Canadian Forces

Doug Burnell, 24 missions before he died

projectionist

At 11:00am on Sept 14, 1944 Doug Burnell was in his bed after a long night of drinking. He had been sent for by the Wing Commander of the 408 Squadron because of his missing two flying assignments. When woken, he told a fellow airman that one way to get out of his trouble was to shoot himself. His friend testified that he gave Burnell a cigarette and told him to get out of bed and go see the Wing Commander. At 11:30am an airbase medical officer found Burnell dead in his bed with his gun still in his hand. Today, we read about depression and suffered by military personnel during wartime. These are typical symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s a medical problem. In 1944 it was a character flaw. A death by suicide was embarrassing to the military. An airman who was incapacitated by a mental disorder was expected to “shape up and get over it”. This attitude and its resulting lack of care were the causes of Burnell’s death. 24 year old Doug Burnell had succeeded in bringing his crew and aircraft back to base after 24 missions, but could take no more. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is reported to affect up to 1 in 7 (15%) of returning veterans. If the sufferers like Doug Burnell who don’t come back are also counted, PTSD becomes an even more significant cost of war. Doug Burnell had been orphaned at a young age and perhaps this only added to his stress, we will never know, but all Canadians should be proud of the sacrifices Doug and thousands of others made with their young lives!