Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 17, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Opinion europeans Wield raw Power of the streets in attempt to lower High taxes on gasoline slice of life thunderstorm gives wired House a blast from the past sunday a Azine Winnipeg free press Bruce Owen 6977523 b1 september 2000 United they stand self government can Only be achieved working says Manitoba grand chief Dennis White see Page b2 scoot away Scooter your kid want a Scooter just say its just a whim and kids get everything they see Page b3 the from East Kildonan Johnny Kent was Manitoba top fighter Pilot in the Battle of Britain by Floyd Williston Allen Edy Mark Brown sixty years ago this month great Britain was at the height of its fight for sur fending off Adolf hitlers bombers in the Sec Ond year of the second world on prime minister Winston Churchill gave one of his most memorable visitors in the packed gallery of the House of commons Clung to his every londoners scanned the skies for nazi around the people watched As the Island nation and its Small air Force braced for the worst part of the Battle of the gratitude of every Home in our in our Empire and indeed throughout the except in the abodes of the goes out to the British undaunted by unwearied in their constant Chal Lenge and mortal Are turning the tide of world War by their prowess and never in the Field of human conflict was so much owed by so Many to so turning Point some of those few who participated in one of this Century greatest turn ing Points were approximately 130 airmen with Canadian and Manitoba family connections were among the pilots and aircrew who qualified for the Bat the of Britain Raf fighter pilots in spitfires helped save Britain from the to be they were required to Fly at least one operational sortie Between july 10 and the official dates of the Battle of each one of the 12 Manitoban who graced the sometimes crowded English sky to make the lights of London Shine and who received the 19391945 Star with Battle of Britain is a Story unto and who had also flown in France prior to its june 1940 Capitula achieved Ace they include i flight later Wing Mark Hilly dec who was born at Portage la is sometimes referred to As Manitoba second world War Billy a vet eran of the Battle for he flew with the same Raf Squadron never in the Field of human conflict was so much owed by so Many to so few Dur ing the Battle of by the time of his death on Over Brown was credited with hav ing been involved in shooting Down or damaging 22 enemy i Pilot officer John Benzie 242 Squadron from West was shot Down his body was never officially although a thought to be was found after the i Pilot officer later Wing Ian Duke dec was with 141 this for Mer Winnipeg Ger was not on flying duty when his Squadron was nearly decimated july its first operational Duke survived the but died in British Columbia in the he was credited with two destroyed and four i flying officer Allen Laird Edy another Winnipeg was with 602 he made one John Benzie Ian Arthur f claim before he was killed on when his Parachute failed to the top Winnipeg Ace was Johnny a kid from East some 15 years in september John Alexander dec and and Holder of the polish pc Virtuci former Raf group Captain and commander of 303 pol ish Squadron during the Battle of died in England at age continued please see the Ace b2 hitlers Luftwaffe pummelled London relentlessly with bombing raids in the summer and fall of ;