82:
525:
985:
299:, the airborne operation to capture the Dutch Rhine bridges.) After his tour ended he arrived back in Canada in November 1944. Laubman applied to return to active duty and was assigned command of
373:
He died in June 2018 at the age of 96. Two CF-18 Hornet fighters from the RCAF base at Cold Lake, Alberta, performed a flyby at the celebration of life for him and his wife in Red Deer.
335:
He was released from the RCAF in
September 1945, but rejoined the RCAF in January 1946. Laubman first served with No. 6 Communications Flight, NWAC. He was a founding member of the
516:
206:
at No 3 Service Flying
Training School (SFTS). Rated above average as a pilot, he then served as an instructor at No 31 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) at
211:
990:
980:
862:
965:
521:
359:
in April 1970 to August 1971 before becoming Chief of
Personnel, CFHQ in May 1972 until his retirement. Upon his retirement he held the rank of
499:
Sheldon
Spackman, "CF-18 Hornet flyby honours decorated Red Deer war vet, community builder Don Laubman, wife Margie," RDNewsNow, July 1, 2018
385:
316:
165:
137:
28:
370:
for distinguished service as a fighter pilot with the Royal
Canadian Air Force and as a central Alberta business and community leader.
975:
276:, 13 RCAF fighter pilots in service on the continent accounted for more than 120 German aircraft claimed destroyed. The top scorer was
315:
Laubman's final count was 15 destroyed, and 3 damaged. 14 of those 15 were between June and
October 1944. His decorations include the
366:
In 1979, he opened a
Canadian Tire store in Red Deer, Alberta, and was very active in community affairs. In 2007, he was awarded the
855:
824:
466:
950:
848:
410:
829:
477:
324:
174:
147:
37:
674:
303:
as a
Squadron Leader. When Laubman's Spitfire was downed by the explosion of his strafed target, he became a
253:, and flew fighter operations over occupied Europe. After witnessing an impassioned speech given by General
891:
623:
336:
714:
367:
360:
170:
157:
142:
115:
33:
344:
970:
929:
756:
666:
186:. He remained in the Canadian armed services after the war rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
583:
395:
199:
97:
352:
296:
382:
427:"Profile of Don Laubman - WW II Ace Fighter Pilot [Interview, at 24:06 of 39:04 video]"
356:
283:
On 26 and 27 September
Laubman flew four missions and downed seven enemy aircraft; four German
207:
905:
796:
764:
615:
340:
273:
960:
955:
564:
300:
288:
254:
235:
8:
918:
222:
In
September 1942 he was commissioned and served with No. 133 Squadron, at Boundary Bay,
406:
284:
242:
81:
355:
in July 1969, remaining in the post until April 1970. He was then made Commander of
607:
223:
195:
58:
658:
591:
545:
455:
389:
304:
277:
258:
788:
650:
231:
426:
944:
780:
736:
722:
488:
348:
179:
339:
aerobatic team and flew with the team from 1949 to 1951. He then commanded
910:
840:
688:
246:
125:
772:
599:
511:
250:
227:
874:
530:
262:
183:
986:
Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
454:
Alberta Order of Excellence, "Lt. General Donald C. Laubman DFC, CD,"
343:
from January 1951 to March 1952. He went on to command No. 3 Wing at
320:
445:
Obituary, "Donald Curry Laubman," Red Deer Advocate, June 20, 2018.
292:
886:
431:
203:
178:(16 October 1921 – 20 June 2018) was a Second World War Canadian
347:
from July 1963 to August 1966. In April 1967 he was promoted to
871:
524:
85:
202:(RCAF) in September 1940, and completed his pilot training in
269:
226:, Canada until May 1943. In August 1943 he went overseas to
210:. In September 1942 he was commissioned and served with
291:(plus another Bf 109 damaged). This happened in the
327:with two Bars. He is the fourth ranking RCAF ace.
403:Sixty Years—The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924–1984
261:on 6 June 1944 (D-Day), covering the landings on
942:
238:, 126 Wing (83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force).
467:Remembering the accomplishments of Don Laubman
456:https://www.alberta.ca/aoe-donald-laubman.aspx
991:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
856:
870:
241:In the late spring and early summer of 1944
214:on the Canadian west coast until May 1943.
981:Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence
863:
849:
198:, on 16 October 1921. He enlisted in the
966:Canadian military personnel from Alberta
245:Laubman and 412 Squadron were based in
943:
844:
825:List of World War II aces from Canada
520:
424:
383:Air Force Association of Canada entry
13:
14:
1002:
976:Canadian World War II flying aces
505:
330:
217:
830:List of World War II flying aces
523:
280:Don Laubman, with 15 victories.
80:
16:Royal Canadian Air Force officer
396:The Alberta Order of Excellence
493:
482:
478:McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet
471:
460:
448:
439:
418:
405:. Toronto: Canav Books, 1984.
1:
425:Bakes, Roger (May 31, 2012).
376:
512:Don Laubman at acesofww2.com
189:
7:
368:Alberta Order of Excellence
325:Canadian Forces' Decoration
148:Canadian Forces' Decoration
143:Alberta Order of Excellence
10:
1007:
351:and he took up command of
317:Distinguished Flying Cross
138:Distinguished Flying Cross
107:1940 – 1972
882:
820:
643:
576:
557:
538:
533:with 10+ aerial victories
131:
121:
111:
103:
91:
76:
64:
45:
21:
951:Canadian aerobatic teams
310:
200:Royal Canadian Air Force
98:Royal Canadian Air Force
297:Operation Market-Garden
529:Canadian World War II
398:Retrieved 2 April 2014
392:Retrieved 2 April 2014
357:Canadian Forces Europe
295:area (the location of
212:No. 133 Squadron, RCAF
401:Milberry, Larry, ed.
289:Messerschmitt Bf 109s
161:Donald Currie Laubman
104:Years of service
23:Donald Currie Laubman
301:No. 402 Squadron RAF
255:Dwight D. Eisenhower
236:No. 412 Squadron RAF
194:Laubman was born in
919:Golden Centennaires
792:(10 & 1 shared)
784:(10 & 1 shared)
776:(10 & 1 shared)
768:(10 & 5 shared)
760:(10 & 8 shared)
718:(12 & 5 shared)
678:(13 & 1 shared)
654:(14 & 1 shared)
627:(15 & 1 shared)
619:(15 & 3 shared)
611:(15 & 4 shared)
603:(16 & 1 shared)
595:(17 & 2 shared)
587:(18 & 4 shared)
549:(31 & 1 shared)
234:and then posted to
388:2011-10-06 at the
361:Lieutenant General
353:No. 1 Air Division
307:on 14 April 1945.
285:Focke-Wulf Fw 190s
257:, 412 crossed the
158:Lieutenant-General
116:Lieutenant General
971:Canadian generals
938:
937:
838:
837:
813:
807:
801:
793:
785:
777:
769:
761:
753:
747:
741:
733:
730:Donald MacFayden
727:
719:
711:
705:
699:
693:
685:
679:
671:
663:
655:
636:
628:
620:
612:
604:
596:
588:
569:
550:
287:and three German
243:Flight Lieutenant
155:
154:
998:
865:
858:
851:
842:
841:
811:
805:
799:
797:Frederick Aikman
791:
783:
775:
767:
759:
751:
745:
739:
731:
725:
717:
709:
703:
697:
691:
683:
677:
669:
661:
653:
634:
626:
618:
610:
602:
594:
586:
567:
548:
528:
527:
518:
517:
500:
497:
491:
486:
480:
475:
469:
464:
458:
452:
446:
443:
437:
436:
422:
341:No. 416 Squadron
224:British Columbia
196:Provost, Alberta
177:
168:
93:
84:
71:
59:Provost, Alberta
55:
53:
40:
31:
19:
18:
1006:
1005:
1001:
1000:
999:
997:
996:
995:
941:
940:
939:
934:
878:
869:
839:
834:
816:
804:Leslie Gosling
659:Robert Fumerton
639:
592:Willie McKnight
584:Vernon Woodward
572:
553:
546:George Beurling
534:
522:
508:
503:
498:
494:
487:
483:
476:
472:
465:
461:
453:
449:
444:
440:
423:
419:
390:Wayback Machine
379:
333:
323:as well as the
313:
305:prisoner of war
278:Squadron Leader
259:English Channel
220:
192:
169:
164:
69:
57:
56:16 October 1921
51:
49:
41:
32:
27:
25:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1004:
994:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
936:
935:
933:
932:
927:
924:
921:
916:
913:
908:
906:The Red Knight
903:
900:
897:
894:
889:
883:
880:
879:
868:
867:
860:
853:
845:
836:
835:
833:
832:
827:
821:
818:
817:
815:
814:
808:
802:
794:
789:Hamilton Upton
786:
778:
770:
765:Irving Kennedy
762:
754:
748:
744:Donald Gordon
742:
734:
728:
720:
712:
706:
702:John Turnbull
700:
694:
686:
680:
675:Roderick Smith
672:
664:
656:
651:William Klersy
647:
645:
641:
640:
638:
637:
632:Don C. Laubman
629:
624:Edward Charles
621:
613:
605:
597:
589:
580:
578:
574:
573:
571:
570:
561:
559:
555:
554:
552:
551:
542:
540:
536:
535:
515:
514:
507:
506:External links
504:
502:
501:
492:
481:
470:
459:
447:
438:
416:
415:
414:
399:
393:
378:
375:
332:
331:Postwar career
329:
312:
309:
232:United Kingdom
219:
218:Service career
216:
191:
188:
153:
152:
151:
150:
145:
140:
133:
129:
128:
123:
119:
118:
113:
109:
108:
105:
101:
100:
95:
89:
88:
78:
74:
73:
72:(aged 96)
66:
62:
61:
47:
43:
42:
26:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1003:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
948:
946:
931:
928:
925:
922:
920:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
901:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
884:
881:
876:
873:
866:
861:
859:
854:
852:
847:
846:
843:
831:
828:
826:
823:
822:
819:
810:James Walker
809:
803:
798:
795:
790:
787:
782:
781:John Mitchner
779:
774:
771:
766:
763:
758:
755:
749:
743:
738:
737:Richard Audet
735:
729:
724:
723:George Keefer
721:
716:
715:Robert Barton
713:
707:
701:
696:John McElroy
695:
690:
687:
682:Albert Houle
681:
676:
673:
668:
665:
660:
657:
652:
649:
648:
646:
642:
633:
630:
625:
622:
617:
616:James Edwards
614:
609:
606:
601:
598:
593:
590:
585:
582:
581:
579:
575:
566:
563:
562:
560:
556:
547:
544:
543:
541:
537:
532:
526:
519:
513:
510:
509:
496:
490:
489:CFB Cold Lake
485:
479:
474:
468:
463:
457:
451:
442:
434:
433:
428:
421:
417:
412:
411:0-9690703-4-9
408:
404:
400:
397:
394:
391:
387:
384:
381:
380:
374:
371:
369:
364:
362:
358:
354:
350:
349:Air Commodore
346:
342:
338:
328:
326:
322:
318:
308:
306:
302:
298:
294:
290:
286:
281:
279:
275:
271:
266:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
239:
237:
233:
229:
225:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
187:
185:
181:
180:fighter pilot
176:
172:
167:
162:
159:
149:
146:
144:
141:
139:
136:
135:
134:
130:
127:
124:
120:
117:
114:
110:
106:
102:
99:
96:
90:
87:
83:
79:
75:
67:
63:
60:
48:
44:
39:
35:
30:
20:
926:Deadeye Zips
911:Golden Hawks
631:
565:Henry McLeod
495:
484:
473:
462:
450:
441:
430:
420:
402:
372:
365:
334:
314:
282:
267:
240:
221:
193:
160:
156:
126:World War II
122:Battles/wars
70:(2018-06-20)
68:20 June 2018
961:2018 deaths
956:1921 births
892:Blue Devils
773:Robert Kipp
757:George Hill
750:David Ness
708:Eric Woods
667:Stan Turner
600:Buck McNair
531:flying aces
345:Zweibrücken
337:Blue Devils
251:West Sussex
228:RAF Redhill
945:Categories
915:Goldilocks
902:Skylancers
608:Mark Brown
377:References
263:Juno Beach
184:flying ace
77:Allegiance
52:1921-10-16
930:Snowbirds
899:Fireballs
896:Easy Aces
875:aerobatic
689:John Kent
208:De Winton
190:Biography
923:Warlocks
872:Canadian
386:Archived
293:Nijmegen
247:Tangmere
92:Service/
887:Siskins
432:YouTube
230:in the
204:Calgary
409:
274:VE Day
132:Awards
94:branch
86:Canada
877:teams
644:10–14
577:15–19
558:20–24
311:Tally
270:D-Day
268:From
173:
36:
812:(10)
806:(10)
800:(10)
752:(11)
746:(11)
740:(11)
732:(12)
726:(12)
710:(13)
704:(13)
698:(13)
692:(13)
684:(13)
670:(14)
662:(14)
635:(15)
568:(21)
407:ISBN
319:and
182:and
112:Rank
65:Died
46:Born
539:25+
321:Bar
272:to
171:AOE
166:DFC
34:AOE
29:DFC
947::
429:.
363:.
265:.
249:,
175:CD
163:,
38:CD
864:e
857:t
850:v
435:.
413:.
54:)
50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.svg){kind=small}