Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Canadian Spitfire Pilot’s ‘Dieppe’ D.F.C. group of six awarded to Squadron Leader F. E. Green, Nos. 411 (Grizzly Bear), 412 (Falcon), and 416 (City of Oshawa) Squadrons, Royal Canadian Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1942 and additionally inscribed ‘F/Lt., 412 Sq. R.C.A.F.‘; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal, the last three all Canadian issues in silver, good very fine (6) £600-700

D.F.C. London Gazette 11 September 1942: ‘This officer has participated in numerous sorties over enemy territory and has destroyed at least 3 enemy aircraft. During the combined operations at Dieppe, he completed 3 sorties, 2 of which were low-level escort duties. Flight Lieutenant Green has invariably displayed high skill and great determination.’

Squadron Leader Frederick Ernest Green was born on 1 March 1916, at Petersburg, Virginia, to an English father, and was educated in Canada. He enlisted at Toronto on 23 July 1940 and after pilot training proceeded to the U.K. as Sergeant Pilot. On 26 July 1941 he joined No. 411 (Grizzly Bear) Squadron from 53 O.T.U. and on 27 March 1942 shot down an Me.109 into the sea near Ostend while acting as close escort to twelve Havoc bombers. On 13 April 1942 he transferred to No. 412 (Falcon) Squadron and on the 27th took off as part of a wing escort to seven Bostons attacking marshalling yards at Abbeville. A few miles north of the French town the formation was attacked by a swarm of F.W.190’s: ‘During these attacks Yellow 1 (F/Lt. Green, Canadian) saw an F.W.190 diving down on the bombers from astern. He followed down in a dive to 10,000 ft. coming into an astern position and opened fire with a 2 second burst of cannon and machine-gun fire at 450 yards range. The E/A turned steeply to starboard in a slight dive. Yellow 1 followed and used his cine gun only when E/A was in full beam position, but later gave the E/A a further two bursts of two seconds, each at 200 yards range, and from 45° astern on the starboard beam. The E/A shuddered and pieces were seen to come off from the tail plane and the fuselage behind the cockpit. The E/A dived steeply to the starboard but appeared to be under control ...’

On 19 August, during the costly Dieppe Raid of 1942, the R.C.A.F. put six Spitfire squadrons (Nos. 401, 402, 403, 411, 412 & 416) and two Army Co-operation squadrons in the air, with a brief to lay smoke screens, attack enemy defences along the coast, give air cover to the troops, as well as to destroy as many enemy aircraft as possible. Green flew three times that day, being lastly ‘scrambled’ in the evening at 18.55 hrs. A little over a week later on the 26th, during a Rodeo operation over Abbeville-Drucat aerodrome, he destroyed F.W.190 and damaged another, both engagements taking place at under 500 feet: ‘ I was Yellow 1 ... I saw 2 a/c at 3 o’clock to our Squadron far below. After reporting them to the Wing Leader I was ordered to attack them with my section. We dived straight down coming up from behind and below the e/a apparently unobserved. I saw now that there were more than 2 and picked out one e/a and came 100 yards dead astern. I gave the e/a a long burst of cannon and m.g. and he seemed to lurch, turn slightly to starboard and I saw him go straight down into some trrees. At this time I was hit in the starboard wing by light flak and while turning quickly to port I noticed another F.W.190 firing at me from the port quarter. I easily turned inside him and slipping down violently to port and closing my throttle, the e/a went shooting by above and on my starboard side. I pulled up behind him and gave him a burst of m.g. only as one of my cannons jammed. I saw strikes on the aft part of the fuselage and tail surfaces. The e/a turned sharply to starboard and “got out of the fight” At this time I saw nearly a whole squadron of e/a (8-12) taking off from Abbevillle so I called up my section and returned to base, coming home all the way on the deck.’

Having scored his third confirmed victory, a F.W. 190 ten miles off Brighton on 29 August 1942, Green transferred to No. 421 (Red Indian) Squadron in November 1942, and, after his tour expired in June 1943, went briefly to Canada before returning to resume command of the latter unit. After five months in charge of the Red Indians he took over No. 416 (City of Oshawa) Squadron, and on 21 May 1944 led a mass ground-strafe over northwestern France accounting for thirteen trains and assorted motor vehicles. Similarly successful missions ensued but in the face of stiff aerial opposition and flak. On 29 June 1944 Green fell victim to groundfire and was hospitalised for several weeks. He returned to Canada on 27 November following and was released from the service on 1 May 1946.