The Killer Nobody Wanted but Everyone Needed - The Falcon of Malta

A true Spartan, "I'll, fight in the shade"

I know the Malta story but individual stories like this make you understand better, keep on with these little stories please, what a great fighter pilot!

My father was an air trafic controller at Luqa in 1942 and spoke about this extraordinary man.

The sad part is he still be unappreciated in any airforce today as sticking to the rules (no matter how stupid )is more important than skill to the powers that sit in offices telling others what to do.

Thirty years ago a woman I met mentioned that her father was posted in Malta with the RCAF. Knowing that we’d meet again in a few weeks, I encouraged her to ask her father if he’d ever met George ‘Buzz’ ‘Screwball’ Beurling. She simply replied “Who ?”. I said ask your Dad, he’ll know who he was. When I met her again, she told me that her Dad, a ground ‘erk’ said yes, he had met him and said he was “a perfect gentleman”.
When you’re kind to, and highly regarded by the lower ranks…that says a lot about you!

Another part of The Greatest Generation.

As usual, nobody wants soldiers like Beurling and Gen Patton until they need them - then they change their tune.

I read once that he's fatal flight was actually because of a sabotaged plane. As another comment suggested <he was too smart>.
Don't know if it is true, but it would not suprise me. Especially after a comment from someone that he hates him bc he joined the IDF.
By the way...better not hate anyone....karma has a strange way to come back even after decades.

You didn't think that he would die any other way

Shame for his demise.
Typical of the British aristocracy that wanted to fight a gentlemen's war. Churchill knew better. Too many instances of pukka chaps when the enemy held nothing back. Political aspirations got too many good people killed.😢
Remember those who fought and of those who gave the ultimate to give us our freedoms today.
Our politicians have forgotten the sacrifice.

The various "rule followers" who reprimanded him for not being a stupid ass should have been demoted to private status. His blunt comments about enjoying combat shocked civilians and Top Brass alike. Clearly the woke-ies were around even then.

Richard Bong, a U.S. pilot, shot down 40 enemy aircraft before bing sent home for a war bond tour.

Pilots like Buerling were/are extremely rare but really should be supported. They should be allowed to do what they do best - operate alone. Forcing them to comply with regulations that suit the majority end up suiting no-one.

Hell yeah

I met George's brother Dave in Nanaimo BC many years ago. He had an art shop and we talked about Buzz and his war service. Dave said George was never the same after he was shot down into the sea. He said George used to practice deflection shooting with a revolver by shooting at Wall lizards as they scurried among the rocks on Malta. His CO was not amused.

Poor Buzz, sandbagged from all the English rules upon rules. They were jealous of his higher kill rate because he was a natural, and the upper English crust hated pilots better than themselves. One German pilot in one Focke Wulf, killed over 60 Spitfires on his own. If the English had of sent Beurling up at that Folke Wulf like they should have, the Focke Wulf would have been downed. No question!

*"Four-Oh-Three Squadron" "Forty-One Squadron" "Two-Four-Nine Squadron"; they're not American squadrons - lose the "th" etc on the end of the squadron numbers.

George Beurling, a Canadian fighter ace, did accidentally shoot down a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft while flying for the Israeli Air Force. This incident occurred during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Beurling had volunteered to fly for Israel's newly-formed air force and was involved in combat operations.

The incident happened when Beurling, flying a Supermarine Spitfire, mistook an RAF aircraft, a British-operated Spitfire, for an enemy aircraft. In the heat of combat, he fired on the RAF plane, causing it to be shot down. Fortunately, the RAF pilot was able to survive the incident but i'm not sure if his wingman was killed by Georges wing man!.

Definitely a badass

He called them the way he saw them. No wonder the Brits disliked him.

It's a pity we still get film shown with no rime nor reason. Why show clearly American footage of aircraft and situations that are just not relevant? That's the very worst thing about 5his channel.

Love the canadian content

Clutching a Bible given to him by his mother....

My man...I can admire and relate.

One of the greatest flying shots, disliked by many but Pierre Closterman at least got along with him, they were together on an elite flying gunnery course in England. Sailor Malan walked into the room and ripped Beurling apart for looking Scruffy. Now get this, 3 of the top allied Aces in the same room. None of them English, you can imagine sparks bounced off the walls.

A real eccentric fighter pilot and brilliant Ace! 👍🇬🇧

If he claimed Me 109 on 12.6.42 over Malta, it was again fake claim. It was downgraded to damaged, but even this is too much.

His first two kills in Europe were fake. No Jagdwaffe combat loss and he was shot down doing the first claim.

Recalcitrance, the scourge trait all in power hate, especially politicians!

The British have some real stupid , backwards rules . If he had not warned them they would have lost many men and planes . They start these damn wars and we have to go over and save them every time from the Huns .

Fřanzmech udeth the german (tank buster) who smashes 513 soviét tanks about 11 aircraft is the man of the air in WW2..

That is bias media.....true american talkin canada in 1940.. a native land where europeen prisonner were attacking.. ask native about german and shut your american propaganda

Great video !

Men like this will never walk the Earth again.

Didn't want friends you could loose and emottionally affect your performance. Very smart.

excellent

👍👍👍

His Eye sight was Incredible, It seems he was often the first to spot the enemy, Seems he was TOO good for his own good. certainly did not want to do things any away other than his own, Officers don't like that. He did not want to play the GLORY GAME...a particularly, Canadian trait.I imagine he did not see the glamour in killing, it just had to be done. Amazing Canadian Hero

Beurling's detachment from reports and credit suggests a focus solely on the act of flying and fighting. Does this mindset reflect a healthy coping mechanism in war, or does it signal a deeper alienation from the human cost of his missions?

I remember watching a documentary about him several years ago while he was on his victory tour back in Canada. He was describing how he shot down a German plane. It went basically " I got behind a German plane and let go a short burst. The pilot's head exploded and the plane went down." A shot of the audience showed several ladies cringe at the description. Beurling could be very blunt and politicians hate that.

I spoke with his good Sqn friend, Bob Middlemiss, a number of times at mess dinners. Bob worked tirelessly to keep George's deeds alive in our collective RCAF memories.

This is one great story

In war it's usually those unusual types that see things others do not. Those who can change the normal views and ways...and often have contempt for authority and find a way forward. George Burling was one such man... would like to know of others as yet little known or totally unknown. Apparently Canadians are known for their polite demeanor...but when the chips are down they can become formidable and dependable in giving 100% to the task !

Again, Shame on Canadian Politicians for not bringing this boy home😢🇨🇦!!

I have a book published in 1955- it belonged to my grandfather- it is called Kent Inns- A Distillation. There is a series of pubs featured that have military or wartime connections going back centuries. There is a photo taken in the White Hart, Brasted of a board where WW2 pilots signed their names including Screwball and Neville Duke. The pub's website does not show this so it has gone but was it preserved? There must have been 50 plus names on it- and Screwball can clearly be seen. I have done an internet search and found it- it was in fact a blackout screen. You can see an article that shows it by Googling this: Kenley Revival "An Unexpected Sighting" by Tony Harding Brasted

😊

George "Buzz" Beurling was well known to have EXCEPTIONAL eyesight - being able to identify what TYPE of aircraft were approaching before any other pilot could even see dots in the distance. (I seem to remember hearing he was 40/20 or so....), so he could set up an attack before the enemy even knew he was there. Probably a LARGE part of why he was so successful.

A true warrior and a very remarkable man.

I had a about his life and combat record when I was a kid. Can't remember who wrote it. A small paper back. I was fascinated. He was a bit like Marseilles

It seems like the best pilots you tell us about-the Ace in a day or double and triple Aces all have a dew traits in common; obsessive about their planes maintenance and training, disdain for authority and lone wolf personality.