Jimmy Whalen

In 2010 the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight rebuilt Hawker Hurricane PZ865, the last Hurricane built. From 2012 this Hurricane wears a colour scheme replicating Hurricane Mk.IIC HW840, coded 'EG-S', of 34 Squadron, South East Asia Command during 1944, the personal aircraft of Canadian pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jimmy Whalen DFC.

The Battle of Imphal - in March and April 1944 - saw the Japanese attack directly toward Imphal from Burma. To the north, Kohima was attacked by the Japanese 31st Division, defended by a mere 3000 strong Allied force. No. 34 squadron was moved to Assam to provide ground support for these troops. The squadron flew intensive multiple bombing and strafing missions daily throughout the two-week battle, running a gauntlet of small arms and light anti-aircraft fire in the process. On 18 April 1944 Whalen was leading a flight of the squadron's Hurricanes against Japanese troops at the rifle range at Kohima. The incident was related by his wingman Flight Sgt. Jack Morton:

Flight Lieutenant Whalen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross backdated to 17 April 1944. He is buried, with the other defenders of Kohima, at the War Cemetery in Kohima. A photo of the headstone of his grave in the cemetery is here.

In June 1943, 17 Squadron was moved to RAF Agartala. From there they made sorties against the Japanese in Burma, strafing targets of opportunity, particularly sampans transporting troops and supplies along the rivers.

In August, Whalen was transferred to No. 34 Squadron RAF based at Madras flying the Hawker Hurricane IIc, converted to hold two 250 lb bombs. In November 1943 the squadron was moved to an airstrip at Palel, Manipur.

On 22 February 1942, Whalen was assigned to No. 30 Squadron RAF, which had seen action in the Western Desert. On 27 February the squadron was embarked onto the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable headed for Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

On 6 March 1942, the squadron took off from the aircraft carrier for their new base at RAF Ratmalana assigned to defend the large Royal Navy fleet stationed at Colombo. On 4 April 1942 a Japanese strike force under the command of Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, fresh from their attack on Pearl Harbor, attacked Ceylon with some 120 carrier-based aircraft. The RAF had 40 defending fighters, consisting of Royal Navy Fulmars and RAF Hurricanes.

Whalen's tally was now six confirmed enemy aircraft and 1 damaged. He was now officially a fighter ace. In December 1942 he was transferred to No. 17 Squadron RAF in Calcutta, flying fighter bomber and army support missions.

After his RCAF application was accepted, he became one of the first candidates of the new Commonwealth Air Training Plan, training in Ottawa, Ontario receiving his wings on 25 January 1941. He received a commission as a Pilot Officer, only to have it rescinded after he was caught low flying a Harvard trainer under the local Ottawa/Hull Bridge.

In March 1941 Whalen was posted to the No. 2 AACU (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit) in Gosport, England. In June 1941 he was posted to 57 OTU (Operational Training Unit) in Wrexham, Wales for operational training on the Spitfire. He was rated "Above average" by his instructors.

On 1 August 1941 Whalen was posted to No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron, based at RAF Leconfield. The next day he was sent up on his first combat sortie. On that mission Pilot Officer Cunliffe downed the squadron's first enemy aircraft, a Ju 88. On 28 August the squadron transferred to RAF Westhampnett, Sussex as part of the Tangmere Wing, taking delivery of the new Spitfire Mk Vb.

On 17 September 1941 129 Squadron was on a fighter sweep near Fruges when they ran into a flight of German Bf 109s. In the ensuing dogfight Whalen downed a Bf 190E and a Bf 109F. The dogfight consumed much of his fuel and he crashed landed at Hurstpierpoint.

On 7 December 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and other Allied Southeast Asian targets. With British interests in Asia threatened, Whalen volunteered to be sent to defend India and Burma. On 3 January 1942 Whalen was on his way to India and at Port Sudan he started familiarisation flying on the Hurricane and Kittyhawk.

Flight Lieutenant James Henry Whalen DFC (23 April 1920 – 18 April 1944) was a Canadian Second World War fighter pilot ace.

Jimmy Whalen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on 23 April 1920. He graduated from Kitsilano Secondary School in June, 1938. He had joined The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Army Cadets in 1937. In 1940 the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) formed the Royal Canadian Air Cadets with the first squadron starting in Vancouver, and so he transferred to 111 Squadron.