Very interesting to learn that Mr. Whipple was raised just down the road in Hamilton, Ontario. May he RIP.
While I have no doubt he enlisted in the RCAF, and flew as a pilot in WWII, I doubt he was one of The Few.
There is a misconception by many people, particularly in the USA, that the Battle of Britain (specifically the air battle) took place anytime up until D-Day, when the battleground switched to the continent. The Battle of Britain (as referred to by Winston Churchill in his reference to the few to whom we all owe so much), officially occurred from 10 Jul 1940 to 31 Oct 1940.
To have earned the rare "Battle of Britain" clasp to the 1939-1945 Star and be considered one of The Few, you had to participate in at least one active sortie during that time period in one of the officially designated RAF, RCAF, Fleet Air Arm or Allied squadrons.
There are only five Wilsons listed as British or Canadian out of the 2937 pilots on the official listing of The Few, none of them a Richard...and nor is anyone listed with his original Italian birth name.
https://www.battleofbritain1940.net/bobhsoc/aircrew.php
To have fought as an RCAF pilot in the Battle of Britain and get to the UK in time to be one of The Few, he would have had to already have his pilot's wings and be a member of an existing squadron at the time war was initially declared in September 1939.
There were only two RCAF squadrons in Britain by the time of the Battle of Britain: No. 110 (City of Toronto) Squadron (now 400 Squadron), an army co-operation (air-reconnaissance and ground-interdiction) squadron and No. 1 (City of Westmount) Squadron (now 401 Squadron), a fighter squadron. Only the latter fought in the official Battle of Britain and is a designated squadron. It was also the only non-RAF Commonwealth squadron to participate in the Battle of Britain.
Lest We Forget.
