Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS

Date

1945

Materials

BRASS, WOOD, VELVET & SATIN

No. Pieces

1

Height

9

Length

15

Width

8.2

Description

BRASS FITTING "D.F.C." STAMPED ON COVER. CREST & "ROYAL MINT" ON SATIN LINING VELVET LINED FITTED DEPRESSION FOR MEDAL

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

JOHN BEAIRSTO SIMPSON, HUSBAND OF ETHEL MAUDE SIMPSON, DONATED ITEMS TO GALT MUSEUM. JOHN AND ETHEL WERE THE PARENTS OF FLIGHT LIEUTENANT WILLIAM GEORGE RAYMOND SIMPSON (AKA RAE), WHO MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED WHILE FERRYING AN AIRPLANE OVER THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE AROUND 1947. RAE WAS BORN IN SEDGEWICH, ALBERTA IN 1920. HE BECAME A BOMBER PILOT IN THE 433 SQUADRON LANCASTER DURING WWII. RAE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS FOR DISPLAYING BRAVERY, COURAGE, AND DEVOTION DURING THE 30 SORTIES HE PERFORMED THROUGHOUT HIS SERVICE IN THE R.C.A.F. DURING WWII. THE AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO MRS. ETHEL SIMPSON ON BEHALF OF RAE IN JULY 1949. DON WALKEY, A FRIEND OF RAE'S, WAS ON THE SAME FLIGHT OVER THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE IN A DIFFERENT PLANE. RAE AND DON WERE BOMBER PILOTS DURING WORLD WAR 2, AFTER WHICH THEY WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER FERRYING AIRPLANES TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD ON A CONTRACT BASIS. THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF RAE'S DISAPPEARANCE WAS WRITTEN BY JIM LEPP, HUSBAND OF RAE'S NIECE, GAYL LEPP: "OVER ST. LUCIA, DON FELT SOME SEVERE VIBRATIONS IN HIS AIRPLANE. THIS CONCERNED HIM CONSIDERABLY SINCE ONE BONANZA HAD DISINTEGRATED WHEN THE WHEEL WELL VIBRATED AT CRUISE SPEED AND BECAME CATASTROPHIC. RAE WAS AHEAD OF DON SO DON RADIOED AND ASKED RAE TO HAVE A LOOK. RAE PROCEEDED TO FLY BELOW DON AND INSPECT THE BOTTOM OF THE PLANE. RAE REPORTED THAT THE WHEEL WELL DOORS WERE CLOSED AND TIGHT. DON THEN SLOWED TO NEAR STALL SPEED, PUT THE GEAR DOWN FULL AND THEN BACK UP AND LOCKED. WHEN HE RETURNED TO CRUISE SPEED THE VIBRATION WAS GONE. WHILE THE INSPECTION AND MANIPULATION WAS OCCURRING THEY FLEW INTO A THUNDERSTORM. DON ASKED RAE TO MAINTAIN HIS HEADING AND BEAR TO STARBOARD (RIGHT) TO AVOID COLLISION. THE STORM INCREASED TO SEVERE. DON FLEW OUT OF IT IN ABOUT 3 MINUTES AND COULD SEE THAT HE WAS ABOVE AND JUST WEST OF THE VOLCANO ON ST. VINCENT. RAE – WAS GONE! U.S. SEARCH AND RESCUE HAD 30 PLANES SEARCH FOR 7 DAYS. DON ARRANGED FOR AND HIRED ABOUT 500 PEOPLE TO SEARCH THE DENSE TROPICAL FOREST ON ST. VINCENT. NO TRACE WAS EVER FOUND." SEE PERMANENT RECORD AND P1966217002 FOR MEDAL CITATION AND OTHER DETAILS RELATING TO SIMPSON'S FLYING CAREER. *UPDATE* IN 2015 NEW RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO ESTABLISH THE LOCAL RESIDENCY OF THE RECIPIENT OF THIS MEDAL, RAE SIMPSON. ACCORDING TO THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY OF HIS MOTHER, ETHEL SIMPSON, THE FAMILY MOVED TO THE LETHBRIDGE AREA IN THE 1930S. BRIEF NOTICES IN THE HERALD FROM 1939 AND 1940 LIST RAE SIMPSON AS PARTICIPATING IN YMCA ACTIVITIES AND SERVING AS GROOMSMAN TO FRED DORIGATTI AT HIS WEDDING IN ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P19662170001

Acquisition Date

1966-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail