George Beurling--if looks could KILL!

[NickM]

I'm in the process of reading Brian Cull's 'Spitfires over Malta' & I came across a very striking photo of George Beurling, the Canadian Ace; I've heard in the past that he was not the most social fellow but that photo of him! If ever a man had a 'what the hell do YOU want?!' look on his face it was him; very bright & intense looking eyes--one could say 'scary looking'; I just wanted to comment--I don't think I've ever seen a photo quite like it;

NickM

[jednastka]

I've had the same feeling of the man. For more info try:

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-71-177-...buzz_beurling/

a radio interview with George Beurling. Also try:

http://www.constable.ca/beurling.htm

http://101squadron.com/101real/people/beurling.html

Vic

[Rwrwalker]

There have been several recent books on the man published in Canada, try Googling his name for listings.

The CBC radio link above is interesting, as it perpetuates the myth of "pilot error" in his death in the Norseman crash in Italy. Several eye witness accounts report the aircraft attempting to return to the field with the engine on fire, hard to see how pilot error causes this. At least one of the new books lambasts the shoddy nature of the Italian accident investigation. This could explain the persistant rumour of anti-Israeli sabotage. Would anyone out there have more info on the crash?

[nick de carteret]

Pierre Clostermann recounts in a very telling way in his book 'Flames In The Sky' the occasion he met Beurling and the particular attitute the man carried.

Does not make comfortable reading in terms of Canada's greatest ace but if true, then the way in which Beurling was summarily dealt with by the CO was entirely appropriate.

[Martin Bull]

A good introduction to the Beurling story is Brian Nolan's 'Hero - The Falcon Of Malta' ( Blackwood, 1982 ).

The book is very frank about Beurling's difficult and troubled nature ( similar in many ways to Guy Gibson ). And yes - Beurling was quite a hit with the ladies....

[Graham Boak]

I think that you need to expand on your off-the-cuff comparison of Beurling and Gibson. If I recall correctly, such criticism as there is of Gibson (and I haven't seen much) seem to centre on his attitudes towards subordinates: he is deemed a disciplinarian and a martinet. Hardly the same as the undisciplined Beurling. Both appear to have been self-centred, but that is not an unusual attribute in a successful wartime career.