William Henry Atkinson William Henry Isaac Atkinson DSC , CD ( born 22 April 1923 ) was the highest scoring fighter ace of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and the last pilot from The Commonwealth to become an ace during the war . Atkinson claimed five aircraft destroyed and two shared . During the war he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was Mentioned in Despatches . Remaining in the navy after the war he was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration and clasp . After the war he remained in the Royal Canadian Navy and was eventually promoted to Commander and given command of the destroyer HMCS " Haida " and the officers training school HMCS " Venture " before retiring . Career . William Henry Isaac Atkinson was born on 22 April 1923 , and raised at Minnedosa in Manitoba , later moving to Winnipeg . In January 1943 , during the Second World War , the 19 - year - old Atkinson volunteered to be an aviator with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve ( RCNVR ) . Atkinson was sent to the United Kingdom for his basic flying training at HMS " St . Vincent " at Gosport . He was sent back to Canada to undertake further flying training at RCAF Goderich and RCAF Station Aylmer . He was promoted to petty officer in March 1944 and qualified as a pilot and received his wings in April and was commissioned Acting Sub - Lieutenant . Atkinson was then sent back to the United Kingdom , posted to 761 Naval Air Squadron at the Royal Naval College Greenwich . Promoted sub - lieutenant on 1 October 1944 , he was posted to HMS " Ravager " for Deck Landing Training with the Supermarine Seafire . Advanced flying training was carried out on the Grumman Hellcat at RNAS " Puttalam " in Ceylon . HMS " Indomitable " . Having completed his flying training , Atkinson was posted to the Grumman - Hellcat - equipped 1844 Naval Air Squadron aboard the fleet carrier , part of the British Pacific Fleet in December 1944 . In January 1945 , Atkinson ' s ship was part of the force gathered for Operation Meridian , air strikes on the Japanese held oil installations at Palembang on Sumatra . Their objectives were at Songei Gerong , which had been the East Indies refinery for the Standard Oil Company . The other was at Pladjoe , the former Royal Dutch Shell refinery . Together these plants produced 50 percent of Japan ' s oil and 75 percent of their aviation fuel . Atkinson took part in the operations on 24 and 29 January . In April 1945 , Atkinson also took part in Operation Iceberg in support of the American assault on Okinawa . The British Pacific Fleet had objectives on the Sakishima Islands and Formosa . During the first raid on Miyako airfield , Atkinson claimed his first victory over a Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " bomber , but he was only awarded a probable . He was more successful on 6 April , shooting down a Yokosuka D4Y " Judy " dive - bomber . He followed this up with a confirmed Mitsubishi A6M " Zero " fighter and a probable Kawasaki Ki - 61 " Tony " fighter shot down on 12 April . His third confirmed victory was over another " Betty " bomber on 13 April and he shared in the destruction of a Nakajima C6N carrier - based reconnaissance aircraft on 15 April . His total for April was three confirmed , two probables and one shared . In a follow - up attack on the Sakishima Islands on 21 May , Atkinson ' s Hellcat was badly damaged by flak . In June " Indomitable " was withdrawn for a refit , and Atkinson and his squadron were transferred to another fleet carrier . On 25 July , while still aboard " Formidable " , Atkinson and three other pilots were on a night patrol . Two of the aircraft were forced to return to " Formidable " with mechanical problems . Atkinson and the other pilot , Sub - Lieutenant Mckie , were directed towards a radar contact . The contact was a flight of Aichi B7A " Grace " torpedo bombers . Atkinson shot down three of them while Mckie got the fourth . Atkinson ' s success led to his being mentioned in despatches and awarded a Distinguished Service Cross " For gallant services in the Pacific . For gallantry , skill and marked devotion to duty in the Far East . " Later career . After the Second World War Atkinson transferred from the RCNVR to the Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN ) . He became a Squadron Leader with the RCN his squadron being equipped with the McDonnell F2H Banshee . In 1958 he became the executive officer on the destroyer HMCS " Nootka " . Promoted to commander in 1962 , he was given command of the destroyer HMCS " Haida " from July 1962 to September 1963 . He then commanded the Officer Training School HMCS " Venture " before retiring from the navy on 1 September 1973 . After the navy he moved to Peachland , British Columbia .