| Edward Francis John Charles World War II D. S. O., D. F. C. & Bar, Silver Star (U. S. A.) 1919 - 1986 |
| Jack Charles was born in England in 1919, the eldest in a family of five children. The family immigrated to Canada and his father became the bank manager in the small Saskatchewan village of Lashburn. This village provided Jack with an opportunity to obtain a Grade 12 education as well as explore the mysteries of steam cars, engines and model aircraft with the encouragement from his father. Jack graduated from high school in June 1938, and by that fall was enrolled in the Royal Air Force taking pilot training in Canada. Upon receiving his wings, he was posted to England prior to September 1939. The spring of 1940 found him in France, which he left in a Hurricane ahead of the advancing German Army. That fall, during the German Blitz on England he was instructing Spitfire pilots. By 1941, Jack was operational flying and soon awarded the D. F. C. In 1942, he was in command of 611 Squadron stationed at Biggin Hill in Southeast England. It was during this time that he shared with Captain Rene the distinction of destroying the 1 000th enemy aircraft. A bar was added to his D. F. C. In October 1943, he was awarded the D. S. O. as well as the Silver Star of America for his efforts in escorting U. S. Air Force Fortress bombers. He was one of the youngest Canadians to hold the rank of Wing Commander. By now, Jack had spent five years with the R. A. F., flown some 300 sorties, destroyed 15 1/2 enemy aircraft with another seven probables to his credit. He had been rescued from the English Channel by the persistent efforts of an American-naturalised Austrian Count; Flt. Lt. Colorado Mansfield. An episode that happened after a sweep over Holland when W/C Charles was hit and downed a few miles off the coast in the North Sea shows what his squadron thought of their popular commander. R. A. F. Headquarters were notified of the loss, but forbade rescue attempts because of the chance that it might turn into a major battle as it was close to enemy territory. This happened before when the attempted rescue of a downed flier had caused the loss of many other fighter pilots. The Squadron, to a man, went against superior orders and the Spitfires escorted an air sea rescue Walrus to rescue W/C Charles from under the noses of the Germans. Such dedication in the rescue of a Commanding Officer was seldom equalled in the annals of the R. A. F. It has been suggested that a country who forgets its history has little prospects for a future. In varying degrees there are many Jack Charles in Canada. At the time of World War II, Jack, and many more like him were front page news in the major newspapers in Britain, Canada and the U. S. A. Jack was one of the few that Winston Churchill referred to in his often quoted speech of 1940. Had their efforts failed in 1940, there is no doubt that we would have been living a far different life style in Canada than what we presently enjoy. Contributed by: Jim Richards |
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