Details
Flight Lieutenant Hornell was flying as aircraft captain on Consolidated Canso amphibians with 162 (Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron), RCAF from RAF Wick in Northern Scotland, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 24 June 1944 on sea patrol near the Faroes in the North Atlantic, Flight Lieutenant Hornell's twin-engined Catalina amphibian aircraft was attacked and badly damaged by the German U-boat U-1225; nevertheless he succeeded in sinking the U-1225 and then with superhuman effort managed to bring his aircraft down on the heavy swell, the plane blazing furiously. There was only one serviceable dinghy which could not hold all the crew so they took it in turns in the water. By the time the survivors were rescued after 21 hours, Flight Lieutenant Hornell was blinded and weak from exposure and cold. He died shortly after being picked up.
He is buried in Lerwick Cemetery, Shetland Islands. His medal is on loan to the Air Command Headquarters in Winnipeg.
Read more about this topic: David Ernest Hornell
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