1. George Beurling was born in 1921 in Verdun, Quebec into a religious family and was the third of five children in the family.
54 Facts About George Beurling
1. 2.
George Beurling's mother, Hetty Florence Gibbs, is of English descent and was born in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Saint-Charles.
3.
George Beurling began to develop an interest in flying at the age of 6 when his father built him a model aircraft.
4.
George Beurling's parents wanted him to study in McGill University and become a successful commercial artist like his father.
5.
At the age of 15, George Beurling quit school and took up a job to increase his income.
6.
George Beurling was intending to head to San Francisco and work for some while in China and later sign up for the job.
7.
George Beurling first took the controls of an aircraft in 1933, and was flying solo by 1938.
8.
George Beurling left school to work for an air freight company in Gravenhurst, Ontario, and soon gained a commercial licence.
9.
George Beurling joined the Royal Air Force in September 1940.
10.
George Beurling then tried to join the Finnish Air Force, but could not get his parents' permission.
11.
George Beurling flew his first combat mission in a Supermarine Spitfire, on the 25th of December, 1941.
12.
George Beurling remained with 403 for nearly four months, escorting bombers and flying fighter sweeps across the English Channel.
13.
George Beurling was allegedly not claimed as a kill by the enemy.
14.
George Beurling went after it and closed to between 300 and 350 yards, where he opened fire with both cannons and machine guns using 120 cannon shells and 480 MG rounds.
15.
The aircraft then dove vertically in a crash toward the coast, while George Beurling remained at 17,000 feet and orbited the area.
16.
On this occasion, George Beurling was reprimanded for attacking a target without permission, and became unpopular with his superiors and fellow pilots.
17.
George Beurling was destined for No 249 Squadron RAF, at Malta.
18.
George Beurling fired only when he thought he could destroy.
19.
George Beurling picked his targets off cleanly and decisively, swinging his sight smoothly through them as a first-class shot strokes driven partridges out of the sky.
20.
In seconds, with one burst George Beurling had damaged a bomber.
21.
The Canadian chased his prey for 15,000 feet and, when the Italian pulled up at 5,000, George Beurling let go a two-second burst from 300 yards away.
22.
George Beurling landed in the sea and got into his dinghy.
23.
George Beurling claimed to have blown the tail off a Bf 109, but nobody saw it hit the ground, so he was credited with a "damaged".
24.
RAF suffered no losses, but George Beurling's aircraft was badly shot up.
25.
George Beurling, with Flying Officer Erik Hetherington, dived on the tail of the second of the two Reggianes and downed Seganti.
26.
George Beurling closed up to 100 feet and just when Quarantotti spotted him, Beurling delivered a short burst that decapitated the Italian commander.
27.
George Beurling's aircraft was "riddled by better than 20 bullets through the fuselage and wings".
28.
George Beurling claimed to have badly damaged a bomber and, after a long dogfight with a Reggiane, to have "blown his left wing off".
29.
On 24 July 1942, George Beurling was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, the citation read:.
30.
Sergeant George Beurling has displayed great skill and courage in the face of the enemy.
31.
Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in July 1942, Sergeant George Beurling has destroyed a further 9 enemy aircraft, bringing his victories to 17.
32.
George Beurling hit one and it went straight into the sea: this was confirmed by his section leader.
33.
George Beurling claimed to have "disintegrated" a first Bf 109, to have damaged a second and set a third on fire, that "enveloped in flames, dived vertically striking the sea", the pilot bailing out.
34.
George Beurling claimed to have at first hit a bomber, then an oncoming Bf 109 that burst into flames.
35.
George Beurling dedicated himself totally to the art of aerial combat.
36.
George Beurling owed his success to remarkably good eyesight and the ability to "toss his Spitfire" into violent combat manoeuvres.
37.
On 14 October 1942, George Beurling scrambled with six other pilots from his squadron to intercept a raid of Ju 88s escorted by 60 Bf 109s, Macchi 202s and Reggiane 2001s just south of Zonqor Point.
38.
George Beurling was wounded in the heel, elbow and ribs, and his Spitfire was set on fire.
39.
George Beurling was then sent back to Britain on 31 October 1942.
40.
Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Pilot Officer George Beurling has destroyed a further six enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to 28.
41.
George Beurling descended safely on to the sea and was rescued.
42.
George Beurling was promoted to war substantive Flying Officer on 30 January 1943.
43.
The leg wound George Beurling had received over Malta, combined with his poor general health, returned him to hospital for several weeks.
44.
George Beurling completed his promotional work in mid-1943 and met his future wife, Diana Whittall in Vancouver.
45.
On 1 September 1943, George Beurling transferred to the RCAF, and was posted to an operational squadron, 403 at Kenley, flying the new Spitfire IX.
46.
Disciplinary problems annoyed his commander, but George Beurling was promoted to flight lieutenant.
47.
Subsequently, George Beurling was transferred to 126 Wing HQ and then to 412 Squadron.
48.
At 412 Squadron, George Beurling again came into conflict with his commander for stunting and his lack of teamwork, leading to his eventual grounding.
49.
George Beurling ended his career as a squadron leader with 31 and one shared official kills, nine claimed damaged, along with a DSO, DFC and a DFM and Bar.
50.
In 1948, George Beurling was recruited to fly P-51 Mustangs for the Israeli Air Force.
51.
George Beurling's coffin was kept for three months in a warehouse in the Verano Monumental Cemetery, as nobody had claimed the body.
52.
In November 1950, two and half years after his death, George Beurling's casket arrived at Haifa Airport.
53.
Malta Spitfire, an account of his time in Malta, co-written by Leslie Roberts and George Beurling, was first published in 1943.
54.
George Beurling was provisionally credited with 31 air victories destroyed, and 9 damaged.