Clifford Denzel "Denny" Wilson

Denny Wilson flanked by 411 squadron mates Gardiner & Young - December 1944

RCAF    F/O

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RECEIVE THEIR WINGS

April 24th 1942 - Among a large class of graduates receiving the "wings" of sergeant pilots at No. 6 Service Flying Training school, R.C.A.F., at Dunnville, this afternoon, are seven Hamilton flyers. One of whom is Denzel C. Wilson,. son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, of 36 Stinson street.

Sgt-Pilot Denny Wilson
Sgt Pilot Denny Wilson

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19 July 1943    -   1/4 FW.190 probably destroyed
[Shared with Ian Ormston, Bob Hayward & F. B. Woodhouse]

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BEHIND THE LINES

Hamilton, November 6th 1943 - Pilot Officer C. D. (Denny) Wilson, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, 36 Stinson street, is another recent arrival overseas. He attended Central Collegiate here and was employed at the Firestone plant.

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BEHIND THE LINES

June 30th 1944 - Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Wilson, 36 Stinson Street, have been advised of the promotion of their son, C. D. (Denny) Wilson, to the rank of flying officer with the R.C.A.F. overseas. He is a graduate of Central Collegiate Institute and a former employee of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.

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Denny is credited with 2 kills in WW2 as well as 3 kills in 1948

Denny describes his 3 victories over the Egyptians in
"Spitfire - the Canadians" by Robert Bracken -

"While I was flying a Spitfire over the Faluja Pocket on photo reconnaissance one day, our headquarters intercom picked up a conversation between an Egyptian pilot and his people on the ground. Apparently, he was flying supplies to his ground crew and, though I didn't know it, was carrying no ammunition. As I was flying without ammunition, it was a surprise to me that the Egyptian pilot panicked when he saw me, and promptly bailed out, making no effort to fire at me or elude me. Obviously he thought I was armed. What a way to get an aircraft! Not a shot was fired! I was credited with a destroyed.
The other two Egyptian planes I downed were legitimate kills, and I was credited for them. On December 31, 1948, while flying a Spitfire (2015) on a patrol over the Sinai, I spotted an Egyptian aircraft—an Italian Fiat (or Macchi)—coming back to its airfield at Bir Hama. He was below me, and I shot him down—the pilot bailed out.
On the way back, over Faluja, I caught an Egyptian Spitfire flying escort for a transport plane. The Spit started a tight turn, but I tightened with him. I used my machine guns only, as we were so short of ammunition that we'd been asked not to use our cannons. I made hits around his engine cowlings, and he spiraled down and blew up."

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Check out this page on Wilson over at the 101 Squadron site for more details

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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On these pages I use info from the Air force Association of Canada's web site
in Hugh Halliday's excellent Honors & Awards section,
Newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC)
as well as other sources both published and private