Charley Fox was born February 1920, in Guelph, Ontario. His career with the R.C.A.F. commenced in the spring of 1940. He soon became a flight instructor at Dunnville, Ontario where he taught from October 1941 to May 1943. After instructing he went to an Operational Training Unit at Bagotville, Quebec. While there, on June 1st, he had a narrow escape when a Hurricane collided in mid-air with the Harvard he was flying. Although injured, he was able to bail out safely.
In August 1943, Charley went overseas and was checked out on Spitfires. In January 1944, he began his tour with 412 Squadron. Charley served continuously on operations until January 1945. His duties included escort, armed recce and dive-bombing. On D-Day, Charley flew three times.
On June 18, 1944, the squadron moved to B4 airstrip in Normandy at Beny-Sur-Mer.
Charley specialized in ground attack and prided himself on accurate marksmanship. His success at this is neatly summed up in the official commendation for a bar to his DFC:
“This officer has led his section against a variety of targets, often in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire. He has personally destroyed or damaged twenty-two locomotives and thirty-four enemy vehicles, bringing his total to 153 vehicles destroyed or damaged.
In December 1944, Flight Lieutenant Fox led his squadron on an attack against enemy airfields in the Munster area and personally destroyed another enemy aircraft, bringing his total to 4. Through his quick and accurate reporting, a further 4 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Since the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, this officer has continued to display outstanding skill, coolness and determination.”
Charley ended his tour in January, 1945 at Heesch in Holland, after which he did a six week stint as a test pilot for # 410 Repair & Salvage Unit. He then became Operations Officer in the Intelligence Section of 126 Wing. He was a member of the flight of four who flew the last operational sortie of the war for 126 Wing. (Landing at eight a.m. on May 5, 1945)
In the peacetime R.C.A.F. Charley served with 420 Reserve Squadron, flying Harvards, P-51 Mustangs and T-33 jets. He was instrumental in helping the squadron win the McBrine Marksmen Trophy for air to air and air to ground firing.
In September 1956, he began a career with a large shoe & slipper-manufacturing firm. He retired in 1998.
His love of flying has been pursued for many years as a member and past president of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. Today Charley still acts as ground control for Harvard Formation Flypasts on special occasions for them. He also does colour commentaries at airshows throughout the United States and Canada.
On 30 April 2004, Charley Fox was invested as the Honorary Colonel of 412 (T) Sqn. The Canadian tradition of appointing honoraries to units originated with the British military but has only been in practice in Canada for a little over a century. The Honorary Colonel is seen to be the guardian of Squadron traditions and history, an advocate of the unit’s identity and ethos, and an advisor to the Commanding Officer on virtually all issues excluding operations.
