"Jacques & Laurie" wrote in message
...

"Robert Sveinson" wrote in message
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"Jacques & Laurie" wrote in message
. ..
Question:

Anyone ever hear of George "Buzz" Beurling?

Yes I have.





When caught by the Bf 109s, many pilots found themselves flying for their
lives using all helpful manoeuvres. Canadian George "Buzz" Beurling
developed an evasive action when he, upon being attacked from behind,
pulled the stick extremely hard, causing the Spitfire to enter a violent
stall, flick over and spin. The manoeuvre was so quick and rough that it
was impossible to follow, but only very few pilots ever learned to use it.
"Buzz" Beurling was as good a shooter as he was a pilot: he became the top
ace of the 1942 Malta campaign with 27 victories to his credit. Rumours
said that he once shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 with only two bullets!

Beurling was eventually creditted with
30+ victories. He spent time in Britain
after his time on Malta.
He did most of his combat while he was
in the RAF. After his time on Malta
the Canadian government decided
that they wanted him in the RCAF,
and they got their way.
Seems to me he earned his decorations
while with the RAF. He did not
get along with the RCAF, and their
strict way of attacking the enemy.
It was much different fighting
from Britain than from Malta.
Thing got so bad that he was allowed
to resign his commission in the
RCAF and revert to civilian life.
Very rare and very strange.
I don't think that the claim that
he used only two bullets to defeat
an ME-109 is true. He certainly didn't
make that claim.
There is/was a mystery concerning
his death in a small aircraft that
crashed in Italy while he was
on his way to Isreal to fly
and fight some more.
IIRC he is buried in Isreal.

He was some times referred to
as Screwball Beurling because
the stongest swear word that he
used was "screwball".
He didn't drink booze or smoke.
Very strange indeed.





http://spitfiresite.com/history/spit...e-of-malta.htm




Absolutely agree with you. Discipline, or the lack of it, got him into
trouble most of the time and the RCAF thought that they were going to tame
him as it were . . . NOT!!

He almost certainly kept his unit adjutant working overtime.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)