Burden, Henry John

Captain Henry John Burden (1893-1960) served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War. His service began in 1915 when he was commissioned in the 9th Mississauga Horse, a unit that later became the 75th Battalion. Burden was later transferred to the 11th Canadian Machine Gun Corps in May 1916, in which he fought at St. Eloi, the Somme, and Vimy. He rapidly tired of trench warfare however, and in April 1917, decided to join the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Following the completion of his training, he was posted to the 75th and the 85th Squadrons, both of which were located in Britain. After some time spent without seeing any real action, Burden finally left for his posting in the 56th Squadron in France on February 6th, 1918. There, he flew on patrols and special missions, and particularly asserted himself in an air battle on August 10th, during which he eliminated 5 enemy aircraft. In total, Burden flew 137 hours, and shot down 21 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his outstanding service in the RFC, and was officially discharged on January 1st, 1919. Burden began his service in the Second World War as an administrative officer in 1939, and he was made a full Wing Commander in March 1941.