Newspaper Article
Once Colleges Mat Champion, Massey Flier Awarded DFC
Ottawa, Dec. 3 (CP),— Award of the Distinguished
Flying Cross to Flying Officer Albert Ulrich Houle of Massey, Ont., for
shooting down two enemy planes in Egypt was announced today by R.C.A.F.
headquarters.
The official citation covering the award follows:
"One evening in October, 1942, Flying Officer Houle was flying with
his squadron on patrol over El Alamein when a formation of enemy dive-bombers
was sighted. The enemy aircraft jettisoned their bombs and flew west in
an attempt to avoid the combat. With great tenacity and determination
Flying Officer Houle pursued them far over the enemies' lines and in the
rapidly failing light engaged and destroyed at least two of the hostile
bombers,
"This officer is a skilful pilot who has always displayed exceptionally
cool courage in action. His fine example has been a great inspiration
to all personnel in his unit."
Born in Massey, Flying Officer Houle attended public and high school there
before enrolling at the University of Toronto, where he graduated in science.
• For two years after graduation he Was a demonstrator of electrical
engineering at the university. Flying Officer Houle enlisted in the R.C.A.F.
at North Bay, Ont. in September, 1940, received his wings at Moose Jaw,,
Sask., and has been overseas since May, 1941.
Flying Officer Houle is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert W. Houle
of Massey, Before enlistment he was an electrical engineer with the International
Nickel company of Canada. He won the Canadian intercollegiate wrestling
championship in 1936.
________________________________________________________
HOULE, S/L Albert Ulrich (J4887) - Bar to Distinguished
Flying Cross - No.417 Squadron
Award effective 30 March 1944 as per London Gazette dated 7 April 1944
and
AFRO 1020/44 dated 12 May 1944.
This commanding officer has served throughout the Sicilian
and Italian campaigns. An excellent leader and skilful pilot, he has always
evinced a fine fighting spirit, determination and courage. During the
course of the fighting in Italy, Squadron Leader Houle destroyed five
enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to at least eight destroyed
and others damaged.
NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/9624 has recommendation
drafted by the Officer Commanding, No.244 Wing and dated 4 February 1944
when he had flown 815 hours (133 in previous six months), 338 sorties
(400 operational hours, of which 240 had been flown since previous award).
This officer has now completed 150 hours on his second
tour and has commanded No.417 Canadian Squadron since November 21st 1943.
Previous to this appointment he commanded a flight in the same squadron,
and has fought throughout the Sicilian campaign and to date in the Italian
invasion.
He has proved himself a most aggressive and capable fighter
pilot and an excellent leader. Since fighting in Italy he has destroyed
five enemy aircraft and damaged three more, bringing his total score to
nine enemy aircraft destroyed, one probably destroyed and six damaged.
On 7 February 1944 the Air Officer Commanding, Desert
Air Force, added his remarks:
Squadron Leader Houle is a very gallant fighter pilot
and has done magnificent work, particularly since he took over command
of No.417 Squadron. I strongly recommend him for the award of a Bar to
his Distinguished Flying Cross.
____________________________________________________
Newspaper Article
Beurling, Houle Back With 200 Air Personnel
BY KENNETH C. CRAGG
OTTAWA, May 7.— From an airman's view — and he had a
lot of it leading the City of Windsor Spitfire Squadron over the Anzio
Beachhead — Sqdn. Ldr. Albert Houle believes the limited success
of Allied arms there was due to the speed with which the Germans moved
supporting divisions into the threatened section.
Sqdn. Ldr. Houle and FLt. LT. George (Buzz) Beurling, Verdun Que., were
two of 200 R.C.A.F. officers and men repatriated for leave, to become
instructors or ground crew who will train for air crew. Beurling left
the train at Montreal to visit his parents and will continue to Ottawa
tomorrow. He is back in Canada to teach his deadly deflection gunnery
skill to fledgling fighter pilots, but no announcement has been made as
to which station he will be posted.
Enemy Moved Fast.
Houle, born at Massey, Ont, back after the completion of two duty tours,
said in as succinct comment as has ever come out of Italy, except what
has been printed in the "Eighth Army News," of the Anzio situation:
,"They never believed they could move in so many so fast." He
estimated the enemy moved in 12 divisions in 24 hours.
Houle, who comes of French-Canadian stock, is something of an authority
in assessing a position - he has had a lot of experience in helping to
chase the Hun up into Europe, from the time as an R.A.F. pilot he fought
at Solum and kept on fighting all the way to Tripoli. In certain tangible
ways he has left his imprint on the Middle East, not the least of them,
by shooting down 11, getting a probable and damaging seven other enemy
aircraft. He has a lot of other aircraft to his credit that he destroyed
on the ground, but his record lumps them with a trail of wrecked motor
transport and troop carrying trucks which he knocked off during Rommel's
retreat from the gates of Alexandria.
The R.C.A.F. with its usual reticence, as a matter of fact modestly knocks
down Houle as one of its most outstanding fighters. It is not surprising,
therefore, that the stocky, black-haired 1936 Canadian intercollegiate
wrestling champion in his own weight has built up a personal tradition.
For example, he shot down two Jerries in 15 seconds.
That little feat he dismisses as just one of those things. As he tells
it, he "squirted" at one, and he went down underneath him, and
as No. 1 fell away, there was another Jerry beyond him, and he "squirted"
him and that was all there was to it.
Oakwood, S.P.S. Grad.
Houle, is practically a Toronto man by adoption, having secured his senior
education at Oakwood Collegiate and the University of Toronto. He graduated
as an electrical engineer and remained at S.P.S. for two years as an instructor
before taking a job with international Nickel.
Today he was met by the City of Windsor Squadron's former adjutant, Flt.
Lt. James Sinclair, Liberal member for Vancouver North. Without reservation,
Houle swore that the City of Windsor Squadron was the best fighter squadron
in the whole British air force, a statement with which Mr. Sinclair agreed.
A brash newsman asked him if the squadron improved after
its adjutant returned to look after his Parliamentary duties, but the
squadron leader, with the loyalty of the service and squadron behind him,
claimed: "It started cracking after Sinclair came back. But,"
he added, "I will say this: The squadron has more money after Sinclair
came back. Sinclair used to win all the money,"
Knows What Fritzes Think.
In a generally reminiscent mood, Houle ventured that Wing Cmdr. Stanley
(Bull) Turner of Toronto knows more than any one else about air fighting.
He said Turner had flown more than 1,000 operational hours, and has been
in so long "he practically knows what a German is going to do - even
what he's thinking about."
Both Houle and Sinclair, spoke with warm affection about FO, Bill (Lefty)
Steele of Toronto. Steele, they averred, used to play in a Salvation Army
band. Steele, they said, still keeps a horn and said he played hymns and
other tunes for the squadron. He has a line on corny jokes and you can't
discourage him. After a particularly sticky do, MacGillivray always seemed
to be in there helping."
Stocky, with bushy black eyebrows, and a serious talker, Houle answered
questions on various phases of the Mediterranean campaign, which he followed
from the dark days of Rommel's successes to the bright days of Gen. Sir
Bernard Montgomery's big push to Italy.
He recalled the Rommel drive toward Cairo and remembered the final stand
at El Alamein, when the British ordered everything that could fly to concentrate
on frontline bombing and strafing operations,
"Those were the days when an old model Hurricane was our first line
fighter and when other types long since out of service made up our strength,"
he said, "Those were also the days when we had orders not to waste
ammunition and to make every shot count."
He told of the assembly of out dated planes, of how they were loaded down
with bombs, and of how they flew continuously over the Germans and Italians
until they were stopped in their tracks.
Only 250 Bombs Left.
"When that time came we had exactly 250 bombs left," Houle recalled.
FO. Rick (Snake) Rattle, Toronto, another veteran of North Africa in the
party, said that one type of aircraft called into service at that time
was the Bombay bomber, "an old crate from away back."
He added with a chuckle:
"The boys used to line up their bombs along the floor, and when they
were over the target they would open a back door, nose the plane up slightly
and the bombs would roll out. No sir, they didn't have any fancy bombsights,
and everybody used to laugh when the bomb aimer would yell officially,
but with little confidence, 'Bombs gone, sir.'"
The aimer would then heave over an empty bottle which would whine earthward
with the noise of a blockbuster.
Houle said that he bad noticed varying changes in German tactics during
the last year.
"In the early days we were outnumbered and we used to have to fight
our way out of some pretty tough spots," he said. "But gradually
as our power increased and German morale and pilot material seemed to
fall away we used to spend our time chasing them." He said that lately
the German strategy seemed to be to nurture dwindling strength. Pilots
apparently had orders not to mix it with Allied airmen because they couldn't
afford losses.
Chased Foe Out of Sky.
He said the only time that the Germans concentrated air support over their
armies was when the ground forces needed support, such as during the Battle
of Ortona.
"They swarmed at us in fairly large numbers," he recalled. "But
we soon had the edge on them, and finally chased them out of the sky.
Either our equipment had vastly Improved or their pilots were becoming
worse,"
Houle said similar German strategy was employed at the Anzio Beachhead,
where his squadron recently had been employed.
"However, they seem to be using more experienced pilots in this area,
and they are trying to make a fight of it and giving us some pretty tough
battles," he said. "However, our planes are better than theirs,
and it's only a question of time before we knock them out."
Houle was met at the disembarkation port by his mother, who made her first
flight to be there.
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Same photo shoot, different angle
--- Canadian Aces ---
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