Calgary Alberta's Own Air Ace ( Canada's 1st WWII )

An Unnerving Message To The German Pilots On Both Sides Of Willie's Plane.

Calgary Alberta's Own Air Ace 

 ( Canada's 1st WWII )

Written By : Jeffrey R Hilton

Feb.12, 2012

***

William, Lidstone, McKnight,  DFC,  ( Distinguished Flying Cross ) and  BAR

( a.k.a  Willie McKnight )

1918 - 1941

Willie was born in Edmonton Alberta,  in 1918.  He was relocated to Calgary soon after and grew up in Calgary.  He attended Crescent Heights High School and had a bit of a reputation for his bravado and rebelliousness.  He quarterbacked the football team and was once the talk of the neighborhood after he crashed his father's car through a fence while trying to impress a girlfriend.   He entered Medical School at the University Of Alberta and was on the verge of expulsion when England's RAF came calling to Calgary on a recruiting mission as WWII was breaking out.  The adventure and call of duty appealed to Willie who set sail for England soon after.  Willie entered fighter pilot school in Cheltenham,  along with other Western Canadian recruits.  These Canadians would eventually be formed into an all Canadian,  formidable,  flight squadron.   Later when the squadron had to be regrouped after losing 11 pilots,  The squadron obtained a new commander,  England's legless and legendary pilot,  Douglas Bader.


Willie happened upon a Limousine that brass had left abandoned and unattended.  The temptation was too much.  Willie commandeered the car and carried on a romantic liaison with a Parrisienne girl from Paris whom he eventually tried to smuggle back to England.  Also around this time, Willie was arrested and confined to his barracks twice for two weeks at a time,  once for inciting a riot.  These kind of hi-jinks soon came to an end as Germany invaded Poland,  pushing the seriousness of the situation.  William became an acting pilot officer first attached to the No. 615 Squadron,  based at Abbeville France.  Constant retreats led the squad to relocate 3 times in  6 days.

The 242, had many roles in the campaign,  sometimes escorting,  Blenheim Bombers,  Targeting raids of opportunity,  defending England from enemy raiders and other roles.
During another operation as part of a,  Big Wing Group,  of 3 squadrons flying together  Willie's aileron was shot right off as they attacked an enemy raiding party,  and he barely made it back to base.    

Willie's Plane With Jackboot Kicking Hitler's Ass.

  
It wasn't long before Willie's,  balls to the wall,  attitude earned him his first confirmed kill,   as he flew a smaller four man,  night  patrol over Cambrai on May 19, 1940.  The squadron was surprised by two groups of Messerschmitt Bf 109s.  Four of them against 19 fighters.  Willie who was flying tail end, alerted his other squad members and accelerated into a steep climbing turn that brought him nose to tail with one of the bombers and wasted no time bringing the bomber down.


In a letter William write to a friend in 1940, he mentions that there are only 5 Canadians left of his his original all Canadian Flight Squadron.  The squad had taken a beating in the Battle of Britain and in the later days,  the squadron was filled in with other British pilots.  Willie shot down 2  Messerscmitt 109's and a Henkel 111,  in his Hawker Hurricane early in his short career.  He narrowly escaped death a few times and limped back to base with a shot up oil and cooling system.  He was so keen to fly that it eventually landed him in the hospital,  diagnosed with a serious case of sleep deprivation and stomach troubles.  Willie lost 27 lbs during that ordeal.  This was short lived and Willie was taking the fight back to the German's in no time. 

Willie added two more kills on 18 Sept. 1940 when he shot down a Dornier DO 17 and helped bring down two Junkers.  Willie became Douglas Bader's wingman when Bader was made Commander of the squadron.  The Squadron was recalled to England for much needed rest and leave,  but this was cut short as the allied armies and the BEF,  ( British Expeditionary Force ) were being funneled into Dunkirk,  where they would be slaughtered by the 1000's by the Germans.   The eleven original Canadian pilots that were killed was during this evacuation of Brittany and the fiasco that was, The Evacuation Of Dunkirk.  Willie shot down 10 enemy planes during the evacuation sorties.


Willie's final victory came while patrolling the Thames Estuary,  as he attacked and disabled a BF 109.  Willie knew the enemy pilots plane was disabled and he pulled alongside and motioned the pilot to drop his landing gear to signify defeat,  but the young German pilot bailed instead.  Willie's unfortunate demise came when he and another squadron member,  began strafing an E- Boat in the Channel,  An anti aircraft gun began firing at them and his partner broke off and made it back to base.  William McKnight sadly, never returned.  He died a hero,  fighting for the most worthy and noble of causes. 


By the time he was shot down and killed in action over Dunkirk by coastal guns,  he had tallied up, 17 victories,  2, shared victories,  and 3 unconfirmed kills.  His body was never found and his memorial can be found at,  Runnymede,  War Memorial,  in  Englefield Green,  Egham,  Surrey.  Below is the famous 242 badge complete with Canadian Moose and the Squadrons motto in French,   " Always Ready "

Always Ready

RAF

McKnight's  Hatrick  Painted  By  Michael  Martchenko

The above painting depicts McKnight's 3 victory Hatrick in one day.

Evacuation From Dunkirk

McKnight's Plane

Willie became the 5th highest scoring Canadian in WWII.   Canadian ace,  John Blatta 

with 5 victories was killed on the same day as William McKnight.  A lot of young, Canadian and Americans were attracted to the romance of being an aviator.  So many of them never lived long enough to see the final victory over the enemy.  Willie once said that when he flew,  It all seemed so scary and surreal,  but when any sort of action presented itself,  any fears were soon banished as you were so busy and concentrated,  there was no time to worry.

William Lidstone McKnight would score one more victory after his death.  A main road in Northwest Calgary running,  East to West,  called 48 Ave. North,  was shot down and renamed,   McKnight, Boulevard,  in his honor.

***  

Do Have A Good Day And Remember The Costs Of Freedom.

Jeffrey R Hilton 

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