In the defence of Malta during WWII, George Beurling – known as ‘Screwball’ to his crew – became the number one Canadian ace.
The Maltese Eagle
I was intrigued by George’s story because we shared two things in common. He grew up in Montreal and his family was members of the Plymouth Brethren. His Christian faith shaped his life choices, most importantly, becoming a pilot.
He first took the controls of an airplane at 12, soloed at 14 and was licensed by 17. He briefly flew for a cargo company in Gravenhurst, Ont. When the Second World War broke out, he wanted to join the Royal Canadian Air Force and be a fighter pilot.
Though rejected by the RCAF because he hadn’t finished high school, he managed to reach England on a cargo ship and was accepted as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Posted to the besieged island of Malta, where he shot down 29 German and Italian aircraft, earning the title of “The Maltese Eagle”.
His Christian upbringing inspired him to always climb into his cockpit with a small Bible given to him by his mother tucked into his pocket.
Greatest Ace
In one of the aerial dogfights in which he downed three enemy planes, his Spitfire crashed into the sea. Wounded, he was rescued but not without being most concerned about the small Bible. While in hospital he was commissioned as an officer and awarded his third Distinguished Service Medal. George was sent back to Canada to recover. He then joined the RCAF and returned to active duty in the European area. Continued with many heroic air battles and earned more decorations including the Victoria Cross.
He fought his way to becoming Canada’s greatest Ace of the Second World War. 
Fighting For Israel
Because of his world-wide fame as a pilot, after the war he was offered lucrative positions in many countries of Latin America, China and the Middle East but refused to sell himself because of his talents. When he learned that Israel was struggling for its very existence, he volunteered himself to fight for the cause of Israel. He quoted Bible passages when he asked him he wanted to fly for the emerging state. He believed the Jewish people were supposed to go back to Israel.
George was to teach tactics to Israeli recruits. One of his first duties, however, was to ferry a new aircraft to Israel. He sent his mother a package of postcards of Italy the day before takeoff and said he’d be taking the aircraft up for a test first. On May 20, 1948 the plane caught fire shortly after takeoff and crashed engulfed in flames. Sabotage by the British Secret Service, anti-Israel at the time, was suspected but never proven.
He died at age 26.
Honoured In Death
The Canadian Consul in Rome organized his burial in the Catholic Cemetery in Rome. To honor him, the Jews of Rome closed their shops to attend his funeral.
The Israeli Air Force bestowed on him the posthumous rank of Flight Commander. With the approval of his parents his body was transferred from Italy to Israel and laid to rest on November 11, 1950 with a military ceremony in a special section for non-Jews at the Haifa Carmel Military Cemetery. He is still celebrated by the Israeli military decades after his death.
George “Buzz’ Beurling, a true Canadian hero.
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