Mount Bazalgette

This mountain was named in 1949 in honour of Squadron Leader Ian W. Bazalgette VC. A Calgary born Lancaster Bomber pilot with the Royal Air Force, S/L Bazalgette was the only Albertan awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War. Bazalgette was born in Calgary and educated in Ontario and England. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. By mid-1943 he had completed a tour of thirty operations and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He arranged with Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie to join the elite Pathfinder Group which marked targets for the main bomber force and was posted to 635 Squadron. The target on 4 August 1944 was a V-1 Rocket site at Trossy, St. Maximin. It had been bombed on the two previous days. Bazalgette’s aircraft was the only one left to mark the target. Flak struck the starboard wing knocking out both engines. Despite the damage and risk of explosion Bazalgette stuck with his course and successfully marked the target before spinning. Regaining control, he turned west toward the allied lines, until the fires became too intense and the port engine failed. At 1000’, with no hope of regaining altitude on a single engine, the Lancaster ablaze, and two wounded crew on board, Bazalgette gave the order to bail out. He remained to try and land the aircraft to save his crewmembers.