Background
Lloyd Chadburn was born in Montreal, Quebec on 21 August 1919, later moving with his parents to Oshawa, Ontario as an infant. He grew up there and in Aurora.
Lloyd Chadburn was born in Montreal, Quebec on 21 August 1919, later moving with his parents to Oshawa, Ontario as an infant. He grew up there and in Aurora.
He graduated from the Number 2 Flight Training School in Ottawa on 9 October 1940 as a Pilot Officer.
Birth He worked as a bank clerk at the Bank of Toronto and as a salesman for the Red Rose Tea Company. Chadburn applied to enlist in both the Army and Navy in 1939, but was turned down both times. After a spell working for General Motors and with the Bank of Toronto, he was accepted by the Royal Canadian Air Force (Royal Canadian Air Force) as an Air Gunner in April 1940, but re-mastered as a Pilot.
In December 1940 Chadburn was posted to Number 112 (Army Cooperation) Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes and made his first operational flight in March 1941.
He was posted to the United Kingdom in 1941, and joined 412 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force) in June 1941, moving to 19 Squadron (Royal Air Force) in September. In February 1942 Chadburn was posted to Number 416 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Squadron in Peterhead, Scotland as a Flight Lieutenant.
Days later he took over command of the squadron, becoming the first graduate of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan to lead a Fighter Command squadron. He was also the youngest Squadron Leader in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 21.
Promoted to squadron leader, Chadburn and 416 Squadron flew defensive missions over Dieppe on 19 August 1942, covering the Canadian and Allied raid and claiming his first air victories.
After a period of leave in Canada, he was posted to Number. 402 Squadron and then Number. 403 Squadron, prior to his promotion to Wing Commander for the Royal Air Force Digby Wing in June 1943.
He led the Wing in flying escort to American bombers and the Royal Air Force medium bombers of Number.
2 Group. He was supposedly dubbed The Angel for his escort would assure the bomber crews a safe passage to and from the target. On 3 November 1943 the Wing claimed seven Bf 109"s of World War II/JG 3 (five were actually lost), with Chadburn claiming two personally.
In early 1944, he was appointed Wing Commander, Fighter Operations at Royal Canadian Air Force Group Headquarters Overseas. He was sent back to Canada for a War Bond drive in the spring and upon his return was made wing commander of Number 127 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force, comprising 403, 421 and 416 Squadrons.
Death On 13 June 1944, Chadburn was killed in a mid-air collision with another Spitfire pilot while taking off from a landing strip in Normandy.
He was 24 years of age.