Wilfred Beaver
MilitaryIn the roster at the back of the Pictorial History Col. Beaver's name is spelled correctly as Wilfred. 447th Bomb Group collection
Timothy Motz
Wilfred Beaver (10 May 1897 – 19 August 1986) was a World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories.
After passing his childhood in his native England, Beaver sailed for Canada. His parents separated in 1911, and he was shipped off to Montreal, Canada. He was supposed to live with his uncle and study dentistry. He enlisted in the First Canadian Heavy Battery of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 7 August 1914. He served with the Field Artillery for the next two and a half years, including duty in France.
He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 28 February 1917. He trained at the RAF Training School at Oxford, England. He was posted to 20 Squadron to fly two-seater Bristol Fighters. He scored his first victory on 13 November 1917. On 6 January 1918, he became an ace. He continued collecting victories, with a double on 5 February 1918 and three wins on 27 May 1918. His final victory came on 13 June 1918. In the final analysis, Beaver and his observers (including fellow aces M. B. Mather and Ernest Deighton) were credited 11 enemy airplanes destroyed and eight driven down out of control.
Beaver was transferred the unemployed list effective 13 April 1919. He returned to Canada, then emigrated to the United States on 23 April. He lived in Greenville, Mississippi in 1920. He became a naturalized citizen on 21 September 1926. His 1930 residence was Jamestown, New York.
He returned to service in World War II as a major and acting as the executive officer of the 447th Bomb Group, 3rd Air Force, on 25 June 1943 and was awarded a Bronze Star. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and moved up to command the group from 1 July 1945 through August. He then continued on active duty until 15 January 1946. He later served in the U. S. Air Force Reserve from 1949 to 1955.
Awards: BSM, WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars), Also from WWI RFC service - Military Cross, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal (with MID oak leaf).
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Bristol, UK | 10 May 1897 | |
Enlisted |
7 August 1914 | Enlisted in the First Canadian Heavy Battery of the Canadian Expeditionary Force | |
Other Transferred |
France | 28 February 1917 | Transferred from Field artillery to Royal Flying Corps. |
Other Emigrated |
United States | 23 April 1919 | Emigrated to USA. Naturalised 21-Sep-26. |
Enlisted |
25 June 1942 | ||
Other Discharged USAAF |
15 January 1946 | Honourable discharge. | |
Died |
Columbus, MS | 19 August 1986 | |
Buried |
Memorial Gardens Columbus, Lowndes County, MS | 22 August 1986 | Memorial Gardens Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi |
Based |
Assigned to 20 Squadron RFC. Achieved Ace status, finally credited with 11 destroyed, 8 driven down out of control. | ||
Jamestown, NY | |||
Based |
Rattlesden | Assigned to HQ, 447BG, 8AF USAAF. | |
Based |
Rattlesden | Transferred to Group | |
Other USAF reserve |
Served in USAF reserve. |
Revisions
https://www.fold3.com/image/417976351
https://www.fold3.com/image/673164763
https://www.fold3.com/memorial/619390288/wilfred-beaver-1897
https://www.fold3.com/record/619390288/wilfred-beaver-1897-veterans-aff…
https://www.fold3.com/record/643030662/wilfred-beaver-british-recipient…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105914479/wilfred-beaver
Amended spelling of first name as per 447th Bomb Group Pictorial history https://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/41056
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History Roster as of 01 August 1945