From the May 23, 2022, Vancouver Sun "'Stocky' Edwards, flying ace in Second World War, dies at 100" by Phil Davison, Washington Post.
He was heralded as Canada's "top gun" over the North African desert in 1942 and 1943. he died May 13 in Comox.
With the rank of wing commander, Mr. Edwards shot down a confirmed 19 Luftwaffe fighter planes and scored many more "probables." He also destroyed at least 12 more enemy warplanes on the ground before they could take off.
Edwards flew U.S.-built P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, far heavier and slower than the German Messerschmidt's Bf-109, which made his accomplishments all the more remarkable. Over Italy and France later in the war, he would fly the more nimble British Spitfires.
Physically, he was far from "stocky" and very skinny, but he got the name later in honor of his fortitude.
In all, he flew 373 combat missions, mostly over North Africa, but also flew over Allied landings in Italy in 1943 and 1944 and in Normandy on D-Day on June 6, 1944 -- a rare "triple" among Allied pilots.
--GreGen
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