Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Grave marker – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Attestation Paper – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Document – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Document – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Correspondence – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Document – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Correspondence – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Correspondence – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Newspaper clipping – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

Photo of Paul Belkin – Paul Belkin is honoured on page 11 of the memorial book, CANADIAN JEWS IN WORLD WAR II, Part II: Casualties, compiled by David Rome for the Canadian Jewish Congress, Montreal, 1948. This extract is provided courtesy of the Canadian Jewish Congress which holds the copyright for this volume. For additional information about these archival records, please contact: The Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives 1590 Ave. Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Que. H3G 1C5 (Canada) telephone: 514-931-7531 ex. 2 facsimile: 514-931-0548 website: www.cjc.ca

RAF 159 Squadron – RAF 159 Squadron, Bengal, India, Oct 1943. Then-F/Sgt Paul Belkin, air gunner, is in front row, left. He was shot down with some of these men over Mingaladon airfield, Rangoon, night of 9/10 Oct 43, by Sgt Maj Daisuke Nishizawa, a Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" fighter pilot for the famed 64th Sentai of the Japanese Army Air Force. Nishizawa, ironically, was killed during a 159 Squadron bombing operation to Rangoon on the night of 27/28 Nov 1943. Paul's pilot & co-pilot, killed with him, are also identified. S/Ldr L.P. Massey, DFC & Bar: skipper, 3rd from rt; W.G. "Ben" Blue, co-pilot, 2nd from rt. Ben had been a clarinetist in the well-known Teddy Joyce Band in the UK. To Paul's left: Bill Kirkness DFM, a wireless op/air gunner. Bill painted the "Dumbo Delivers" nose art & wanted to record his handiwork for posterity. He said the photo was taken on the day the Massey crew was lost. This may be true, but "Dumbo Delivers" (serial # unknown) was not their Liberator bomber when shot down. Instead, they flew in BZ841 "Q". A photo of "Q" has not been found, but there are photos of "Dumbo Delivers" taken later than 9/10 Oct.

Grave Marker – Paul Belkin's grave marker, Rangoon War Cemetery.

Newspaper Article – "Greater Asia" newspaper, Rangoon, Burma, dated 12 October 1943. This propaganda newspaper, printed in English to appeal to the Burmese and Indian English-speaking population, printed this page one story of Paul Belkin's Liberator's destruction on the night of 9/10 October. See separate image for the photo of Liberator wreckage, which also was printed in this edition of "Greater Asia".

Newspaper Clipping – "Greater Asia" newspaper, Rangoon, Burma, dated 12 October 1943. Published in English to appeal to the Burmese and Indian English-speaking citizens, "Greater Asia" printed a page one story on 12 October (see separate image) describing the shooting down of Paul Belkin's Liberator by Sgt Maj Nishizawa (a fighter pilot for the famed 64th Sentai of the Japanese Army Air Force). This photo & caption accompanied the story. The reproduction is a scan of a poor copy microfilm image from the US National Archives, but it clearly shows the rear fuselage, one of two rudders, the horizontal stabilizer, & rear turret of a B-24 Liberator. Presumably, this was, indeed, Paul's aircraft, but this has not been proven.

Newspaper clipping – From the Calgary Herald. Submitted for the project, Operation: PIcture Me