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13h ago

Canadian Pilot’s WWII Heroism Prompts Renewed Call for Recognition

Darlington MP urges Canada to honor Pilot Officer William McMullen posthumously, as family seeks recognition before his ailing daughter’s time runs out.

Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot Officer William McMullen is shown in an undated composite handout photo. A British Member of Parliament is pushing for the Canadian government to recognize McMullen, who sacrificed himself to save a town in the United Kingdom during a training accident during the Second World War. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Chris Lloyd, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
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Overview

  • Pilot Officer William McMullen steered his burning Lancaster bomber away from Darlington, England, in 1945, saving civilian lives at the cost of his own.
  • Darlington honors McMullen annually with memorials, a street name, and a plaque, and discussions are underway to erect a statue in his memory.
  • Darlington MP Lola McEvoy has formally requested the Canadian government consider McMullen for a posthumous bravery medal, citing his sacrifice as exemplary heroism.
  • Veterans Affairs Canada has stated that a 1950 policy bars nominations for wartime bravery more than five years after the act, complicating efforts to honor McMullen.
  • McMullen’s family, including his 86-year-old daughter battling liver cancer, is advocating urgently for recognition before her health further declines.