TRAINOR, F/L Hugh Charles (C1697) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.411 Squadron - Award effective 8 August 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 2052/44 dated 22 September 1944. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 17 July 1916. A local saying has it that a farmer’s son joins the army and a fisherman’s son joins the navy, but there is no excuse for joining the air force (he was the son of a railway conductor). Described throughout his life as a “cagey athlete on the rugby pitch as well as on the ice”. Obtained a BA after five years study at St.Dunstan's University and had worked one year as a law student in Charlottetown, which he was finding boring when the war broke out. Enlisted in Moncton, 16 February 1940; commissioned that date. Trained at No.1 SFTS (17 June to 5 October 1940 when promoted Flying Officer). Retained in Canada as instructor (No.1 SFTS, 22 November 1940 to 20 July 1941; Station Trenton, 31 July to 26 November 1941; No.9 SFTS, 27 November 1941 to 4 July 1942 (promoted Flight Lieutenant, 1 March 1942); No.8 SFTS, 5 July to 23 October 1942); described in Canada as a hard working and conscientious instructor. To “Y” Depot, 23 October 1942; to overseas, 29 October 1942. Arrived in Britain 6 November 1942. Further trained at No.17 (P) AFU, 17 November 1942 to 4 January 1943 and No.57 OTU, 5 January to 23 March 1943. Served with No.402 Squadron (23 March to 5 May 1943) and No.411 Squadron (5 May to 28 September 1943). Described on 27 August 1943 as good flight commander material and on 22 September 1943 his CO described him "a definite asset to our squadron". Served at No.41 OTU, 28 September to 30 November 1943. Returned to No.411 in December 1943 until 26 July 1944. Posted on latter date to No.401 Squadron to command, replacing S/L “Hap” Kennedy who had been reported missing; promoted Squadron Leader as of 26 July 1944. Hit by flak on 18 August 1944 while attacking vehicles in the Falaise Pocket; evaded capture with the aid of French farmers and returned to unit on 25 August 1944. Reported missing again, (POW) 19 September 1944; he had been flying a high patrol over Eindhoven. After switching from auxiliary (drop) tanks to main tank he developed fuel trouble and resorted to gliding; Yellow Section led by F/O J.C Hughes gave cover. He glided from 23,000 to 4,000 feet when engine poured white smoke and he baled out just east of Eindhoven. Made one attempt at escape via a washroom window when escorts stopped at a Dutch pub; an alert guard intercepted him. Held at Stalag Luft I, Barth. Liberated in April 1945; safe in UK as of 12 May 1945; repatriated 1 June 1945; to “K”, 13 June 1945; released 4 October 1945. Postwar he spent 30 years as a pilot with Maritime Central Airways and Eastern Provincial Airways. Died at Stratford, Prince Edward Island, 4 July 2004 as per Royal Canadian Legion “Last Post” website and Legion Magazine of March/April 2005. Survived by wife Imelda (a former stewardess), daughter Ellen Dunker and son James Trainor; predeceased by son Charles Trainor (construction engineer, struck by lightning in 1997 while working on a golf resort at St. Augustine, Florida). Aerial victories as follows: 28 June 1944, one FW.190 destroyed and one Bf.109 destroyed; 29 June 1944, one Bf.109 destroyed; 30 June 1944, one Bf.109 destroyed. 1 July 1944, one Bf.109 probably destroyed, Caen; 4 July 1944, two Bf.109s destroyed near Caen plus one Do.217 destroyed (shared with another pilot); 27 July 1944, one Bf.109 destroyed, Caen; 31 July 1944, one FW.190 destroyed, Domfort. Photographs of him are PL-28271 (ex UK-8602 dated 21 March 1944), PL-28371 (standing by Spitfire wing), PL-36581 (studio portrait) and PL-44213 (with S/L G.U. Hill). Photo PL-44148 (ex UK-21768 dated 29 May 1945) shows S/L T.A. Brannaghan, S/L G.U. Hill and S/L H.C. Trainor, all liberated POWs, prior to attending a Buckingham Palace garden party. PL-44213 (ex K-21704 dated 26 May 1945) shows S/L G.U. Hill and S/L H.C. Trainor . RCAF photo PL-44141 (ex UK-21761 dated 30 May 1945) is captioned as follows: “G/C Keith Hodson, OBE, DFC and Bar, centre, was host at a dance for returned prisoners of war at Bournemouth recently. He is seen with, from the left, S/L H.C. Trainer, DSO, DFC and Bar, Charlottetown, Air Commodore W.W. Brown, Hamilton, Hodson, S/L George Hill, DFC and two Bars, Pictou, Nova Scotia, and S/L T.A. Brannagan, DFC. DFC and Bar presented 9 April 1948; DSO sent by registered mail, 10 March 1949. See Chris Shores, Aces High. // Within a very short period Flight Lieutenant Trainor has shot down five enemy aircraft. His successes are a fine tribute to his great skill and fighting qualities. // TRAINOR, S/L Hugh Charles, DFC (C1697) - Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross - No.401 Squadron - Award effective 3 October 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 2637/44 dated 8 December 1944. // On many occasions recently, Squadron Leader Trainor has led the squadron on a variety of sorties and has displayed excellent tactical ability and great resolution. On one occasion a very superior number of enemy fighters were engaged and eight of them were shot down, one of them by Squadron Leader Trainor who displayed great skill and determination throughout the fight. This officer has shot down at least nine enemy aircraft. // NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/9159 has recommendation drafted 6 August 1944 when he had flown 146 sorties (206 hours 15 minutes) of which 54 sorties (61 hours) had been since his previous award. // Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on July 1st, Squadron Leader Trainor has personally destroyed a further four and one-half enemy aircraft. On 27th July, while leading his squadron for the first time, he engaged 40-plus enemy aircraft with ten of his own; through his excellent tactics and judgement his squadron destroyed eight and damaged one other. Squadron Leader Trainor personally accounted for one of these himself. Besides showing the utmost enthusiasm to destroy the enemy in the air, he has led his Flight, and later his squadron, on a great many occasions to destroy ground targets with excellent success. Squadron Leader Trainor’s keenness and aggressive spirit have eared him the highest respect both in his own squadron and within this Wing, and his work is worthy of the highest praise // TRAINOR, S/L Hugh Charles, DFC (C1697) - Distinguished Service Order - No.401 Squadron - Award effective 1 December 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 239/45 dated 9 February 1945. // Since being awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, this officer has led the squadron on many sorties, during which considerable success has been achieved. Within a period of three weeks some 385 enemy vehicles have been put out of action, many of them by Squadron Leader Trainor. In addition seventeen enemy aircraft were shot down, two of them by this gallant and relentless fighter. Squadron Leader Trainor displayed magnificent leadership, great determination and devotion to duty. // RCAF Press Release No.10284 dated 17 May 1945 from F/L W.B. Gill, transcribed by Huguette Mondor Oates reads: // BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND: - “Strafing enemy transport is a much trickier job than knocking down enemy aircraft” – the man behind that opinion should know for he is S/L Charles Trainor, DSO, DFC and Bar. He is credited with 10 enemy aircraft. // The Charlottetown pilot, who became a prisoner of war when his Spitfire “packed up” over Arnhem, is now at this Centre for Returned RCAF Prisoners and is relaxing in the South Coast sunshine and sea air after more than six months behind wire. “I’m very lucky,” said Trainor “Some of these boys have been prisoners since almost the beginning of the war and believe me, six months of it was long enough.” // It was the second time that Trainor had bailed out of a crippled Spitfire. The first time was over Falaise in August, 1944 when his aircraft was struck by flak. Coming down in enemy territory, it took Trainor a week to dodge enemy outposts and reach his own ‘drome. The second time, in Holland, the fighter ace wasn’t so fortunate. Trainor was sent to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth in Northern Germany. He was one of the many prisoners who secretly organized a field force with small arms bribed or stolen from the guards. With German resistance collapsing, the prisoners took over their camp from their guards the day before the Russians arrived and turned a liberated camp over to the Russians. // Flown back to England by Fortress, Trainor had a good view of several German cities that have been subjected to bombing and artillery attacks and commented, “they are just piles of dust in many places and very, very flat.” // Trainor, whose 10 aircraft date from the Normandy landings, was in command of the Ram squadron of the 2nd Tactical Air Force when he went down. Referring to the squadron’s work, he said, “Our main task was enemy transport; anything that moved on the ground.” Busting enemy tanks, trucks and trains as well as staff cars and enemy headquarters were all part of the squadron’s job in cooperation with the advancing Allied armies. // High in his praise for the pilots of his squadron, Trainor said, “Ground targets were the real work rather than aircraft, the Hun didn’t bother us much in Normandy and at that time, he didn’t have a fighter to compare with the Spitfire and when we did see a Jerry it wasn’t too much of a problem.” // After leave in Canada, the Spitfire pilot hopes to fly against the Japs in the Pacific.