Canada, Commonwealth. An RCAF Uniform & Busby, to Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Edward McBurney, CBE, CD

Includes: Dress Tunic, Busby, Waist Belt, Sword Strap, Aiguillettes and Pair of Dress Gloves.

Officer's Dress Tunic (the exterior fabricated from a grayish-blue wool blend, the traditional look of the RCAF, with shoulder boards on both shoulders, each of the boards illustrating an eagle surmounted by the Tudor crown in gold-coloured and silvered bullion wire, in various textures, maroon felt in the void of the crown, touches of red and green embroidery in the base of the crown, with a brass button bearing the RCAF insignia at the neck end, the threading securing the left shoulder board having come away and is now pinned in place. The collar is adorned with silvered bullion wire oak leaves on either side and framed by three rows of trim in gold-coloured bullion wire along the entire length of the collar. The underside of the collar is lined in black rayon with a dual hook and eye closure at the opening, finished with a protective tab stitched in place at the left side opening, to protect the neck of the wearer from chafing from the hook and eye. The front is designed without pockets, with an RCAF pilot's wing stitched in place on the left breast, the wing in gold-coloured and silvered bullion wire, in various textures, illustrating the Tudor crown above "RCAF" within a wreath and flanked by wings on either side, with maroon felt in the void of the crown, along with touches of red and green embroidery in the base of the crown. The front is completed by seven large brass buttons on the right side, each with the crowned RCAF eagle insignia, facing an equal number of reinforced button holes on the left, the large buttons maker marked "J.R. GAUNT & SON Ltd MONTREAL" on the reverse. There are loops on either side at the waist for the placement of the belt, along with two large brass buttons sewn in place at the rear along the waistline. Both sleeve cuffs have Flight Lieutenant/Lieutenant rank stripes sewn in place, incorporating a narrow stripe flanked by wide stripes on either side, in fine gold-coloured bullion wire. The inside of the tunic is lined in two materials: a white wool lining along the bottom third, while the top two-thirds and the sleeves are lined in a white rayon. It is named in blue ink "S/L R M McBURNEY" on the white rayon lining just below the black rayon collar. There is a gray elasticized strap with brass clip sewn in place on the left side, and when joined to the brass receiving buckle sewn in place near the opening on the right side of the tunic, ensures a snug fit at the waist. The tunic measures 420 mm across the shoulders x 670 mm in length, without interruption in the exterior fabrics, the interior with soiling, wear and repair evident);

Dress Busby (hardshelled frame with a leather exterior, created by two panels stitched along the seam running down the centre, the exterior partially covered with fine black fur, braided cord in gold-coloured bullion wire and bluish-gray embroidery draped along the front from side to side, a 44 mm (w) x 44.5 mm (h) RCAF cap badge affixed to the front, the cap badge with a sterling silver eagle mounted to a silver gilt circlet bearing the motto "PER ARDVA AD ASTRA" (Through Adversity to the Stars) and surmounted by the Tudor crown, a light blue-grey feathered plume with a gold-coloured bullion wire and bluish-gray embroidered base rising from behind the cap badge. The inside with a 40 mm wide leather sweatband, inscribed in black ink "F/L R E McBURNEY" on the right side, the ends of the sweatband stitched together at the rear and finished with a gray bow-tied ribbon, the dome lined in a copper-coloured silk, with an additional liner fronting the dome with an adjustable drawstring, a 10 mm wide chinstrap with a black patent leather upper, the busby without maker marks or sizing, measuring 205 mm width x 238 mm in depth x 140 mm in height);

Dress Waist Belt (upper in gold-coloured bullion wire and bluish-gray embroidery, the underside in pebbled black leather, a bronze gilt RCAF belt buckle secured in place on the right end, the buckle bearing an eagle above the inscription "PER ARDVA AD ASTRA" and surmounted by the St. Edward crown, all within an opened-ended wreath of laurel leaves, the left end with a receiving clip for the buckle and backed by a black leather tab stitched in place to the underside of the belt, the belt measuring 44 mm in width x 975 mm in length, two 23 mm (w) sword hanger straps suspended from the left side of the belt with brass fittings, the upper of each strap in navy blue embroidery with raised piping in gold-coloured bullion wire on either side, the one strap having come away from the body of the belt and held in place by a u-shaped pin); Sword Strap (in black leather, with a repeating oak leaves and acorn pattern running down the centre, flanked by raised piping, all in gold-coloured bullion wire on either side, measuring 26 mm in width x 750 mm in length);

Aiguillettes (cord is fabricated from fine gold-coloured bullion wire with bluish-gray embroidery, the cord divided into three strands that protrude from six entry points on a central patch that rests upon the shoulder of the wearer, the one cord is braided, with bronze gilt metal tips, ball caps on the tips with a mesh cap in fine twisted gold-coloured wire, each of the tips bearing the image of a fasces and measuring 122 mm in length);

and Pair of Dress Gloves (in white leather, snap closure at the opening, measuring 83 mm in width at the opening x 250 mm in length). As worn, very fine.

Footnote: Ralph Edward McBurney was born on August 17, 1906 in Montreal, Quebec and grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As a boy, he was intensely interested in electricity and radio, influenced by the British Books "Chums" and "Boys Own Annual", the publications explaining all sorts of mechanical, electrical and radio technology. His interest in flying was derived from a deep admiration for those who flew and later came to consider signals as a most important element of flying. Beginning in 1923, during the winter months, he attended the University of Saskatchewan, at the age of 17 and, in later years, the University of Manitoba, and would graduate in 1930 as an Electrical Engineer, having spent some time as a member of the Canadian Officer Training Corps. In 1924, while some university classmates joined other services like the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS), McBurney joined the fledgling Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and was assigned RCAF Service Number 96. He was commissioned in 1927 and awarded the rank of Pilot Officer (non-permanent).

From 1924 to 1935, the main tasks of the RCAF were Civil Government Air Operations (CGAO) including forestry protection, anti-smuggling flights, mercy missions, the air transport of mail, and experimental work. This gave work to young people, along with useful experience in flying and commanding small units. It also gave command of several operational bases to pilots of the First World War. Over the years a variety of aircraft were used for these purposes including some First World War machines. A second important task was refresher flying training for First World War pilots and flying training for both Provisional Pilot Officers (PPOs) and direct entry officers from the Royal Military College in Kingston. McBurney's first years as a Provisional Pilot Officer (PPO), Pilot Officer (P/O), Flying Officer (F/O) and Flight Lieutenant (F/L) were spent, in part, on courses at Borden, Ontario and at Jericho Beach (Vancouver), British Columbia, the latter location where he took a sea-plane training course aboard H2SL flying boats.

He attended the Royal Air Force (RAF) School of Army Co-operation in Old Sarum, Salisbury, England in 1931, returning in 1932. At other times he flew out of locations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, conducting forest fire patrols, along with aerial photography and mapping. Gas caches were strategically placed so pilots could land and refuel, the weather and cloud cover often playing havoc with the open-cockpit planes. In the Northwest Territories, he made "strip maps" of aerial routes, which were increasing in usage by the RCAF and civilian companies.

He and his companions, in a Vickers Vedette and a Bellanca Pacemaker, flew along specified routes taking a series of three overlapping photographs. From these, fifteen mile wide strip maps were produced giving good detail of the ground along the central five miles and good enough detail along the sides, to help confirm where one was on the central strip. From 1933 to 1935, McBurney served as an instructor at the RCAF School of Army Co-operation at Camp Borden, the camp also the home of the Royal Canadian Signals Depot.

This was followed in 1935-1936 by McBurney becoming the first RCAF officer to attend the Officer's Long Signals Course at the RAF Wireless School at Cranwell, Lincolnshire, England. It was here that he became a signals expert, as he considered signals a most important element of flying. Upon graduation from the course, he received the specialist symbol "S". From 1936 to 1942, with the exception of his attendance at the Staff College Course at the RAF Staff College, Andover, Hampshire, England, McBurney served as the Senior Signals Officer and Director of Signals at Royal Canadian Air Force Headquarters (AFHQ) in Ottawa, Ontario.

It was here that he was involved in a multitude of activities, including selecting the first 800 potential radar technicians requested by Britain as "direct entries", introducing ground and airborne radars to the RCAF, adapting British and American radar research to RCAF needs, arranging the production of Canadian radar equipment, establishing radar defence stations on both Canada's Atlantic and Pacific coast, and arranging signal schools. He arranged for Flight Lieutenant C.M. Fawcett, Flight Lieutenant Campbell and Flying Officer G.H.L. Norman to go to Britain, in order to study British radar, along with arranging and coordinating the production of Canadian equipment with Northern Electric and Marconi.

In January 1943, Group Captain McBurney became Commanding Officer at RCAF Station Trenton, in Trenton, Ontario, and retained this position until November 1943. He was posted to England in late 1943, and in the rank of Air Commodore, he became Commanding Officer at Middleton St. George, Headquarters of No. 6 (Canadian) Bomber Group, overseeing conversion and operational training organizations. From late 1944 to mid 1945, he served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at Group Headquarters, responsible for the flying operations of 11 Stations, 14 Squadrons, four Training Units and over 300 bomber aircraft. During this time, in the rank of Acting Air Commodore, McBurney was Mentioned in Despatches, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 36866 of Friday, December 29, 1944, on Monday, January 1, 1945, p. 100.

Five months later, Air Commodore Ralph Edward McBurney, No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force was awarded the Commander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 37119 of Friday, June 8, 1945, on Thursday, June 14, 1945, page 2947. After the war, he returned to Canada and formed the RCAF Air Maintenance Command, to supply services previously performed by Air Force Headquarters and was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal in 1945. Early in 1946, Air Vice-Marshal McBurney became President of the RCAF War Crimes Court, which was conducted in Germany.

The first case to be heard by the Court beginning on Friday, March 15, 1946, involved Corporal Johann Neitz, a former German soldier, charged with firing two shots with intent to kill into Flying Officer (Bombardier) Rudolph Roman, along with an alternate charge of wounding a prisoner of war. Roman was aboard his Halifax aircraft on October 16, 1944, conducting a raid upon Wilhelmshaven, Germany, when it was shot down, with Roman parachuting to safety but injured. He was subsequently captured and taken as a prisoner of war. Roman told the opening session of an RCAF war crimes trial that a German marine, after taking him prisoner, had told him to put his hands up and then had shot him twice through the body.

Standing in the witness box, Roman pointed across the court at Johann Neitz and said: "That's the man there." Corporal Neitz had pleaded innocent to the charges of shooting Roman with intent to kill and of wounding Roman. Wing Commander Pat Durdin of London, Ontario, who was the prosecutor, said Neitz took Roman from a lighthouse where he sought shelter and shot him twice in the side. Roman did not receive medical treatment until sometime later when he was taken to a naval hospital.

The lighthouse keeper, Paul Bornert, recounted how Roman had arrived and also stated that he went ashore in the morning and returned with a German soldier whom he identified in court as Corporal Neitz. As they approached the lighthouse, he alleged that Neitz said to him: "I am not going to take him back to shore at all. I am going to bump him off on the way." The lighthouse keeper tried to dissuade him and told him that Roman was not armed and was injured. Bornert said the German soldier replied "Nonsense, We are not going to fool around with him very long" and then pointed to a bomb crater where he said he would shoot the airman.

Bornert said that while they were in the lighthouse, Neitz pointed his gun at Roman's chest and ordered him to raise his hands. The lighthouse keeper added "They walked toward the shore and when they passed the bomb crater I said to myself, 'He must have changed his mind.' I did not watch them further but later noticed a crowd of people on the shore".

On the second day of the trial, the accused Corporal Neitz told the RCAF war crimes court that he had shot Flying Officer Roman after taking him prisoner because the Canadian officer did not follow orders. Neitz said he spoke in German and was not sure the Canadian understood him. He denied telling lighthouse keeper Paul Bornert, as Bornert testified the day before, that he would kill Roman on the mudflats. Neitz said in a statement that he took Roman prisoner in the lighthouse and took him ashore.

After a walk over the mudflats, Corporal Neitz claimed the RCAF airman said he didn't want to go any further: "I told him to go on but he did not and I had to use my weapon. I shot at him". Corporal Johann Neitz was convicted of his crime and was one of only two enemy servicemen convicted by Canada of war crimes following the Second World War. Both were sentenced to serve their time in Canada.

As for the victim, Roman survived his wounds and later joined the rest of the crew, spending the balance of the war in a Prisoner of War Camp. After his stint with the RCAF War Crimes Court, he returned to Britain as the Senior Canadian Air Force Liaison Officer at the Canadian Joint Liaison Office, London, England. He was head of the RCAF Air Materiel Command between 1948 and 1952, involved with Government purchases of RCAF equipment for airbases and the new cross-Canada radar lines. Air Vice-Marshal McBurney was awarded the Canadian Forces' Decoration with Bar and retired in 1952.

On October 23, 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. Upon entering civilian life, he joined Rogers Majestic, a company that was shortly thereafter purchase by Philips Electronics. Then, beginning in 1959, he joined the National Research Council of Canada, as a consultant to industry, until 1972. He is also documented as having been a financial contributor to the National Air Force Museum of Canada at Astra (near Trenton), Ontario.

The death announcement for Air Vice-Marshal Ralph McBurney appeared in the October 30, 2004 edition of the Ottawa Citizen, McBurney passing away at the age of 98. He was married to Gertrude Elizabeth McBurney (nee Bate), who passed away in her 98th year, on November 15, 2004, predeceased three weeks previously by her husband of 72 years. She was blessed with diplomatic skills, a requirement of the wife of a Senior Officer in the RCAF. McBurney and his wife are buried in Beechwood Cemetery, Section 64, the National Cemetery of Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario.