Page 11 - RCAF Centenary

protected his quick descent, Fox swooped in out of the sun, strafed the vehicle and drove it off the road. “I timed the shots so that I was able to fire and get him as the car came through a small opening in the trees...I got him on that pass. We were moving pretty fast, but I knew I got him.” By the time Randall and Fox had landed back at their base, the radio buzzed with exciting news. An Allied pilot had shot up a Horch convertible containing a driver, three German officers and none other than the Desert Fox himself, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. By nightfall an American Thunderbolt pilot, a Spitfire pilot from No. 411 Squadron and several others in the air about the same time all claimed the score on Rommel. Charley Fox never talked about it,
“but it’s always been sitting in my log book,” he said.In the spring of 1945, Fox learned his service had earned him a bar to add to his Distinguished Flying Cross, and Fighter Command would send him to London for the investiture. “Nope,” Fox said. “I’ve been lucky. I’d better go home.”
At 25, decorated fighter pilot Charles William Fox who’d served his King and country in an RCAF uniform for nearly five years, turned down the chance to meet George VI at Buckingham Palace for his very own award reception. Had he gone, he’d have heard palace officials announce his DFC:
“This officer has displayed exceptional courage and skill in pressing home his attacks against the enemy,” the citation read. “F/L Fox destroyed or damaged at least 64 enemy transports and since the invasion of Normandy has destroyed
a total of 127 vehicles...displaying outstanding coolness and determination.”
In April 2004, nearing the 60th anniversary of the famous strafing, Quebec historian Michel Lavigne announced he’d compared official RCAF and German military records to confirm the time, location and aircraft involved. Charley Fox had put the Desert Fox out of the war. All that was history, as far as Charley was concerned. By then, the decorated veteran had committed himself to recounting the stories of other Canadian veterans. His crusade to inform school children, historical societies and serving troops had morphed into the non-profit Torch Bearers Canada campaign. His sporty Saab
with its flaming-torch emblem on its bumpers had zigzagged all over eastern Canada, delivering him to more speaking engagements than he’d flown sorties. He always spoke from the heart, modestly, without fanfare, without speaking fee. On October 18, 2008, while driving from Tillsonburg airstrip to join members of his beloved Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association for brunch, Charley Fox was killed in a car crash. Comrades, friends and family agreed he was the only 88-year-old Canadian aviation hero who’d truly died prematurely.
And another take on Charley, the Flying Fox ....
Here for the sake of expanding the true character of this noted and colourful airman, is another version of this veteran and emblematic Canadian of the Greatest Generation by his other friends and colleagues. Where would one start
to describe this iconic and very real hero? How about just in point form and readers can do their own search to fill in details. Here is a guy from rural Ontario who in public school excelled in sports but was rather blasé when it came to