Sqdn Ldr Emile John Lussier, RCAF Radio Instructor

[georgetanksherman]

Greetings, on the trail of my research, When World War I began, Capt. Emile John Lussier, born Chicago, Illinois, Oct. 10, 1895. He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in late 1917. Assigned to RAF 73 Squadron flying a Sopwith Camel, where he was credited with 11 kills, after WW I was over, he returned to the U.S., but as WW II winds of war was starting to heat up, he crossed the border into Canada and joined the RCAF as a Squadron Leader, involved with Radio Training. He stayed in Canada until the war was over and he again returned to the U.S., sadly he died December 11, 1974.

Does anyone know where he was assigned and what squadron ? Being a Squadron Leader, would he have been put in charge of a Squadron ?

Aany Help will be appreciated !

Cheers

George

[Temujin]

Looking now George, a few items

The Evening Sun
Hanover, Pennsylvania
07 Aug 1974, Wed • Page 32

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[Temujin]

Side note George, his daughter was a ATA pilot in WW2 AND went on to the OSS

https://www.ata-ferry-pilots.org/index. ... -ann-w-103

https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/the-i ... n-lussier/

[Temujin]

Found some info, he was the “Officer Commanding” at No 4 Wireless School, Burtch Squadron. There was no airfield co-located with the wireless school. All aerial training was conducted at Burtch aerodrome from 1941-1944

No. 4 Wireless School opened on the campus of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), the fourth and last such school in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).

The Expositor
Brantford, Ontario, Canada · Thursday, July 01, 1943

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[Temujin]

Found this record, showing he indeed was the Officer Commanding at Burtch Airfield, which was part of No 4 Wireless Training

RCAF Detachment Burtch:
Opened in 1941 near the village of Burtch as the No. 1 Relief Landing Field for No. 5 SFTS, but was also used by No. 4 Wireless School in Guelph.

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[Temujin]

George, plans of RCAF Station Burtch (No 1 Relief Airfield), that he was the “Officer Commanding”

Just a side note, you may see me saying “OFFICER COMMANDING”…….this is a Canadian/British thing. In our military their can only be ONE COMMANDING OFFICER of a Unit, and all the Officers who may be in commanding of “sub units” of the unit are always called “Officer’s Commanding” (meaning they have been appointed by the COMMANDING OFFICER to run that part of the organization.

In this case No 4 Wireless School has a COMMANDING OFFICER (I believe a Wing Commander, which is equivalent to an Army Colonel), and No 1 Relief Airfield at Burtch was then “Commanded” by an “Officer Commanding” (Sqdn Ldr Emile J Lussier) and he reported to the Wing Commander.

And it’s the same in any of our Organizations……..I was Once (in my younger years) the “Officer Commanding” of 18 Administration Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. This means that I was in charge of the Squadron, and my boss was the Regiments Commanding Officer (who was a Lt Col). So all the Squadrons of the Regiment (their were 4 squadrons) had “Officer’s Commanding” ant the Regiment has ONE Commanding Officer.

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[georgetanksherman]

As always "Thank You" for the info, most of the info out there is about him being a WW I Ace, and just mentions he was also in WW II, but did not go into details what he did, and appreciate the info on "Officers Commanding."

Cheers

George