By Rich Thistle ©
Canada's Buzz Beurling, highest scoring Second World War
ace, in a Spitfire Vc, flying his last sortie over Malta, Oct.24,
1942, WWII
limited edition litho print
300 s/n by the artist
23.75" x 16.5"
Canada's Buzz Beurling, highest scoring Second World War
ace, in a Spitfire Vc, flying his last sortie over Malta, Oct.24,
1942, WWII
limited edition litho print
300 s/n by the artist
23.75" x 16.5"
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________
Limited Edition print s/n
$134.00
_______________________________
________
________
Limited Edition print s/n
$134.00
_______________________________
________
Here at Ozark Airfield Artworks we offer a large selection art prints. These prints
mainly depict modern and historic aviation along with military, civil and space flight. We
also deal with naval subjects and military armor and infantry works. These prints are
from all the top national and international artists along with some local artists. Many of
our prints are signed by the artist and by famous pilots and veterans. If you are looking
for a specific plane, pilot, artist or subject please contact us.
mainly depict modern and historic aviation along with military, civil and space flight. We
also deal with naval subjects and military armor and infantry works. These prints are
from all the top national and international artists along with some local artists. Many of
our prints are signed by the artist and by famous pilots and veterans. If you are looking
for a specific plane, pilot, artist or subject please contact us.
All images are copyrighted by the individual artist and may not be
reproduced without their consent.
reproduced without their consent.
Copyright © Ozark Airfield Artworks 2005 All Rights Reserved
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"Fox in the Henhouse"
George "Buzz" Beurling...© Rich Thistle
For almost two years, from late 1940 to late 1942, the island of Malta was mercilessly besieged by the Axis air forces of Italy
and Germany. Although no RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) squadrons served here during the siege, at least twenty-five percent
of Malta’s RAF (Royal Air Force) defenders at any one time were Canadians. Among these were some of Canada’s greatest and
most successful air fighters of WWII. But a brash twenty-year-old from Verdun, a working-class neighborhood of Montreal,
Quebec, proved to be the most successful - and most colorful - of all Canadian pilots who gained the status of ace over Malta or
in any other air battles of the Second World War.
As a child of nine, George Beurling was an airport "rat", trading chores for rides with local pilots. He began to play hooky from
school to indulge his passion for airplanes and flying, and endured the spankings, both at school and at home, which were the
inevitable results. He was obsessed with flying. He made model airplanes and sold them for money to take flying lessons. He
read every book about the World War I aces he could get his hands on, and amazed his father with his knowledge of the tactics,
which had made them successful.
In 1938, at age sixteen, he had soloed. Anxious to get his wings, he got a bush-flying job in northern Ontario where he finally got
his certificate. George was obsessed with a burning ambition to become a fighter pilot. At the first possible moment, he headed
west to Vancouver to obtain his commercial license, and then, he hoped, to China, to fly in the Chinese Air Force against the
Japanese.
On his way to the west coast, he heard of a flying competition in Edmonton. George couldn't’t resist, and for the first time, his
extraordinary flying skills became publicly apparent. Having won the competition handily, defeating two RCAF pilots in the
process, during his victory speech he showed his brash personality by berating the Air Force for their loss in the contest.
According to him, it was this incident which later poisoned his chances of success in the RCAF.
While in the west, George spent some time observing pilots who were barnstorming on the prairies just before the war, and
from them probably learned some of the combat flying techniques which later made him a phenomenon. By this time, Beurling
probably knew more about combat flying than any Canadian alive.
When war was declared, George attempted to join the RCAF but, as he had not yet finished high school, he did not qualify.
Displaying characteristic determination, he made the perilous north Atlantic crossing to join the RAF. When refused because he
couldn't’t prove his age, he promptly made the perilous return crossing to Canada to pick up his birth certificate, and then sailed
back to England. His perseverance paid off.
In the RAF, he quickly achieved a reputation as a loner who had no ambition for promotion, no respect for military discipline, and
who antagonized superiors with ease. Having proven his skill in early combat flying over France, he volunteered for duty on the
island of Malta, which was under heavy and constant siege by the Germans and Italians. His squadron commander was more
than willing to see him go.
Malta was made for George. In fact, flying Supermarine Mk V Spitfires over the island, he could practice his art singly, often
attacking large groups of enemy aircraft without a wing man. His unique combination of incredible eyesight, fantastic
marksmanship, superb flying, and pure luck quickly added up to astounding success. Victories mounted. His fame increased.
He was affectionately dubbed "Screwball" and rather liked the nickname. In the popular press, he acquired the sobriquets
"Falcon of Malta" and "Savior of Malta". He was even finally forced to accept an officer’s commission because the RAF did not
want to continue having to explain to reporters why the reigning ace of Malta was still only a sergeant. He was front-page in
every Allied country!
But all was not well with George. He was ill with what was simply called the "Malta Dog", caused by exceedingly poor diet
suffered by all on the island. And the stress of standing constant readiness in the hot summer sun was taking its inevitable toll.
He had lost fifty pounds since arriving in Malta and spent some time on his back, unable to fly.
It was in a very weakened condition that George’s luck ran dry on Oct. 14, 1942 in the busy skies over Malta. One of my Beurling
paintings, FOX IN THE HENHOUSE depicts his last sortie over Malta. As usual, against great odds, Buzz dove down on the tail of
several Me 109’s, passing close enough to one of his three victories of the sortie, a JU 88 he sent down in flames, to see the
face of the gunner peppering his Spit.
Shortly afterward, nursing two wounds and his well-holed Spitfire, a time when other pilots might have headed for home, he
attacked another ME-109 which he instantly splashed for his third victory of the sortie. But in doing so, he drew the attention of
several other German fighters and was caught from behind in a hail of enemy fire. His bird mortally wounded and his body
absorbing more of the hot metal flying around his cockpit, George was barely able to escape with his life. Plucked from the jaws
of death by a rescue launch, George’s Malta days were finished. He had survived by the narrowest of margins. On his flight back
to England, the Liberator bomber in which he was a passenger crashed into the sea killing fifteen. George, encumbered by a
heavy cast on his wounded foot, was just able to swim to shore.
Partly recuperated, Beurling was sent home to Canada to become a focus of the war bond and recruitment effort. However, he
found his public relations tour selling Victory Bonds across Canada to his personal distaste, a fact which he failed to hide
successfully. Soon, to his intense relief, he was sent back to England. However, the RAF, unwilling to risk the loss of such a
public figure, refused to post him to an operational squadron. In desperation, he applied to the RCAF. Quickly grasping the
chance to get the now-famous Beurling into a Canadian uniform, the RCAF posted him to 403 Squadron (RCAF) for duty over
France where he shot down his last two aircraft, both Folke-Wulf FW-190’s.
However, Beurling continued to be his own worst enemy. His outrageous personal behavior continued. Continuing to refuse to
submit to squadron discipline, he was finally -and quietly- sent home to Canada and granted an honorable discharge. Although
he finished the war in the RCAF as Canada’s top ace with thirty-three victories, he was removed from the air war just as the
allies could have used his skills in the final push into Germany which was to begin on D-Day.
Nonetheless, George was still to be the only Allied pilot to have achieved top ace standing in his particular air battle. In all other
air battles, Axis pilots, who generally served continuously -either until the battle was over or until they died- scored highest ace
standing. But, in a country tired of war and of war heroes, George was unable to adjust to life in peacetime. He could not get
work. His marriage had ended in failure.
In 1948, desperate to return to the only real life he knew, George decided to join the Israeli Air Force, against the advice of his
mates. George Beurling, holder of the Distinguished Service Order, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Distinguished Flying
Medal, and Canada’s ranking ace of World War II, died searching for another war when the Norseman he was piloting to Israel
burst into flames and crashed on landing at the Rome airport. There is a widely held theory that his aircraft was sabotaged by
the Arabs who were made aware of his enlistment with the Israeli Air force by the press coverage he was given.
Furthermore, his final chapter ended with a sad but somehow very Canadian twist. Financially incapable of bearing the cost of
his return to Canada, his family was unable to claim Beurling's earthly remains, which lay ignominiously for a time in a coffin in a
Rome warehouse. The Canadian federal Liberal government of the day, which had used his celebrity status to raise war bond
money, expressed condolences to the family, but would not finance the return of the Canadian war hero they had helped to
create. Eventually, the Israelis buried the Canadian ace in a simple grave in Haifa. Thus do Canadians treat their heroes.
An editied version of this article was published in the American magazine AVIATION HISTORY in the "Art of Flight" section, Nov.
1997 issue.
FOX IN THE HENHOUSE, FALCON OF MALTA and the graphite portrait of Buzz shown above, are tributes to a legendary Canadian
hero. FOX IN THE HENHOUSE is published as a limited edition print.
For almost two years, from late 1940 to late 1942, the island of Malta was mercilessly besieged by the Axis air forces of Italy
and Germany. Although no RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) squadrons served here during the siege, at least twenty-five percent
of Malta’s RAF (Royal Air Force) defenders at any one time were Canadians. Among these were some of Canada’s greatest and
most successful air fighters of WWII. But a brash twenty-year-old from Verdun, a working-class neighborhood of Montreal,
Quebec, proved to be the most successful - and most colorful - of all Canadian pilots who gained the status of ace over Malta or
in any other air battles of the Second World War.
As a child of nine, George Beurling was an airport "rat", trading chores for rides with local pilots. He began to play hooky from
school to indulge his passion for airplanes and flying, and endured the spankings, both at school and at home, which were the
inevitable results. He was obsessed with flying. He made model airplanes and sold them for money to take flying lessons. He
read every book about the World War I aces he could get his hands on, and amazed his father with his knowledge of the tactics,
which had made them successful.
In 1938, at age sixteen, he had soloed. Anxious to get his wings, he got a bush-flying job in northern Ontario where he finally got
his certificate. George was obsessed with a burning ambition to become a fighter pilot. At the first possible moment, he headed
west to Vancouver to obtain his commercial license, and then, he hoped, to China, to fly in the Chinese Air Force against the
Japanese.
On his way to the west coast, he heard of a flying competition in Edmonton. George couldn't’t resist, and for the first time, his
extraordinary flying skills became publicly apparent. Having won the competition handily, defeating two RCAF pilots in the
process, during his victory speech he showed his brash personality by berating the Air Force for their loss in the contest.
According to him, it was this incident which later poisoned his chances of success in the RCAF.
While in the west, George spent some time observing pilots who were barnstorming on the prairies just before the war, and
from them probably learned some of the combat flying techniques which later made him a phenomenon. By this time, Beurling
probably knew more about combat flying than any Canadian alive.
When war was declared, George attempted to join the RCAF but, as he had not yet finished high school, he did not qualify.
Displaying characteristic determination, he made the perilous north Atlantic crossing to join the RAF. When refused because he
couldn't’t prove his age, he promptly made the perilous return crossing to Canada to pick up his birth certificate, and then sailed
back to England. His perseverance paid off.
In the RAF, he quickly achieved a reputation as a loner who had no ambition for promotion, no respect for military discipline, and
who antagonized superiors with ease. Having proven his skill in early combat flying over France, he volunteered for duty on the
island of Malta, which was under heavy and constant siege by the Germans and Italians. His squadron commander was more
than willing to see him go.
Malta was made for George. In fact, flying Supermarine Mk V Spitfires over the island, he could practice his art singly, often
attacking large groups of enemy aircraft without a wing man. His unique combination of incredible eyesight, fantastic
marksmanship, superb flying, and pure luck quickly added up to astounding success. Victories mounted. His fame increased.
He was affectionately dubbed "Screwball" and rather liked the nickname. In the popular press, he acquired the sobriquets
"Falcon of Malta" and "Savior of Malta". He was even finally forced to accept an officer’s commission because the RAF did not
want to continue having to explain to reporters why the reigning ace of Malta was still only a sergeant. He was front-page in
every Allied country!
But all was not well with George. He was ill with what was simply called the "Malta Dog", caused by exceedingly poor diet
suffered by all on the island. And the stress of standing constant readiness in the hot summer sun was taking its inevitable toll.
He had lost fifty pounds since arriving in Malta and spent some time on his back, unable to fly.
It was in a very weakened condition that George’s luck ran dry on Oct. 14, 1942 in the busy skies over Malta. One of my Beurling
paintings, FOX IN THE HENHOUSE depicts his last sortie over Malta. As usual, against great odds, Buzz dove down on the tail of
several Me 109’s, passing close enough to one of his three victories of the sortie, a JU 88 he sent down in flames, to see the
face of the gunner peppering his Spit.
Shortly afterward, nursing two wounds and his well-holed Spitfire, a time when other pilots might have headed for home, he
attacked another ME-109 which he instantly splashed for his third victory of the sortie. But in doing so, he drew the attention of
several other German fighters and was caught from behind in a hail of enemy fire. His bird mortally wounded and his body
absorbing more of the hot metal flying around his cockpit, George was barely able to escape with his life. Plucked from the jaws
of death by a rescue launch, George’s Malta days were finished. He had survived by the narrowest of margins. On his flight back
to England, the Liberator bomber in which he was a passenger crashed into the sea killing fifteen. George, encumbered by a
heavy cast on his wounded foot, was just able to swim to shore.
Partly recuperated, Beurling was sent home to Canada to become a focus of the war bond and recruitment effort. However, he
found his public relations tour selling Victory Bonds across Canada to his personal distaste, a fact which he failed to hide
successfully. Soon, to his intense relief, he was sent back to England. However, the RAF, unwilling to risk the loss of such a
public figure, refused to post him to an operational squadron. In desperation, he applied to the RCAF. Quickly grasping the
chance to get the now-famous Beurling into a Canadian uniform, the RCAF posted him to 403 Squadron (RCAF) for duty over
France where he shot down his last two aircraft, both Folke-Wulf FW-190’s.
However, Beurling continued to be his own worst enemy. His outrageous personal behavior continued. Continuing to refuse to
submit to squadron discipline, he was finally -and quietly- sent home to Canada and granted an honorable discharge. Although
he finished the war in the RCAF as Canada’s top ace with thirty-three victories, he was removed from the air war just as the
allies could have used his skills in the final push into Germany which was to begin on D-Day.
Nonetheless, George was still to be the only Allied pilot to have achieved top ace standing in his particular air battle. In all other
air battles, Axis pilots, who generally served continuously -either until the battle was over or until they died- scored highest ace
standing. But, in a country tired of war and of war heroes, George was unable to adjust to life in peacetime. He could not get
work. His marriage had ended in failure.
In 1948, desperate to return to the only real life he knew, George decided to join the Israeli Air Force, against the advice of his
mates. George Beurling, holder of the Distinguished Service Order, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Distinguished Flying
Medal, and Canada’s ranking ace of World War II, died searching for another war when the Norseman he was piloting to Israel
burst into flames and crashed on landing at the Rome airport. There is a widely held theory that his aircraft was sabotaged by
the Arabs who were made aware of his enlistment with the Israeli Air force by the press coverage he was given.
Furthermore, his final chapter ended with a sad but somehow very Canadian twist. Financially incapable of bearing the cost of
his return to Canada, his family was unable to claim Beurling's earthly remains, which lay ignominiously for a time in a coffin in a
Rome warehouse. The Canadian federal Liberal government of the day, which had used his celebrity status to raise war bond
money, expressed condolences to the family, but would not finance the return of the Canadian war hero they had helped to
create. Eventually, the Israelis buried the Canadian ace in a simple grave in Haifa. Thus do Canadians treat their heroes.
An editied version of this article was published in the American magazine AVIATION HISTORY in the "Art of Flight" section, Nov.
1997 issue.
FOX IN THE HENHOUSE, FALCON OF MALTA and the graphite portrait of Buzz shown above, are tributes to a legendary Canadian
hero. FOX IN THE HENHOUSE is published as a limited edition print.