Oscar Mahaffy "Ozzie" Linton

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Airmen Win Commissions

Ottawa, March 19, 1942 - (CP) - The Royal Canadian Air Force tonight made public the names of members who have recently been "commissioned in the field" as pilot officers. The commissions, said an R.C.A.F. statement, are "in line with Air Minister Power's recent announcement that every effort would be made to obtain recognition of exceptional ability and courage displayed by members of the R.C.A.F." Following are the names of Ontario's newly-commissioned officers, home towns and next-of-kin:

Pilots:
Linton, O. M., 98 York Mills Road, Toronto
Williams, D., 390 Main Street West, Hamilton
Air observer:
Dilworth, R. N., 56 Marmaduke Avenue, Toronto
Wireless operator air gunner:
Thomas, L. G. D., 5 Argyle Avenue, Hamilton

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3 Toronto Pilots Fight 40 Huns, Knock Down 7 Without Loss

By William Stewart, An R.C.A.F. Airfield in France, July 25, 1944 (CP) — Three Toronto Spitfire pilots today told how a routine Weather reconnaissance turned into a smashing victory for the RCAF when they ran into a formation of 40 German fighters and destroyed seven without loss.
F/O W. J. Banks of Leaside, F/L O. M. Linton, York Mills Rd., Toronto and P/O D.R. Jamieson 140 Symington Ave., Toronto, were just about to return from a look at the weather Monday afternoon when they sighted 20 Nazi planes over Lisieux, about 27 miles east of Caen.
Jamieson saw them first, and the Spits gave chase as the German formation was joined by another group of similar size.
“They began to orbit in two sections and we came in from above and attacked individually," Jamieson said. In a short, swirling dog-fight, Banks doubled his total score of destroyed planes by knocking down three, and Linton and Jamieson each got two.
Banks' tactic for each of his three was almost identical. In each instance he closed to within 50 to 75 yards before opening fire with cannon and machine guns. Each Nazi plane burst into flames and plummeted to earth.
Jamieson's first victim broke in two when he concentrated his fire behind the German's cockpit. The second went out of control following strikes on the tail. It hit the ground and exploded.
Linton, who was leading the section, shot down his first with a two-second burst from 300 yards. "Then I climbed to 9,000 feet and engaged another one," Linton said. "I was lucky enough to knock off at least half his port wing. He flicked over, spiraled down and went straight into the ground."

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14 RCAF MEN ON HONORS LIST

Ottawa, Aug. 10, 1944 - (CP) - Air Force headquarters announced tonight award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross to two members of the RCAF serving overseas and award of D.F.C.'s to 12 other officers. The awards:

BAR TO DISTINGUISHED FLYNG CROSS
S/L W. A. CONRAD, Richmond, Ont.
S/L R. A. BUCKHAM, Vancouver.

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
F/L J. C. VAN NES, Saskatoon.
F/L E. W. FOCKLER, Vancouver.
F/L T. B. WINSLOW, St. Agathe, Que.
F/L F. J. SHERLOCK, Calgary.
F/L J. E. PRITCHARD, Middleton, Wis.
F/L A. T. CARLSON, Calgary.
F/L O. M. LINTON, 08 York Mills Rd., Toronto.
F/L V. J. FAUROT, Niagara Falls, .Ont.
F/L D. H. DOVER, 83 Buttonwood Ave., Mount Dennis, Ont.
F/O H. B. DATE, Woodrow Beach, Sarnia.
F/O F. S. SORGE, Pincher Creek, Alta,
F/O N. C. HOWE, 68 Charles St, E., Toronto.

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LINTON, F/L Oscar Mahaffy (J15205) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.401 Sq.
Award effective 8 August 1944 as per London Gazette dated 11 August 1944 &
AFRO 2101/44 dated 29 September 1944.

Flight Lieutenant Linton has taken part in a large number of operational sorties. He has destroyed at least one aircraft and damaged others. Throughout a period of intensive operations he showed outstanding ability as a leader which, coupled with his fine fighting spirit, has made him a valuable member of his squadron.

NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/9633 has recommendation drafted about 26 January 1944 when he had flown 148 sorties (203 hours 45 minutes). This provides much more detail.

Flight Lieutenant Linton was on his second tour of operations when he broke his back in a forced landing while at the Fighter Leaders Course. During his first tour in Malta, he completed 108 sorties during which he destroyed 1⅓ enemy aircraft and damaged four others. Beginning his second tour with No.401 (RCAF) Squadron, he was given a flight. This he led with great skill for some 40 sweeps. During this time his squadron was continuously employed on the tedious and exacting work of close escort to USAAF medium bombers.

Flight Lieutenant Linton was an outstanding fighter pilot who concentrated his entire energy and interest on his duty.

On 28 January 1944, W/C K.L.B. Hodson wrote, "F/L Linton is an outstanding fighter pilot and merits an award."

On 3 February 1944, G/C W.R. MacBrien added his remarks:

Flight Lieutenant Linton's sorties were all, to the best of our knowledge, offensive. He fought through a very difficult period in Malta and showed outstanding ability as a leader while operating in this country previous to his accident. Lack of opportunity, due to the type of work being performed by Spitfire Vs during the period, is probably the only reason his present score is not higher. Owing to his return to Canada, I cannot give any more detailed information than above, but I most strongly recommend the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to this officer.

On 19 February 1944 an Air Vice Marshal (signature illegible) wrote:

The recommendation for this award is partly based on this officer's record of service outside this Group, as known to his immediate superiors. I have no means of checking his record and therefore forward the recommendation for consideration. The sound leadership and determination to engage the enemy which he has shown while under my command, combined with his long operational record, convince me that the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross is well merited.

The Air Officer Commanding, 2nd Tactical Air Force, approved this on 27 February 1944, but it was not until 31 May 1944 that Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Air Commander-in-Chief, Allied Expeditionary Air Forces, also forwarded the document with his notation, "Approved".

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23 May 1941 - Canada's Minister of Munitions and Supply, the Hon. C.D. Hows, pins the crested "wings" of the R.C.A.F. on LAC O.M. Linton, of Wolseley, Sask. He was a graduate of the R.C.A.F. No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Uplands, Ottawa, Ontario.

Victories Include :

3.5 / 0 / 4.66

Score from "Those Other Eagles" by Chris Shores

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