Britain honours Canadian pilot with DFC

[Nonskimmer]

Boy, "Go Commonwealth!" eh?

First an Aussie now a Canuck, although this guy's actually in the RAF. Still, he is a Nova Scotian after all.

This fella's a local boy too, from Bedford NS, which is a district of Halifax. Way to go, man! Good stuff!


Britain has made a helicopter pilot from Nova Scotia the first Canadian since the Korean war to be honoured with the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Flight Lieut. Christopher Hasler, who grew up in Bedford, and his Royal Air Force helicopter crew twice risked their lives during combat operations in Afghanistan.

In July, Hasler's Chinook helicopter came under intense fire from machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades during a mission to resupply British troops and pick up wounded in a Taliban stronghold in volatile Helmand province.

During another operation, Hasler landed his helicopter in a space among three buildings to get closer to the troops — again under heavy fire.

The slightest error would have been disastrous, but Hasler said there is at least one thing that scares him more than combat in Afghanistan.

"I don't know how I am going to feel when I meet the Queen" in May during the medal ceremony.

Full Article: Britain honours Canadian pilot with DFC

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[Gnomey]

 

[Wildcat]

Good ol' colonials!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

as long as you remember that's what you are, don't go getting any big ideas

but who wouldn't get nervous about meeting the Queen!

 

[evangilder]

 

[lesofprimus]

 

[Matt308]

God bless him.

And I too would be worried that I would inadvertently commit some gaff and end up on the front page of the tabloids.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the Queen's quite friendly though so she'd allow you the odd slip up..........

 

[pbfoot]

as long as you remember that's what you are, don't go getting any big ideas

but who wouldn't get nervous about meeting the Queen!

I didn't it was an interuption to my day off

 

[Bf109_g]

 

[plan_D]

He's a RAF trained helicopter pilot, we expect nothing less!

 

[Nonskimmer]

Absolutely.

 

[Emac44]

Well done to this man. Looks like men and women from the Commonwealth still know how to do their duty in the military

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

I don't need to tell you that many of the stronger commonwealth nations still have a long history of support for Britain, and still feature heavily in all rememberance events...........

 

[Glider]

I have lost my list of the awards but I am pretty sure an American Marine was also awarded the DFC, whilst flying helicopters with the RAF

 

[Wildcat]

and still feature heavily in all rememberance events...........

As they should be

 

[Emac44]

I don't need to tell you that many of the stronger commonwealth nations still have a long history of support for Britain, and still feature heavily in all rememberance events...........

course we do Lanc. Commonwealth might not be as it once was. but its still the Royal Australian Air Force we have here or the Royal Australian Navy it may well be the ARA Australian Regular Army but we still have the RAR Royal Australian Regiments etc. What is ANZAC Day without the reverance to the Crown and the traditions that go with ANZAC Day

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

what always gets me is why Madagaskar are in the Commonwealth but where never in the Empire or came under our controll

 

[Gnomey]

what always gets me is why Madagaskar are in the Commonwealth but where never in the Empire or came under our controll

We traded Madagascar with the French (we got Zanzibar). It was actually not a bad deal for the British who got the main trade post (outside Kenya - which was also British) whereas the French got an Island with no real benefits except lots of vanilla and lemurs...

I think then some point after independance from France they applied to join the Commonwealth and were excepted (the only country not to of been a British colony who is in it).