads: I claim - one Dornier 217 destroyed Weather - 7/8 cloud, base 5,000 feet - top 7,500 feet - bright moonlight" |
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post war
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Where are the Generals and Admirals, the Air Vice Marshals and Air Marshals who not so long ago were the directors and executives of the greatest undertaking in the history of this country?
What are they doing today, the "brass" who built Canada’s armed forces from the pea-shooter stage into a modern juggernaut on land, sea and in the air?
Many are still in uniform; others have retired, but many have either taken up where they left off or have carved new niches for themselves in the business world. Here’s a partial list indicating what some are doing on "Civvie Street:"
Air Marshal L. S. Breadner - former chief of the air staff - now directing a jewellery manufacturing firm in Ottawa.
Group Capt. Paul Y. Davoud - commanded a Typhoon wing - now assistant to the president, Trans-Canada Air Lines.
(most names I left out -jf)
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Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France)
DAVOUD, G/C Paul Yettvart, DSO, OBE, DFC (C325)
AFRO 485/47 dated 12 September 1947 and
Canada Gazette dated 20 September 1947
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Croix de Guerre avec Palm (France)
DAVOUD, G/C Paul Y., DSO, OBE, DFC (C325)
AFRO 485/47 dated 12 September 1947 and
Canada Gazette dated 20 September 1947.
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Commander, Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords (Holland)
DAVOUD, G/C Paul Y., DSO, OBE, DFC (C325)
Award effective 6 February 1948 as per AFRO 81/48 of that date
Public Records Office Air 2/9293 has recommended citation:
In command of No.143 Wing, Royal (Canadian) Air Force, stationed at Eindhoven, from September until December 1944, through his excellent work has greatly contributed to the liberation of the Netherlands.
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Retired Airmen Receive AwardsOttawa, May 17, 1951 - (CP) - Two retired officers of the R.C.A.F. were decorated by Netherlands' Ambassador A.H.J. Lovink yesterday for their part in the liberation of Holland late in the war. G/C Paul Davoud & W/C Dal Russel |
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