Lt. (P) William Bell Asbridge RCNVR
October 5th 2022
The first Canadian pilot to die in combat over the Japanese home islands.
Originally from Edmonton, Lt. Asbridge was appointed as a Probationary Sub-Lieutenant RCNVR (With seniority dated 23/01/1944). He served in H.M.S. St. Vincent for Pilot Training. He then served in USNAS Grosse Ile and USNAS Pensacola for Training. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (P) (Temp.) RCNVR (With seniority dated 23/07/1944).
Asbridge was stationed as a Corsair pilot with 1842 Squadron on HMS Formidable in 1944. On 18 Jul 1945, Lieutenant Abridge was shot down and killed in action near Tokyo, Japan on 18 July 1945. Abridge was the first Canadian pilot to die in combat over the Japanese home islands.
Special thanks to the Vintage Wings Article: “The First and the Last” by Dave Birrell, and the article “One Cup of Fuel” by Dave O’Malley
Originally from Edmonton, Lt. Asbridge was appointed as a Probationary Sub-Lieutenant RCNVR (With seniority dated 23/01/1944). He served in H.M.S. St. Vincent for Pilot Training. He then served in USNAS Grosse Ile and USNAS Pensacola for Training. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant (P) (Temp.) RCNVR (With seniority dated 23/07/1944).
Asbridge was stationed as a Corsair pilot with 1842 Squadron on HMS Formidable in 1944. On 18 Jul 1945, Lieutenant Abridge was shot down and killed in action near Tokyo, Japan on 18 July 1945. Abridge was the first Canadian pilot to die in combat over the Japanese home islands.
Special thanks to the Vintage Wings Article: “The First and the Last” by Dave Birrell, and the article “One Cup of Fuel” by Dave O’Malley
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