MP calls for Canada to honour pilot who died in flight over England
An MP has called for Canada to honour a Second World War pilot who sacrificed his life to save 'potentially thousands of civilians he never knew' in an English town.
Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot Officer William McMullen, 29, was stationed at RAF Middleton St George, now Teesside Airport, during the war.
He was captaining a training flight in a Lancaster Bomber on January 13 1945 when the plane caught fire above Darlington, Co Durham.
He ordered his six crew members to parachute themselves out safely and remained at the controls to steer the aircraft away from the town of 60,000 people, directing it towards an empty field.
Pilot Officer McMullen, from Scarborough, Ontario, was the only person to die in the crash.
Darlington MP Lola McEvoy has written to the Directorate of Honours and Recognition in Ottawa, Canada, asking the Canadian government to consider him for a posthumous bravery medal.
The Labour MP wrote: 'I believe that his heroism has not received the recognition it deserves for many years, and I am respectfully proposing that he be considered for a posthumous honour for his remarkable heroism.
'His selfless actions spared the lives of potentially thousands of civilians he never knew and exemplify the highest standards of courage and duty.'
Ms McEvoy has also called for a statue to be erected in his memory in the centre of Darlington.
The Darlington MP told the PA news agency: 'I think when you hear about the bravery of this man and the bravery of that generation in World War Two, it feels very close to people in Darlington and it's incredibly moving to hear what he did for our town.
'But it's also really important for the next generation and for young people growing up in the town to know the legacy, so great stories like this inspire the next generation.'
Loring Barber, the pilot's grandson, said: 'He saved the town. He saved his crew. Everybody is happy but him.
'How can you not honour him?'
Pilot Officer McMullen's only daughter, Donna Barber, has liver cancer and, at 86, her children worry she may not live long enough to see her father recognised.
'She would definitely like to see it. She's probably not going to get the amount of time she's going to need,' Mr Barber said in an interview with The Canadian Press at his home in Toronto.
Veterans Affairs Canada said in a statement to The Canadian Press that Pilot Officer McMullen was awarded several medals for his service, including the 1939-45 Star, the France and German Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal.
It added that King George VI decreed in 1950 that consideration would not be given for acts performed more than five years before nomination, thereby putting an end to Second World War nominations.
Veterans Affairs Canada said: 'This principle has generally been applied since, in considering honours policy issues, proposals for new honours and individual nominations for honours.
'McMullen was not nominated during this timeframe.'
They said the five-year limit is still in place 'to ensure that events are judged by the standards of the time, and that they are measured along with contemporary examples, and to ensure that previous decisions are not second-guessed and history is not reinterpreted.'
Pilot Officer McMullen's mother and widow were awarded the Memorial Cross in May 1945, they added.
In the aftermath of the crash funds were raised to support his family, but his widow, Thelma McMullen, declined the donation and suggested it be used to benefit the local community as it coped with the war.
Funds were used to endow two children's cots at Darlington Memorial Hospital, marked with a plaque honouring the 'Gallant Airman', a tribute that still exists today.
A road near the crash site was also renamed McMullen Road in his honour, and a memorial stone was erected at the junction of McMullen Road and Allington Way.
Residents in Darlington gather at the memorial to pay their respects each year on the anniversary of his death. A special service was held on the 80th anniversary earlier this year.
Canada played a significant role as part of the Allied forces that liberated Europe during the Second World War.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Diarmuid Gavin: The 19th century Irish gardener who went on to influence the world
In the quiet countryside near Kilmeaden, Co Waterford, a boy was born in 1838 who would go on to transform the way the world thought about gardens. William Robinson was not born to privilege, and yet he became one of the most influential horticulturists in history — an Irishman who reshaped the English landscape, one perennial at a time.
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners can 'kill ivy for good' with natural solution using just three items
Gardeners are often left frustrated by the rapid growth of English ivy, but there is a simple and all-natural way to get rid of it using just three household items Home gardeners across the UK are all too familiar with the resilience of English ivy, even if they haven't intentionally planted it. This evergreen climber is common throughout the country, notorious for its ability to latch onto walls, fences, and trees, forming dense coverings of leaves. While it does provide some ecological advantages, such as offering shelter for birds and facilitating pollination, its propensity to overwhelm other plants, damage older walls, and block sunlight can be a nuisance for gardening enthusiasts. When dealing with rapid-growing weeds like ivy, one might assume that strong chemicals are the solution. However, specialists at Drip Works propose a homemade remedy using three common kitchen items to permanently eliminate "serious and invasive" ivy. The approach to managing unwanted ivy varies depending on its location within the garden. For ivy-covered walls, Drip Works experts suggest a vinegar-based spray, as reported by the Express. "If you want an ivy-free garden wall, this is an effective and natural way to achieve it," the experts at Drip Works recommend. They advocate for a mixture consisting of apple cider vinegar, salt, and washing-up liquid, which they claim has been "proven to be the best solution to kill ivy", reports Nottinghamshire Live. Preparing this ivy-killing spray is a breeze; simply mix three easy-to-find ingredients in a spray bottle. Blend one gallon of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of salt, and about two tablespoons (or one ounce) of washing-up liquid. You can use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to tackle ivy, with apple cider vinegar possibly packing a bigger punch for some due to its extra compounds beyond acetic acid. The effectiveness of either vinegar in killing ivy depends on the acetic acid concentration, which varies between different types of vinegar. If you don't have any apple cider vinegar at home, you can easily pick up a bottle from your local supermarket. Sainsbury's sells 500 ml of Apple Cider Vinegar for just £2.10. Before applying the mixture, make sure to secure the lid and give it a good shake. It's also crucial to wear gardening gloves, long sleeves, and boots to protect yourself during the process. How to kill ivy plants Irrigation experts recommend letting the vinegar solution coat the ivy plants for at least five days before evaluating its impact. This liquid mixture acts as a natural herbicide, dehydrating ivy leaves and helping break down their protective waxy layer. The team from Drip Works advised: "After five to six days, use garden shears and a pruning saw to remove dead ivy that is clinging firmly to the building." If any leaves resist the herbicide, you may need to repeat the process until the English ivy is completely eliminated. After the leaves have died off, it's vital to physically remove the roots, as ivy is tenacious and will regrow from even a tiny root fragment. Although ivy can offer nesting spaces for wildlife within its thick growth, unchecked spread can threaten trees by adding weight and competing for light and moisture.
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Acclaimed Oxford scholar who never forgot his roots in Glasgow dies
Died: January 24, 2025 Martin McLaughlin, who died aged 74, was an esteemed Oxford University scholar who would gain a global reputation as a classicist and a literary historian. In Oxford, where his death has been borne heavily, he was a much-loved academic colleague who would become the Serena Agnelli Professor of Italian at Oxford, a position he would hold for 16 years. His contribution to the study of Italian language and literature made him one of the outstanding English-language scholars of his generation, a fact underlined in 2008 when was made a knight by the Italian government. To all whose lives he touched and were made better for his love and friendship he remained entirely unchanged as he began amassing a formidable suite of academic honours. His brother Aidan remarked: 'If Oxford changed him utterly as a scholar, a lecturer and a writer, it never succeeded at all in changing him as a person, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, great uncle and cousin. To us he remained the same Martino.' They recall the boy who took his younger sisters and their friends to play tennis at the convent in Portstewart, and had everyone pause mid-game when the Angelus bell rang so as not to upset the nuns. He was the big brother who took them to big games at Parkhead to see his beloved Celtic and bought them fish suppers on the way home. They remembered the son, brother and uncle who loved family get-togethers and had time for a story or chat with everyone from the oldest to the youngest. And while he could discuss any subject you cared to raise with him, they would all conclude with an assessment of Celtic's chances the following Saturday. At their silver wedding in 1999 Martin revealed that whilst his beloved Cathy could put up with all of his idiosyncrasies, she had declared that if he developed a pot belly, she would divorce him. 'So I've started drinking ten pints a night,' he said. Read more In June 2008, Martin sent an email to his friends and family, headed simply 'Gong'. It read: 'Hi, you guys, just to say that the Italian government has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to give me a gong! I am to be made 'Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana', but you can all just call me 'Eccellenza' for short!' Martin McLaughlin was born in Glasgow on December 4, 1950, the second oldest of eight children born to George and Jo. He followed the family tradition of attending St Aloysius before making the short journey down Sauchiehall Street and Woodlands Road to Glasgow University. It was here where his remarkable intellectual gifts first became evident. His First in Latin and Greek earned him a Snell Bursary which bore him to Balliol College, Oxford in 1973. He flourished there too, earning a First in Classics and Modern Languages, the first time such a combination was possible. He then returned to Scotland to spend 13 enjoyable years as a lecturer in Italian at Edinburgh University, a period in which he also managed to fit in a tidy doctorate by Oxford in 1983. Before long, England's academic Holy of Holies was beckoning him back and he duly made the journey to the south east of England in 1990 to become a lecturer. Professor McLaughlin's love for Italian literature was expressed in a formidable body of work as both translator and writer, specialising in authors who span both ends of Italian literature: Alberti who was one of the earliest writers in the Italian vernacular in the mid-1400s and Italo Calvino, perhaps the most famous 20th century Italian author. His books on these figures made him the leading English-language authority on Calvino. During his time at Oxford, his students and colleagues also began to experience his innate warmth and humanity. As news of his death spread, Professor McLaughlin's Facebook page began to thrum with messages and anecdotes from grateful students and colleagues. He was slightly whimsical about some of the odder Oxford traditions – for example the £200 annual sherry allowance granted to him to enable his tutorials to proceed in what he termed 'a well-oiled manner'. In 2000, on moving from Christchurch (alma mater of Lewis Carroll) to Magdalen, Oscar Wilde's old redoubt, he told anyone who would listen that, having reached the age of 50, the time had arrived for him to leave the college of Alice In Wonderland to move to that of Dorian Gray. Acclaimed Oxford scholar he may have become, but Martin McLaughlin never forgot his roots in Glasgow. Several times a year he would be back amongst the family on visits which usually coincided with an important Celtic fixture. The family's long-time family friend, Evelyn Connolly, wrote this about him recently: 'It was easy to be in his company.' Martin McLaughlin bequeathed a mighty academic legacy, but to his friends and family he left something greater still: a treasury of happy memories of his love and friendship. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cathy, his daughter Mairi, herself a noted scholar and professor at Berkeley University California, his granddaughter Iona and the now far-flung McLaughlin family. At The Herald, we carry obituaries of notable people from the worlds of business, politics, arts and sport but sometimes we miss people who have led extraordinary lives. That's where you come in. If you know someone who deserves an obituary, please consider telling us about their lives. Contact
