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William North "Bill" Stowe

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STOWE, F/L William North (J10643) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.130 Sq.
Award effective 10 July 1945 as per London Gazette dated 24 July 1945 and
AFRO 1619/45 dated 19 October 1945.

This officer has completed numerous sorties during his tour of operational duty. On one occasion recently his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to make a crash landing in advance of our forward troops. Flight Lieutenant Stowe made his way successfully to our lines and within a few days he was again engaged in operational flying. This officer has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and in addition destroyed and damaged more than 180 enemy transport vehicles including trains, barges, tugs and mechanical transport. He has served with outstanding success as a flight commander.

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Born 2 November 1922 in Edmonton
Home in Toronto (COTC, ex-Royal Canadian Artillery)
Enlisted there 28 May 1941 and
Posted to No.1 Manning Depot
Trained at
No.5 ITS (graduated 24 September 1941)
No.1 EFTS (graduated 21 November 1941) &
No.2 SFTS (graduated and commissioned 13 February 1942)
To 118 Squadron, 15 March 1942
(serving with that unit in Aleutian campaign)
Tour ended in August 1943
Posted to Britain, arriving 16 October 1943
Further trained at No.57 OTU
To 41 Squadron, 28 February 1944
To 130 Squadron towards the end of the war
On 2 May 1945 his a/c was damaged by the blast of his own
- bomb while attacking motor transport and forced-landed
To 401 Squadron after VE Day, then
To 412 Squadron (5 July 1945) then
To 430 Squadron (7 August 1945)
Repatriated to Canada in September 1945 and released
Award sent by registered mail 28 June 1949
Served in postwar RCAF Auxiliary (#120663)
Commencing 28 June 1948 while attending university
Serving with No.400 Squadron
Promoted to Wing Commander on 1 June 1952 and
Given command of that unit
In April 1954 he moved to Regina,
- was transferred to Reserve of Officers &
Trained pilots on Chipmunks (July 1955 to January 1957)
When he returned to Toronto, although still an instructor,
- he was deemed too old to fly & reclassified as an Eng/Off

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NOTE: RCAF Order 1306/43 issued 9 July 1943, under the heading “Summary Award”, read as follows:

1. Flying Officer William North Stowe (J10643), an officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force serving at an RCAF unit in Western Air Command, was tried summarily by the Air Officer in charge Administration, Western Air Command, Vancouver, B.C. under Section 47 of the Air Force Act on the 18th day of May 1943, and was found guilty on a charge of so negligently landing one of His Majesty’s aircraft as to cause it to collide with another of His Majesty’s aircraft thereby damaging both aircraft.

2. He was sentenced to be reprimanded.

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Victories Include :

3 Sept 1944
23 Jan 1945
24 Apr 1945

25 Apr 1945
30 Apr 1945		 1/2 FW190
one FW190
1/2 Me109
one FW190
one Me262
1.5 FW190s		 destroyed
damaged
destroyed
destroyed
probable
destroyed

3.5 / 1 / 0

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