Photo of a wounded Harold Rushton that appeared in the Toronto Star after his plane was shot down over Italy on September 20, 1943. Mr. Rushton told the reporter: "I'm as weak as a kitten but I'll do." Collection courtesy of Terry Rushton.
WWII | Air Force | Ontario
SIZE: 2522kb
"One thing that was widely reported in the newspapers of the early ‘40s were complaints about pilots practicing low flying."
Recording Transcript
My name is Terry Rushton. I'm the oldest son of Harold Rushton, who was in the RCAF from 1940 to '46. He was seconded to the RAF and included with a group of Canadian replacements sent to an Australian squadron in North Africa in September of 1942. Most of his squadron's actions involved the 8th Army's pursuit of Rommel across Africa, then Sicily and into Italy.
One thing that was widely reported in the newspapers of the early '40s were complaints about pilots practicing low flying. Dad was involved in one of these. While based at Aylmer, he attacked the main street of Tillsonburg at twenty feet in a Harvard. Needless to say, he was 'called on the carpet', reduced in rank, and according to a relative told, "You want to see action? Well, that's what you'll get" and he was then sent overseas.
Later, in North Africa, his crew chief once confronted him with a twig with a couple of leaves on it, which had come from the upper part of the wing, meaning that he'd flown under a tree branch. Dad just brushed it off, saying at least he had brought the plane back intact.
There was one incident that my father was involved in where they had to fly across the Mediterranean, at a certain heading and speed for a certain amount of time, and then turn at a certain point to arrive over the Straits of Messina at dawn, as the Germans were evacuating troops on barges during the night. They did that and destroyed the barges and got back safely, but at the original briefing, after getting those directions, one guy asked from the back, "How are we supposed to get back home?" The briefing officer just said, "Oh! Just reverse the instructions", strongly implying that they weren't expected to return.
A few years ago, I asked about the aftermath to the rescue story, where my father was retrieved from behind the enemy lines. He said that at first they had a problem identifying him, since he had no ID and was all wrapped up and couldn't speak. Anyway, they finally decided by his footwear that he must be RAF, but they were always very careful and didn't give him any information, just sent him to an RAF hospital in Egypt for several months.
My father was a two-time member of the 'Boomerang Club', for those who returned under their own power from behind enemy lines, because he crash landed and returned on two different occasions.
