DE SILVA, FS Desmond Michael (R95750) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.218 Squadron - Award effective 13 May 1943 as per London Gazette dated 18 May 1943 and AFRO 1078/43 dated 11 June 1943. Born 25 August 1920 in New Amsterdam, British Guiana; home in Georgetown, British Guiana. Elevator operator in New York prior to joining RCAF; enlisted in Ottawa, 18 March 1941 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To Trenton, 10 April 1941. To No.3 ITS, Victoriaville, Quebec, 27 May 1941; graduated and promoted LAC, 14 July 1941 when posted to No.12 EFTS, Goderich, Ontario (ceased training 4 August 1941; poor handling of aircraft on ground, forgetful of cockpit checks, swerving on takeoff, skidding on turns, and terrible landings; washed out after ten hours on Fleet Finches; even his ground school performance was terrible). To Trenton, date uncertain; to No.6 BGS, Mountain View, Ontario, 31 August 1941; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 29 September 1941). Posted to \"Y\" Depot, Halifax, 1 October 1941; to RAF Trainees Pool, 22 October 1941; taken on strength of No.3 Personnel Reception Centre, 4 November 1941; posted to RAF Station Manby, (possibly to attend No.1 AAS), date uncertain; to No.22 OTU, 29 April 1942; to No.214 Squadron, 21 July 1942; posted to No.218 Squadron, 14 September 1942; promoted Flight Sergeant with effect from 1 September 1942; to No.218 Squadron, 7 October 1942. Admitted to RAF General Hospital, Ely (Littleport Annex) on 19 February 1943 - \"Was rear gunner in a Stirling aircraft on operational flight over enemy territory when he was struck in the right thumb by flak.\" Promoted WO2 with effect from 1 May 1943. returned to No.218 Squadron, 27 July 1943. Killed in action, 24 August 1943 (Stirling EH925, No.218 Squadron). Flight Sergeant De Silva is an exceptionally skilful and courageous air gunner. He has been engaged on operational duties since May 1942, and took part in the \"1,000 bomber raid\" on the Ruhr and Cologne. On one occasion, while on mine-laying operations in the Baltic, the aircraft in which Flight Sergeant De Silva was flying as rear gunner was heavily engaged by anti-aircraft fire and sustained severe damage. By his very accurate gunnery, this airman was instrumental in preventing further damage to his aircraft. One more than one occasion Flight Sergeant De Silva has attacked and set on fire locomotives on enemy territory and once, while on a sortie against Wilhelmshaven, drove off an enemy fighter, though wounded in the hand. He is a most efficient gunner who can be relied upon to complete his duties effectively. NOTE: Public Records Office Air 2/8951 has recommendation dated 21 March 1943 when he had flown 21 sorties (128 hours ten minutes). Text only slightly more detailed but combined with sortie list his career is fleshed out slightly. 30 May 1942 - Cologne (5.30) 1 June 1942 - Essen (4.50) 25 June 1942 - Bremen (6.40) 31 July 1942 - Dusseldorf (4.00) 5 August 1942 - Frisians (3.55) 11 October 1942 - Baltic (8.00) 17 October 1942 - Baltic (7.15) 3 November 1942 - Lingen (3.55) 9 November 1942 - Toulouse (7.30) 10 November 1942 - Frisians (4.00) 16 November 1942 - Bayonne (9.25) 20 November 1942 - Turin (8.00) 22 November 1942 - Stuttgart (8.20) 28 November 1942 - Turin (6.10) 29 November 1942 - Turin (8.30) 17 December 1942 - Fallersleben (6.00) 27 January 1943 - Baltic (6.45) 13 February 1943 - Lorient (5.40) 14 February 1943 - Cologne (4.00) 16 February 1943 - Lorient (5.00) 19 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (4.45). Flight Sergeant De Silva is an Air Gunner of No.218 Squadron who has been engaged on operational duties since May 1942. He took part in the 1,000 bomber raids on Cologne and Essen in May and June of last year. In October 1942, while on a Gardening sorties to the Baltic, the aircraft of which he was acting as rear gunner was heavily engaged by flak ships and sustained severe damage. Flight Sergeant De Silva, but his very accurate gunning, helped considerably to distract that attention of the ship\'s gunners, thereby lessening the damage to the aircraft. In November 1942, while returning from an operational sortie to Stuttgart, he was instrumental in shooting up and setting on fire several locomotives. He also took part in the daylight raid on Lingen in November 1942. In February 1943, at Wilhelmshaven, he was wounded in the hand in a running encounter with an my fighter but managed, by superior gunning, to stave him off, when he was eventually lost. He is a most efficient gunner and is noted for his coolness, eagerness and clear thinking. He is very strong recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal. INDUCTION AND TRAINING: When interviewed on 17 March 1941 the Interviewing Officer wrote of him, \"Nice well-cut lad. Well mannered - good personality - sound material for development. Should prove up well for Air Crew\". Training at No.3 ITS (Course 28) began on 9 June 1941 and concluded 15 July 1941. He graduated 69th in a class of 143 with marks as follows: Mathematics - 64 percent; Armament (R and O), 65 percent; Signals, 86 percent; Hygiene and Sanitation - 37 points out of 40; Drill - 74 percent; Law and Discipline - 51 points out of 60. Assessed by W/C H.J. Burden as follows: \"Fine appearance - Youthful - Very humorous - Alert 0 Keen - Easy going - Individualist - Splendid personality - Good background - Enthusiastic - Intelligent - Above average, but not too serious\". His personality was clearly his undoing at EFTS, where he was deemed lazy (see main biographical note). This may have shaken him up, given his subsequent career. Training at No.6 BGS (Course 15) began 1 September 1941 and concluded 29 September 1941. He spent ten hours 40 minutes in Fairey Battle aircraft on training plus three hours 35 minutes as a passenger (all by day). Air Gunnery involved firing 750 rounds on the ground, 400 rounds air to ground and 1,425 rounds air to air. He was assessed at 12.5 percent on Beam Test, 7.5 percent on Beam Relative Speed Test and 33 percent in Under Tail Test. He scored 84 percent of Written Examination, 67 percent on Practical and Oral Examination, and 198 points out of a possible 250 on Ability as Firer. He graduated fourth in a class of 65. The Chief Instructor wrote, \"He showed marked ability as a firer and will be a satisfactory Air Gunner\". Nevertheless, he was not recommended for a commission. On 18 October 1949 one W.A. Sparks wrote to the Secretary of the Imperial War Graves Commission respecting the crew of EH925, presumed dead as of 24 August 1943. The letter read, in part: German documents state that the aircraft crashed at about 0130 hours on 24th August 1943, about five kms south of Zossen, which is in the Russian Zone of Occupation. No burial details were given. This area has been searched by the Missing Research Organization without any trace of the crew, and there seems little hope of permission being grated by the Soviet Authorities for Search Officers to conduct any further investigations. The names of these airmen will therefore be recorded on the Memorial to the Missing in accordance with the decision contained in your letter dated 26th August 1949. The website \"Lost Bombers\" gives the following on his last sortie: Stirling EH925, No.623 Squadron (IC-C), target Berlin, 23/24 August 1943. This aircraft was initially delivered to No.218 Squadron on 3 July 1943 and to No.623 Squadron on 13 August 1943. Airborne at 2052 hours, 23 August 1943 from Downham Market. Shot down by a night- fighter and crashed 5 km south of Zossen. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. They were the first to be posted missing from the squadron since its formation from part of 218 Squadron. This was very much a scratch crew in that S/L W.H.B. Hiles, DSO, DFC was a Staff Officer at No.3 Group Headquarters, while posting formalities for Flight Sergeant De Silva, DFM (described as \"an American from Flushing Meadows, New York City serving in the RCAF\") had yet to be completed. Others in the crew were Sergeant G. Thompson, P/O J.N. Ure, F/O J.Basten, Sergeant J.Curran and Sergeant J.B.Kershaw.

D.M. R95750. - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.218 Squadron - Award effective 13 May 1943 as per London Gazette dated 18 May 1943 and AFRO 1078/43 dated 11 June 1943. Home in Georgetown, British Guiana; enlisted in Ottawa, 18 March 1941. Trained at No.3 ITS (graduated 15 July 1941), No.12 EFTS (graduated 4 August 1941), and No.6 BGS (graduated 29 September 1941). The citation reads -"Flight Sergeant De Silva is an exceptionally skillful and courageous air gunner. He has been engaged on operational duties since May 1942, and took part in the "1,000 bomber raid" on the Ruhr and Cologne. On one occasion, while on mine-laying operations in the Balkans, the aircraft in which Flight Sergeant De Silva was flying as rear gunner was heavily engaged by anti-aircraft fire and sustained severe damage. By his very accurate gunnery, this airman was instrumental in preventing further damage to his aircraft. One more than one occasion Flight Sergeant De Silva has attacked and set on fire locomotives on enemy territory and once, while on a sortie against Wilhelmshaven, drove off an enemy fighter, though wounded in the hand. He is a most efficient gunner who can be relied upon to complete his duties effectively." Detail provided by H. Halliday, Orleans, Ontario.