RCAF

Royal Canadian Air Force Centennial

Tributes

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Royal Canadian Air Force Logo: Stylized eagle in the center, symbolizing strength and agility, with maple leaves and blue and white colors to represent Canadian identity.

With immense honor and respect, we celebrate the centenary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), an institution that embodies courage, excellence, and dedication to service over a remarkable century. Since its founding in 1924, the RCAF has played a crucial role in defending and promoting peace, shaping history, and inspiring generations.

Over a hundred years, the men and women of the RCAF have fearlessly taken to the skies, defending the ideals of freedom and justice that are fundamental to the Canadian identity. Their bravery in times of conflict, such as during World War II, where RCAF pilots significantly contributed to the Allied victory, is a testament to the courage and commitment of this exceptional air force.

Beyond combat moments, the RCAF has been a vital force in responding to natural disasters, humanitarian missions, and protecting Canadian airspace. Its legacy extends beyond geographical boundaries, touching lives and communities worldwide.

On the centenary of the RCAF, we pay tribute not only to the aviators and support personnel but also to the families who, with patience and resilience, supported their loved ones in service. We recognize the sacrifice and devotion that have permeated each decade of this extraordinary journey.

To the Royal Canadian Air Force, we express sincere gratitude for its exemplary service, continuous innovation, and vital role in defending the sovereignty and security of Canada. May this centenary be a moment of celebration, reflection, and inspiration for future generations who will continue to carry forward the impressive legacy of the RCAF. May the wings of the RCAF continue to soar high, defending freedom and peace for many more years. Congratulations on 100 years of exemplary service!

The national flag of Canada featuring a stylized red maple leaf at the center, flanked by two vertical red bars on the sides and white background.

Charles Roberts was born in London, Ontario on May 21, 1922, to May and William Roberts. Schooled at Rectory Street, then St. George’s Public School, he led a typical boyhood until the Great Depression happened in October of 1929. His father, an employee of the Canadian National Railway, was fortunate to keep his position with the company but chose to move the family to Wyoming, Ontario and commute to work. There, Roberts continued his education, learned to shoot a gun and drive a car, and secured summer employment with local farmers. By 1937, the family returned to London where he entered Central Collegiate. The following year, he joined the Canadian Fusiliers as part of the Non-Permanent Active Militia and continued with his high school education.

On September 3, 1939, Britain declared war on Germany. Roberts enlisted in the RCAF on his eighteenth birthday and was called to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto three months later. He trained through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan as a wireless operator and then shipped off to the United Kingdom. Following a reclassification, Roberts was sent to No. 27 Lichfield in April of 1942 as an air gunner. He and his crew were part of the second and third ‘thousand bomber’ raids over Essen and Bremen. After multiple raids, a turning point in Roberts military life happened on January 16, 1943. The target was Berlin but, while over Germany, the aircraft in which he was rear gunner was hit multiple times and the crew was ordered to bail out.

Roberts was captured and taken to a Luftwaffe Station where he found six other members of his crew. Eventually, the men were transferred by train to Breslau in German-occupied Poland, ending up in POW Camp Stalag VIIIB. The guard towers around the camp were twenty feet high. Each had search lights and machine guns. Two barbed wire fences ran the perimeter of the camp and were separated by rolls of concertina wire. Roberts was detained there for two and a half years. Many others shared the same fate. In the time between the destruction of his aircraft and a Red Cross notification to the RCAF, his family received one telegram saying he was missing in action then a second one quite some time later, saying “Pleased to inform you advice received from the International Red Cross Society quoting German information stated that your son Flight Sergeant Charles William Roberts is now a prisoner of war.” It is impossible to imagine the effect these two telegrams would have on family and friends.

As Stalag VIIIB was one of the most highly populated POW camps, attempts to escape were fairly frequent, especially in the good weather. Roberts made two attempts. Each saw him get well beyond the camp’s walls, but both were ultimately unsuccessful.

Activities at the camp were mostly inmate-organized. The Red Cross included instruments in their care packages and an orchestra was created. There was a small library and a drama club, lots of card games and sports like hockey, soccer and boxing. Some prisoners, Roberts included, developed a talent for whittling. He is quoted as saying “This skill became a mind-saver in camp.” A quote from the book Tail End Charlie about Roberts’ life and time in camp: “I fashioned numerous objects but my ‘piece de resistance’ was a complete portable chess set.” The Roberts family still has that chess set.

Bartering with other inmates was a common pastime. The common currency among prisoners was cigarettes. Most often, the object wanted was a food item. Red Cross packages were a beloved prize as they included all sorts of foodstuff that wasn’t supplied to the prisoners by the guards. Roberts once traded four cartons of cigarettes for an Air Force Great Coat. He also got a pair of army boots for a half carton of smokes. This barter system was part of the ‘barbed wire economy’ within most POW camps.

One story about the support that prisoners received from each other: Two Canadian POWs approached Roberts and asked him if he’d read the letters they’d received from home. They said their eyes were quite weak. He read the letters aloud. As he suspected they couldn’t read and their eyes were fine, he offered to teach them to read. Four months later, they were reading their letters - slowly - but on their own.

Early in 1945, it became apparent that the Germans were losing the war. On January 21, 1945, the German Commandant of the camp informed the senior British officer at Stalag VIIIB that the camp was being closed and the prisoners should pack what they could carry and be ready in two hours to leave. No destination was divulged but it was clear by the noise of distant artillery that the Russians were on their way. Each prisoner was given a ten pound Red Cross package of food and some had gathered their possessions together in anticipation of being evacuated. Roberts did as they others had done and, additionally, wrapped the blanket he was given upon arriving at the camp around himself. Outside the barracks, he saw a German soldier lowering a German flag. He offered to help and, rather than put it in the truck waiting for German passengers, he tucked it inside his Great Coat. It helped him to stay warm - and alive - in then days to come. The Roberts family still has that flag. The walk that followed the camp evacuation was long, cold and full of heartbreaking sights and experiences. It ended when the inmates were loaded onto very crowded trains for transport, likely for Berlin, where they would be used as shields between strategic German offices and the approaching Allied Forces. Their next and last rail stop was at Juterbog. They later became inmates at an abandoned ball bearing plant, a satellite of POW Camp Stalag IIIA Luckenwalde, later liberated by Allied forces.

Roberts arrived in Halifax on the Ile de France on July 1, 1945, and the next day boarded a train to travel west to London, Ontario. He was met by his parents and other family members. In the years following, he married the love of his life, Jean Robertson, received his teaching certificate in 1947 and became a respected teacher at the Boys Training School in Galt. He later went on to teach in other districts and became a School Inspector and then an Area Superintendent in London, Ontario.

This synopsis of Charles (Charlie) Roberts RCAF career was taken from the book previously mentioned “Tail End Charlie”. This self-published novel was borne out of an academic essay his daughter-in-law, Sian Roberts wrote. Roberts had not shared much of his story but, with Sian’s encouragement, he told her of his experiences. His friend, Doug MacKenzie, was included in this endeavour. A limited stock of this book, entitled Tail End Charlie - “A Survivor of Stalag VIIIB and Hitler’s Death March” - can be purchased at the Jet Aircraft Museum.

The Jet Aircraft Museum would like to thank the Roberts family for their generosity in sharing Charles Roberts’ books, stories and history with the museum. Your willingness to have your father’s story and artefacts on display at our RCAF 100th Anniversary was a highlight of the event. Thank you!