Talk:George Beurling

Untitled
It says here that George Beurling was reinterred at Mount Carmel. There is one of these in, I believe, Edmonton, Canada, near Chicago, Illionois in the US, and in Israel. There may be another near Niagara, perhaps in Canada.

Which one was he buried at? RayKiddy 05:52, 1 Dec 2003 (UTC)

First, is it confirmed Malta Spit wasn't published til after his death? I've seen a 1943 copywright date. Second, if anyone cares, on 27 July 1942, he downed Sgt Pilot Faliero Gelli, Regia Aeronautica, in a Macchi C.202, the only opposing pilot to survive Beurling shooting him down. (Or so I've heard.) Trekphiler 03:01, 27 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, I read that about Gelli in the biography of Nolan, but in fact several pilots came back even after beeing shot at by Beurling, I am speaking of several German pilots that he claimed shot down but that came back to base, but that is not exactly the same thing...

--Gian piero milanetti (talk) 14:01, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Niclot Doglio kill
I add a picture of Niclot Doglio as he was the most illustrious "victim" of Beurling. Doglio, in fact, was one of the most famous pilot (not only Italian) and he held several world record. So I think it is interesting to read (and to see) about him. --Gian piero milanetti (talk) 14:02, 31 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Questionable, why not start an article on him, the image is extremely jarring in an article on Beurling. FWiW Bzuk (talk) 14:03, 31 October 2010 (UTC).
 * Okay, I have found the article on Doglio, that's where this photo should reside. FWiW Bzuk (talk) 14:45, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

George Buerling
I always bristle when I see "Screwball" and "Buzz" used before "Buerling" in any piece about him.

My father, an RCAF public relations officer during the war was Buerling's guardian during his cross Canada trip on return from Malta in 1942 and got to know him very well as he struggled to keep the independent minded Buerling on schedule. According to my dad, Buerling's nickname, among those that were with him a lot, was "Ricky", and not Scewball or Buzz. It may have been because one of his favorite drinks was Lime Rickey, a popular mixer and what we might call soda pop in the 40s and 50s.

Mike McCall  " — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.222.183.110 (talk) 22:14, 27 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Sounds interesting and even probable but it is fairly well documented that like it or not, George Beurling was tagged with the inevitable and contemporary slang, "Buzz" and the more uncomplimentary "Screwball" (by his RCAF compatriots in the Malta campaign).(Milberry 1990, p. 375)


 * "Ricky" could simply stem from his middlename "Frederick"... 89.204.135.52 (talk) 00:19, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

Burial
If he was buried at the "Protestant Cemetery behind the Cestia Pyramid", in Rome, who authorised his removal to Israel? As he hadn't joined the Israeli Air Force, or reached Israel, it seems a little odd that his body was taken there.203.184.41.226 (talk) 08:36, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

Spitfires in Malta
Your description of Beurling flying a Spitfire in Malta in '41 is incorrect. Simon Hollands definitive books plus other sources places their arrival in '42. Up to that point Churchill was determined to reserve them for the defence of the UK. In addition my father flew with 249 squadron arriving shortly after Beurling and I therefore know from many conversations that there were no spitfires in Malta during this period. Beurlinf]g was an excellent marksman with a method of deflection shooting (i.e. not attacking at the 6 O'Clock classic position) which enabled him to uniquely compete against better aircraft. My father's Squadron leader attempted to use my fathers excellent mathematical skills to try to distill this knowledge into a tractable for for the benefit of all, my father recounted that after many sessions he failed to capturer Beurling's logic! The issue of "old" aircraft in Malta was pursued by the ace Tom O'Niel also of 249 who  complained to the AVM Hugh Lloyd about the inadequacies of the British fighters which in June '41 were mainly Hurricane Is (very underpowered circal 1,000 to 1,300hp) and a few Hurricane II (1,480 hp) compared to the sleeker and better armed Me109 E7s which arrived in this period. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WG42 (talk • contribs) 20:40, 20 April 2013 (UTC)

German ancestry?
"Buerling" sounds quite german, like anglicized "Beuerling" or "Bürling", common german surnames. Any info on his family? 89.204.135.52 (talk) 00:22, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

Reorganize Malta section
"Beurling was a committed Christian, teetotaler, and non-smoker; while his counterparts patronized the local bars every night, he dedicated himself totally to the art of aerial combat."

While this is probably true, it is misleading in the Malta section because due to the state of siege on the island, it was highly unlikely that the pilots were patronizing local bars, let alone every night... for a description of what it was actually like to be a Malta based flyer in summer 1942 see Catrìona (talk) 05:53, 8 March 2018 (UTC)

Divorce under Death?
This text was removed from the Death section. The article does not discuss his marriage. Discussing his divorce under Death does not make much sense. It may belong somewhere else, so the text is preserved.

Quote: Beurling's marriage ended in March 1945, but he was not formally divorced. He survived the war, but struggled to adjust to civilian life.

Jeffrey Walton (talk) 11:59, 19 May 2020 (UTC)

Physical description under Death?
This text was removed from the Death section. Discussing his physique under Death does not make much sense. It may belong somewhere else, so the text is preserved.

Quote: According to Group Captain "Laddie" Lucas, Beurling was "untidy, with a shock of fair tousled hair above penetrating blue eyes. He smiled a lot and the smile came straight out of those striking eyes... he was highly strung, brash and outspoken... something of a rebel".

Jeffrey Walton (talk) 12:05, 19 May 2020 (UTC)

Something unclear - Summary of victory claims
The table lists the 6th and 7th victories on July 8th, 1942. But the "Kills" column states only one aircraft destroyed, and 2 damaged. Seems contradictory. Thanks, Utzli (talk) 11:11, 21 October 2020 (UTC)