WILLIAMS David John “Blackie” Sqn Ldr DSO DFC

Blackie Williams signing the George & Dragon ceiling with his friend and navigator C J Kirk Kirkpatrick on the far right. Ailsa Lobb is serving behind the bar along with her father Harold.
The cut pieces of ties left by the airmen along with their names and addresses can be seen hanging above the bar. Part of the frieze, painted by Bernard Ward Turner, depicting fighter defences runs behind the bar and below the ceiling.

Sqn Ldr Blackie Williams and Pl Off C J Kirkpatrick leaning on the bar. Ailsa Lobb and her father Harold (Bill) Lobb in the back row. We will probably never know the others in the photo.

Sqn Ldr David John “ Blackie” Williams

Blackie enlisted on the 24th October 1940 and was posted overseas to England in August 1941. He was with 140 OTU Cottesmore until Jan 1942. On the 27th/28th August 1942, while serving with 408 Sqn, he was captain of an aircraft detailed to attack Kassel. On the outward flight, his aircraft was intercepted by a Junkers 88. By skilful tactics the then Fl/Lt Williams opened fire setting the Junker’s engine ablaze. It exploded on impact. Although his own aircraft had sustained damage, Fl/Lt Williams pressed on to his target and bombed it. On the return journey he successfully brought down a Messerschmitt 109. Blackie was awarded the DFC for his actions on 26th Sept 1942 and was presented at Buckingham Palace on 7th Feb 1943. The report attached to his DFC award stated that “this officer has displayed a great determination to complete his allotted task. He has at all times won the confidence of all with whom he has flown”.
Blackie was promoted to Squadron Leader from the 5th August 1943 and subsequently to Wing Commander on the 26th July 1944. He was posted to RAF Winkleigh with 406 Sqn from 25th August to 18th Nov 1944.
After the war, Blackie continued in service and attended the Empire Test Pilot School from March to Dec 1947.In July 1956 he was promoted to Group Captain and remained attached to strategic Air Command units until 1968. He was described as a most efficient and inspiring flight commander.

DAVID JOHN “Blackie” WILLIAMS DSO DFC
b. 6/1/1919 d. 21st August 2004 J6991 of Vancouver Canada
&
C J “Kirk” KIRKPATRICK DFC
b. 7/8/1918 d. 7th October 2004 J20662 of Saskatchewan Canada

                       HISTORY OF  RAF WINKLEIGH 

On the 9th October 1943 the US army airforce arrived at Winkleigh with 720 personnel. The aircraft included Fairchilds, Marauders, Spitfires and Black Widows. These aircraft were involved in exercises with land troops along the North Devon coast. They were also tasked with giving close support to the assaulting infantry and putting up an air screen to stop any enemy penetration by air or sea.
During this time, there were a few Mitchell B25’s engaged in hush-hush activities, one of the famous pilots was the late Joe Kennedy; brother of President John F Kennedy. He was killed a few months later on the 12th August 1944 (aged 29) when his explosive packed plane blew up while attempting Operation Aphrodite. The concept being that an aircraft would be filled with high explosives; a pilot would then take off and set the plane on its course. He would then bale out to safety while a second nearby aircraft would radio control the “flying bomb” to its target. It is thought that a radio signal ignited a detonator before Joe Kennedy had time to parachute to safety. To this day an aura of mystery hangs over the event. These experiments were in progress at Winkleigh

Squadron Leader “Blackie” Williams and Flying Officer “Kirk” Kirkpatrick Navigator(406 Sqn) flew Mosquito X11 out of Winkleigh . On the night of 29th April 1944, they downed two Dornier DO 217s attempting to attack Devonport in only eleven minutes. Again on the 21st July 1944 Blackie & Kirk flying newly delivered MM731 Mosquito XXX went into battle against seven DO217 aircraft, armed with torpedoes and about to attack the Allied destroyers off Brest. They closed in on two of the 217’s flying in echelon, both opened fire on the Mosquito and in the exchange one of the 217’s was shot down and the “Mossie” was hit causing the starboard engine to catch fire. Blackie feathered the engine and moved in to attack the other 217, after some exchange of fire, the German aircrew started to bale out before the aircraft reached the sea. Blackie and Kirk limped home.
For their action that day they were awarded, a DSO to Blackie Williams and a DFC to Kirk Kirkpatrick. Shortly after this event, Blackie was promoted to Wing Commander and became CO of 406 Sqn.

MEMORIES OF THE LATE GROUP CAPTAIN DAVID JOHN “BLACKIE” WILLIAMS, DSO,DFC,CD and Clasp, RCAF and Canadian Forces (retired)

by author Wayne Ralph.

I spent about four years searching for and interviewing face-to-face Second World War fighter pilots who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force, or Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. These were Canadian-born or American-born (with one or two exceptions ) young men who had been trained in fighter operations of all kinds, day, night, attack, air superiority, anti-shipping and naval carrier.
Many of my interviews came by recommendation, as in “You must go and see….! He was a great fighter pilot.” One of whom this was often said was Group Captain ( retired Canadian Forces colonel) David John “Blackie” Williams. One of his biggest fans was Group Captain George “Red” Sutherland.
Fortunately, only two months before he died Blackie moved to Canada from Washington State, in the USA, when his wife Helen died in June 2004. George told me where to find him in Richmond, British Columbia, at an elder care facility. I called and made an appointment.
The man I met was struggling to breathe; he was using supplemental oxygen in portable bottles. This did not stop him from smoking cigarettes, every half-hour or so. He also had his liquor bottles by the kitchen sink and his first request was that I pour he and I a shot of scotch.
So, as I have done with other old pilots, some even veterans of the Great War, 1914-1918, I drank scotch straight-up, scotch & gin seemed to be the preferred alcohol for that generation.
I turned on the tape recorder, and got out my notepad. Frail though he was, Blackie was a wonderful story teller. Not all fighter aces, as Blackie was, are good story tellers. Many are so understated and matter-of-fact that it is difficult to shape a compelling story from their narration. Rarely are they boastful, often they are critical of their own performance. This does not accord with our Hollywood notions of the “fighter pilot”
For a few weeks I went between Blackie and Red, two old-time fighter pilots, in their case night fighter pilots, comparing and contrasting. They were fun to interview because they contradicted each other; each claimed the other had the details wrong. (“Now, let me tell you the real story….”) They greatly admired each other. Williams always regretted as his squadron commander at 406(RCAF) that he had not been able to get Sutherland a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part with Blackie in a night attack in fog against E-boats in the English Channel.
Both stayed in the RCAF post-war and rose to senior rank, attaining Group Captain. Williams was a living legend in the post war RCAF because of his character—-larger-than life. Sutherland was much loved and admired as well. Both men died before my book, which included stories told by them, was published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd.
Williams died within a few weeks of our first meeting, and I was asked by one of his children, David, to call Kirk Kirkpatrick, his wartime navigator, to say that he had “flown west”. I had previously spoken on the phone with Kirkpatrick and knew how much he admired Blackie. I had actually put them back in touch with each other after many years of silence, just days before Blackie died. Kirk was broken hearted and could not talk for long on the phone; he had only just spoken to Blackie a day or two before. Williams died on August 21st 2004, aged 85, and I received a call in October of that year from Kirk’s wife to say that her husband had become depressed after Blackie’s death. He had deteriorated quickly and died on October 7th. George Sutherland died within a few months.
You can read more about the exploits of Williams, Kirkpatrick, and many other Canadian fighter pilots of that era. In the UK, the book, Aces, Warriors & Wingmen–First hand accounts of Canada’s Fighter Pilots in the Second World War, is available online through several booksellers and also John Wiley & Sons UK. To see photos of Blackie Williams and others, visit Wayne Ralph’s website. One of the best wartime reads in our opinion

www.aceswarriorsandwingmen.com