Beurling was a Canadian fighter pilot in WW II. Even though he was already a trained flyer, the RCAF truned hin down at the beginning of the War. He then went to England on his own and joined the RAF.
He is mainly known for his exploits during the air battles against the Germans & Italians over Malta. He became known for his extraordinary ability to use deflection shooting to nail his adversaries. He also became infamous for his rebelliousness towards his officers. While in Malta, the lack of food and supplies and the difficult situation the armed forces found themselves in lent to a very relaxed regime. However, when the battles moved on to Italy and England, regular rules applied. Beurling refused to comply and eventually was grounded.
Sent back to Canada as a hero to drum up War Bond sales, he eventually became a problem for the RCAF too. When he realized he would not fly again in the War, he resigned his commission and tried to become a civilian. He was killed in Rome while ferrying a plane to the new state of Israel where he was signed up to fly against the Arab air force. Book contains several pages of photos. ( )