David Ernest Hornell VC (26 January 1910 – 24 June 1944) was a Canadian recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Early life

David "Bud" Hornell was born on

Toronto Island The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the ...

and spent his later childhood and adolescence in the Toronto suburb of

Mimico Mimico is a neighbourhood (and a former municipality) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, being located in the south-west area of Toronto on Lake Ontario. It is in the south-east corner of the former Township (and later, City) of Etobicoke, and was an in ...

. He attended

Mimico High School Mimico High School (MHS) is a former public secondary school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It served the Mimico neighborhood in Etobicoke. The school was opened in 1924 by the Mimico Board of Education and joined the Etobicoke Board of Education in ...

, having obtained the Fred Werden scholarship, given in memory of the son of Mimico's postmaster, who was killed in the First World War.

Second World War

He enlisted in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

in January 1941, and received his pilot's wings in September the same year. After further instruction in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, he was posted to the Royal Canadian Air Force station on North Vancouver Island. Commissioned in 1942, Flight Lieutenant Hornell completed 60 operational missions, involving some 600 hours flying.

Victoria Cross

Flight Lieutenant Hornell was flying as aircraft captain on a

Consolidated Canso The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...

amphibian aircraft with 162 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron, RCAF, from

RAF Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placenames ...

in Northern Scotland, when the following action took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 24 June 1944 on sea patrol near the

Faroes The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway betw ...

in the North

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, Hornell's aircraft was attacked and badly damaged by the . Nevertheless he and his crew succeeded in sinking the submarine. Hornell then managed to bring his burning aircraft down on the heavy swell. There was only one serviceable dinghy, which could not hold all the crew, so they took turns in the cold water. By the time the survivors were rescued 21 hours later, Hornell was blinded and weak from exposure and cold. He died shortly after being picked up. He is buried in

Lerwick Lerwick (; non, Leirvik; nrn, Larvik) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. Centred off the north coast of the Scottish mainland ...

Cemetery, Shetland Islands.

Citation

Legacy

David Hornell Junior School, an elementary school in Mimico is named after him. The Canso aircraft in the collection of the

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is an aviation museum located at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada. The museum has 47 military jets and propeller-driven aircraft on display. Displayed is a co ...

in Hamilton, Ontario, was restored in the colours and markings of 162 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron and dedicated to the memory of Flight Lieutenant David Hornell, VC. A squadron of the

Royal Canadian Air Cadets The Royal Canadian Air Cadets (french: Cadets de l'Aviation royale du Canada) is a Canadian national youth program for young individuals aged 12 to 18. Under the authority of the National Defence Act, the program is administered by the Canadian F ...

in the west end of Toronto, Ontario, is named after him. A

Toronto Island Airport Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a regional airport located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is often referred to as Toronto Island Airport and was previously known as ''Port George VI Island Airport'' and ''Toronto ...

ferry is named after Hornell The Wing Operations building at CFB 14 Wing Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada is named after Hornell. His Victoria Cross is on loan to 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

and is on display at the Air Force Heritage Museum.

References

External links

Canadian Government Veterans Affairs biography and citation: HORNELL, David Ernest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hornell, David Ernest 1910 births 1944 deaths Military personnel from Toronto Canadian military personnel killed in World War II Canadian World War II pilots Canadian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Deaths from hypothermia People from Etobicoke Royal Canadian Air Force officers Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II Shot-down aviators Burials in Scotland