157 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca NORTHCOTT, Geoffrey Wilson “Geoff” WWII Geoff was born in Rapid City, Manitoba in 1920 and was raised on the family farm in the Roseneath District, and attended Roseneath Consolidated School. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940, and after training, he commenced flying Tiger Moths in the first course to train at the newly opened Commonwealth Air Training Plan E.F.T.S. (Elementary Flying Training School) at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on July 28, 1940. From there, he was posted to Service Flying Training School, at Camp Borden, where he graduated as a Sergeant Pilot at the end of November 1940. Early in January 1941, he arrived in England and was attached to a Hurricane squadron. He made sixty sorties over the continent before transferring to Spitfires. In July 1941, he was jumped by three M E 109s and shot down. Due to squadron leader E. L. Heale turning into the three Jerries and fighting them off, Geoffrey was able to make it across the Channel where he crash-landed, hit a hedge, and overturned. Some civilians chopped a hole in the fuselage and dragged him out. Geoff ’s helmet had been shot off, and the rudder of his aircraft was missing. After two days in hospital to patch a crease in his skull from the bullet, he was back in action. That helmet was one of the few souvenirs he brought back home with him. Geoff ’s skill and leadership qualities were recognized, and he was promoted to Pilot Officer, then Flying Officer. In May 1942, he was one of a group of sixty pilots who flew Spitfires off the American Aircraft carrier Wasp, to land on the island of Malta, where the situation was desperate. Malta was the key to Allied shipping lanes and only 56 miles from Italy. It was the strategic location, and the most bombed territory on earth. Supplies of defence materials and food were drastically low as most Allied shipping had been sunk by German JU 87 dive bombers. In the first two days of their air battle, 63 German aircraft were shot down with the loss of 10 Spitfires. One hundred and twelve enemy aircraft were shot down in 72 hours. One result is that they never again saw any JU 87s over the Island. At the completion of his tour in Malta, Geoffrey returned to England and was promoted to Squadron leader in July 1943, and took over 402 City of Winnipeg Squadron. In 1943, while escorting RAF Coastal Command Beaufighters attacking an enemy convoy off Texel, Holland, Geoff personally shot down two ME109s, and his squadron accounted for two more, allowing the patrol to sink one enemy ship and damage two more. He was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross. Earlier in 1942, he had taken part in the attack of the Scharnhorst and Gnesenau and was recognized by the Air Force as an expert in attacks on enemy shipping. He also shot down a Focke-Wulf 190 over Montdidier. In November 1943, he was awarded the Bar to his DFC. The citation read: “This officer has participated in a large number of sweeps during which he destroyed four enemy aircraft bringing his total to at least nine destroyed. S/L Northcott has been an inspiration to all members of the squadron he commands.” (continued)
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