dday
Posts: 64
Joined: 7/9/2004 Status: offline
|
Death Notices (09/12/04) BIRCHALL, Leonard J. Air Commodore (Retired), CM, OBE, DFC, O Ont, CD, LL.D., D. Sc. M. On Friday, September 10, 2004, at St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, Kingston, ON, in his 90th year. Born in St. Catharines, "Birch" graduated from RMC in 1937 and was commissioned in the RCAF. On April 4th, 1942, while on patrol southeast of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), he and his crew gave the warning that prevented the Japanese fleet from surprising the Allies as they had done at Pearl Harbour. For this action, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and became known as the "Saviour of Ceylon". Shot down, he spent the remainder of the war in prisoner-of-war camps in Japan. His gallantry and constant concern for the welfare of his fellow prisoners led to his being made a member of the Order of the British Empire. Following the war, he held many postings culminating in the positions of Chief of Air Operations, RCAF and Commandant, RMC. At the time of his death, he had completed seventy years of military service; he was the first member of the Canadian Forces to receive the fifth clasp to the Canadian Forces Decoration. In February, 2000, he was made a member of the Order of Canada, and in 2001, was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. A member of the United States Legion of Merit, he was made an "American Eagle", in 2003. Predeceased by his first wife Dorothy Logan Birchall, his second wife Betty Clapp Birchall and his sisters Elizabeth Sinnett and Ina Landale. "Birch" is survived and will be sorely missed by his wife Kathleen, by his daughters Sharon Logan Chandler (Downsview) and Judy Kadish (Vestal, NY) and sons-in-law John Chandler and Gerald Kadish, by his son Charles Birchall (Ottawa) and daughter-in-law Hilary Geller, by his stepson and daughter-in-law David Graham and Pamela Hodgson (St. John's), his stepdaughter and son-in-law Nancy and Leighton Reid (Toronto), by his grandsons David and Christopher Chandler and their wives Angela and Elizabeth, by his granddaughters Isabelle and Emma Birchall, and by his great-grandchildren Jonathan, Victoria, Alexandre and Olivia Chandler. Funeral Service will take place from Chalmers United Church, 212 Barrie Street (at Earl Street), Kingston, ON on Monday, September 13, 2004 at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Air Commodore Leonard and Kathleen Birchall Award/Scholarship Fund, Air Cadet League of Canada, Constitution Building, 313 Rideau Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 5Y4. Online Guest Book www.ReidFuneralHome.com "A Family Tradition for 103 years" The Ottawa Citizen, Area Code 613
|