From The Daily Telegraph 28 December.
Commander Bill Atkinson, who has died aged 92, was the highest scoring fighter ace of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War.
Flying for the Royal Navy, in December 1944 Atkinson joined 1844 Naval Air Squadron in the carrier Indomitable, flying the Grumman Hellcat fighter. He cut his teeth on January 24 and 29 1945 when he flew fighter cover during Operation Meridian – air attacks by a British carrier squadron on the Japanese-held oil refineries at Palembang and Pladjoe, on Sumatra, which produced most of Japan’s oil and aviation spirit.
Atkinson’s next action was in April, when he took part in Operation Iceberg, in support of the American assault on Okinawa, when the British Pacific Fleet was tasked to neutralise the Sakishima Gunto islands. During a raid on Miyako airfield, on April 6, Atkinson claimed a first victory over a twin-engined Betty bomber, watching it crash into the sea and explode, but he was only awarded a “share”.
He was more successful on April 12, when he damaged a Tony fighter and shot down in flames a Zero fighter. Next day he shot down another Betty bomber.
On May 21 Atkinson was again in combat when he shot down carrier-based Myrt reconnaissance aircraft. The same day his aircraft was badly damaged by flak but he successfully landed on Indomitable.
On another sortie, Atkinson’s aircraft was hit and covered by leaking oil, and, though ordered back by his flight commander, he commenced a dogfight with a Zero fighter. At the subsequent debrief he was told, “That was pretty wild, Bill”, and from then on he was known as “Wild Bill”.
In June Indomitable was withdrawn for a refit and Atkinson and his squadron were transferred to another fleet carrier, Formidable. There Atkinson achieved a rare distinction on the night of July 25, when four Hellcats were scrambled at night against an approaching raid by Japanese bombers.
Two Hellcats were forced to return with mechanical problems to the carrier, but Atkinson assumed the command and was guided by radar to an interception, where he shot down two Grace torpedo-bombers and damaged a third; his wingman shot down a fourth.
These kills established Atkinson as only the second Canadian naval air ace of the war. He had already been mentioned in despatches when he was awarded the DSC “for determination and address in air attacks”.
He regarded himself as lucky. He himself was the only surviving Canadian flyer in Indomitable, and one of two out of seven Canadian aviators to survive in Formidable.
He could never forget that in Formidable he had found his Canadian friend, Robert “Hammy” Gray, and that it was he who helped Gray strap into his Corsair divebomber on August 9 for the sortie in which Gray lost his life, and for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer.
Postwar Atkinson enjoyed a distinguished career in the Royal Canadian Navy over 30 years.
He flew 3,400 hours in more than 30 types of aircraft, and made 376 decklandings.
