Walter Gordon Kirkwood

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DOUBLE PLAY ON ROBOTS MADE BY CANADIANS

London, June 25, 1944 (CP) — Canadian heavy bombers switched from the long Germany run to concentrate on buzz-bomb bases around the Pas-de-Calais area Saturday night and this morning, hitting those robot plane launching areas through heavy flak and belts of searchlights. One R.C.A.F. aircraft is missing.
In each attack, R.C.A.F. Halifaxes and Lancasters provided the main force, joining with the R.A.F. and the U.S.A.A.F. heavies in plastering the ramps from where the pilotless planes are catapulted into Southern England. Apparently their aim is good as the number of buzz-bombs reported over England are getting fewer each day.
On this morning's run, searchlights were reported the chief defense. "There must have been 60 or 70 of them," said Mid-upper Gnr. Sgt. H. R. Forster of Punnichy., Sask. "Some heavy flak came up with them and burst below us, but didn't give us any trouble."

Bombs Shot Down
Flt. Sgt. Ivan Gravelle, Montreal, reported the destruction of the buzz-bombs was a double-play affair. He said that on the way to bomb the robots' bases, his aircraft passed some pilotless planes and watched them being coned in searchlights on the British coast and knocked out of the air.
Two Canadian fliers returned from today's daylight attack with souvenirs in the way of flak wounds. PO. Bill Mackay, Toronto, had a piece of metal crash through his turret, shattering the mouthpiece of his intercom and scratching his cheek. PO. Con Kelway, Victoria, had flak break through his turret and cut his nose on the way past.
Kelway probably was the luckier. His plane, piloted by Flt. Lt. G. W. Higgins, D.F.C., Charlottetown, hit a storm of flack as it was passing over the French coast. "To get away from it," said Higgins, "we were obliged to dive to the deck. We were so low the altimeter read 300 feet below sea level."

Wonderful Sight
The attack was a "wonderful sight," said PO. Bob Brown of Toronto, "Our bombs going down looked as though we had put them through the funnel." FO. George Johnston, Simcoe, Ont., also rated the buzz-bomb blow as an exceptionally good attack.
The plane piloted by FO. G. A. McNaughton, Kelowna, B.C., ran into heavy flak over the French coast, suffering three direct hits. The starboard engines were knocked out, oxygen lines were severed, the wings were holed and the bomb bay was damaged, but the plane completed the attack and limped back to base.
The mission marked the 100th sortie for the Bluenose Squadron, formed a year ago. It also was the 33rd trip for FO Bob Prat of Toronto, and as usual, he carried a rabbit's foot dangling from the collar of his battledress.
Mosquito planes flying intruder patrols continued operations with WO. Walter Gordon Kirkwood, Edmonton, and Observer WO. C. N. Matheson, Winnipeg, knocking down a JU188 near Le Havre.

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Eight Overseas Named for DFC

Ottawa, Oct. 2, 1944 - (CP) - The RCAF tonight announced the award of eight Distinguished Flying Crosses to RCAF personnel serving overseas. The recipients include :
PO. W. G. Kirkwood (address not available).
PO. C. N. Matheson (address not available).

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KIRKWOOD, WO1 (now P/O) Walter Gordon (R121850/J87765) - DFC - 409 Sq.
Award effective 3 October 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 2534/44 dated 24 November 1944.

As pilot and observer respectively, these officers have completed many night fighter sorties. They have displayed praiseworthy keenness and skill throughout and have destroyed three enemy aircraft

Cited with WO2 (now PO) Colin N. Matheson (RCAF observer, also awarded DFC)
Award presented 11 September 1946

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Victories Include :

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