the Hawker Tempest. After leave in Canada, Edwards returned to the Western Front, flying Spitfire XVIs as the commanding officer of 127 RCAF Wing in 1945. On 3 May, he shared in the destruction of a Ju 88, just a few days before VE Day. He finished the war with a total of 373 operational sorties without being shot down by the enemy. According to Shores and Williams' Aces High, his final wartime score was 15 + 3 shared destroyed, with 9 more destroyed on the ground. Brown and Lavigne's Canadian Wing Commander credits him with 19 victories, 2 shared, 6.5 probable, 17 damaged and 12 destroyed on the ground. During an interview, Edwards himself specified that he had 19 confirmed victories during the war. Many who flew with him have said that he only reported those "kills" he was certain of and that his real number of aerial victories was probably much higher than officially reported. Eighteen of Edwards' 19 victories, according to Brown and Lavigne, were enemy fighters (14 Bf 109s, 3 Fw 190s and one Macchi 202). Post-war Edwards stayed in the RCAF until after amalgamation and retired from the Canadian Forces in 1972 as a lieutenant colonel. In that time, he flew Vampires, Sabres and CF-100s both in Canada and overseas. Edwards was a key player in the post-war air force as his experience and leadership were used to train new pilots. In 1983, Edwards and Michel Lavigne published a book about his wartime experiences entitled Kittyhawk pilot: Wing Commander J.F. (Stocky) Edwards. Also in 2009, Edwards was honoured as one of the 100 most influential Canadians in aviation and had his name included with the others on the 2009 CF-18 Centennial of Flight demonstration Hornet. Edwards died on 14 May 2022, at the age of 100. Vintage Wings of Canada As part of their continued effort to honour and commemorate his achievements (along with those of all veterans), Vintage Wings of Canada has decorated their P-40N in the markings flown by "Stocky" in Africa. On 19 September 2009, Vintage Wings took him for a flight over Ottawa in this P-40 giving him a chance to fly it as well. Vintage Wings has also published stories on Stocky Edwards including the following: A Visit From A Living Legend. Flying With The Ace Decorations Distinguished Flying Medal Distinguished Flying Cross (UK) and Bar Mentioned in Dispatches Canadian