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James Francis (Stocky) EDWARDS
Canada's greatest ace in the Western Desert Campaign, initially flying the P-40, then the Supermarine Spitfire VIII in 1943 with 417 Squadron, and then towards the end of the war as 127 RCAF CO, replacing Johnnie Johnson. "Stocky" Edwards flew a staggering 373 operational sorties, never having been shot down, while confronting (and beating) several German aces. Retired from the RCAF in 1972 as Lt. Col.
From Wikipedia link on right ... According to Shores and Williams' Aces High, his final wartime score was 15 + 3 shared destroyed, with 9 more destroyed on the ground. Brown and Lavigne's Canadian Wing Commander credits him with 19 victories, 2 shared, 6.5 probable, 17 damaged and 12 destroyed on the ground. During an interview, Edwards himself specified that he had 19 confirmed victories during the war.
in 2009, Edwards was honoured as one of the 100 most influential Canadians in aviation and had his name included with the others on the 2009 CF-18 Centennial of Flight demonstration Hornet.
