Stan Turner (RAF officer)

Percival Stanley "Stan" Turner, DSO, DFC with bar (born 3 September 1913) Served with the RAF and The RCAF during the Second World War. He holds the record of flown the most combat hours of any Canadian pilot.

Early years
Turner's parents emigrated to Toronto Canada when he was at a young age. While studying engineering there, he also joined the RCAF auxiliary.

Second World War Service
In 1938 he joined the RAF, completing his pilot training right at England's entry to the War. He was posted to fly Hawker Hurricanes with 242 squadron. It was over Dunkirk that he scored the first of his 14 aerial victories he would post during the war. During the Battle of Britain he would be awarded his Distinguished Flying Cross to which he would add a bar to before the War's end.

After the Battle of Britain, Turner was posted to 145 Squadron in June 1941, where he transitioned over to the Supermarine Spitfire mk II. During this time, Johnnie Johnson remarked that Stan was a "Fearless and great leader" of his squadron. It was in October 1941 that he would receive his bar to his DFC while flying over France again.

With a short rest in between, Turner was then given command of 411 squadron of the RCAF. His posting there spurred many requests to be transferred to the squadron, a notable one accepted was that of Robert Wendell "Buck" McNair. In 1942, he was then transferred to the Command of 249 squadron on Malta.

Stan Turner was also involved in some other interesting and remarkable events during the war. He flew escort for the mission that was agreed to by the Germans to drop an artificial leg to Douglas Bader. Turner and Bader were good friends, despite a rocky start when Bader took over command of the Canadian pilots who had survived the Battle of France. Bader won over Turner and the other Canadians by generously replacing their kit they had lost in France from his personal stores, not to mention by demonstrating his flying skills.

Awards and honours

 * Distinguished Flying Cross 1940
 * Distinguished Service Order
 * Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame 1974