Arthur Ernest Charron

     Place of birth: Ottawa, ON                  Date of birth: May 11, 1921

                                                                                                     Date of death: April 25, 1942                                                                                                                                                                                        

        High school: Glebe Collegiate Institute

           Position: Wireless Air Gunner, qualified sergeant (R.C.A.F)

Background Information:

Was a young 19-year-old man born on May 11, 1921 to a middle classed family and raised in a United Church family household. He lived on 400 McLoed St. in Ottawa, Ontario.  His face is of medium complexion, height of about 5'11", 140 pounds, blue eyes, brown hair, some scars on right wrist, and no defects in his health at all.  He is the son of Andrew Ernest Charron (father) and Georgiana Reid (mother). His father was a commercial traveller. He attended a public school and a high school from 1934-1940 (Glebe Collegiate Institute). He has a quick-witted, accurate, adventurous, courageous and enthusiastic personality. His physical traits are slender and active looking. He dressed tastefully, neat-smart and clean. He played Tennis and Golf for his hobbies and sports. He was enlisted on JUNE 22, 1940. Arthur worked as a wireless air gunner in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F). He last worked on this job on April 24, 1942 and spent a total of one year. 

 Figure 1.1- Arthur's family house used to be located just to the right of this photograph.

Figure 2.2: Arthur's old high school (Glebe Collegiate Institute)

Service History: 

He has had previous experience in training for military that'll be useful in the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.), he trained 4th on the P.L.D.G from February 1st, 1937 to June 18, 1940. Where he trained was the 4th P.L.D.G "Princess Louise Dragoon Guards" c/cpl, which was an armoured regiment of the Canadian militia that dates back to its headquarters in Ottawa, ON in the 1870's. His squadron number was 148. This squadron number had some background information and plot to it. After a false start in April-May 1940, this squadron was reformed on Malta from detachments of Nos.38, 99 and 115 squadrons on 14 December 1940, once again operating the Vickers Wellington. This time the squadron was an active bomber squadron, carrying attacks on Axis bases in Italy and Libya, first from Malta and later from Egypt. This second incarnation ended on 14 December 1942 (Rickard, J). He won honours/awards such as the air gunner badge on February 15, 1941. He has also taken a course for sergeants and was qualified as a sergeant. He was posted to places like Calgary (starting September 17, 1940), Toronto (starting July 22, 1940), Debert, Nova Scotia (starting March 12, 1941), Britain from Canada (starting April 20, 1941) and Yatesbury (starting April th, 1941) in a position as a qualified sergeant as mentioned before. The plane that he flew was the Vickers Wellington II (Richard Gardner)  He was single at first, but then married a woman named Mrs. Doris Jane Charron. They married in Ottawa, ON on October 3rd, 1941. She had a baby on December 25, 1940 named Judith Anne Charron. The war or battle that Arthur was involved in was the "Siege of Malta" which dated from 11 June 1940- 20 November 1942; was a military campaign in the Mediterranean theatre of the Second World War. The fight for the control of the important island of Malta which pitted the air forces and navies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany against the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The state of Malta's defences was poor, verging on non-existent. This stemmed from a pre-war conclusion that the island was indefensible and should not be defended. The result of this battle was a "Decisive Allied victory" (S.L. Mayer and Taylor, A.J.P) He spent about eight (8) months in Europe in total, including his trip to the U.K and Malta. 

Figure 3.3: The Royal Canadian Air Force badge (R.C.A.F)                 Figure 4.4: P.L.D.G (Princess Louise Dragoon Guards) badge.

Figure 5.5 : Arthur's air gunner badge that he'd won as an award.                                                                                       

Figure 6.6 : Arthur's soldier squadron badge (#148) ( R.A.F)

Figure 7.7 : Arthur's fighting plane that he flew. (Vickers Wellington II)                                                                                                                                  

 Figure 8.8: The siege of Malta war, 1940

Death and Memorial:                                                                                                                                        

Arthur Ernest Charron died in the 90th General hospital in Malta on April 25th, 1942. He was serving as a member of an aircrew against enemy aerodromes in Siscily. Everything occured by Arthur, on April 24th 1942 during his leisure time, went with a friend to Valetta, the capital, during his stay there, an air-raid developed, the shelter in which he was taking cover received a direct hit, and Arthur together with his friend were both subjected to such harsh and severe concussions that they died shortly afterwards. Arthur was buriedin Doutarfa Cemetary- Malta on the morning of April 27, 1942. He had a grand operational record and had flown on 14 operations against his enemy! He was very popular with his friends in the sergeants Mess and they together with the reminder of the Squadron join in sympathy with his mother in her sorrow. 

Figure 9.9: Arthur's grave in the cemetary with other soliders in Malta.  

Figure 10.10: Second World War- Book of Remembrance (1942)

Important dates:

Some dates in his life connect to battles/events that happened in Canada. For example, close to the date of his enlistment, June 22, 1940; was the 1st brigade of the canadian 1st division lands in France; they are forced to leave days later when France surrenders to the Nazis. 

An other example is the day that he last worked. (April 24, 1942); was around the time when the Royal Canadian Air Force spots the Japanese fleer en route o Ceylon and gives warning in time for a successful defense of the island, even though he was in Malta at that time.

Sources:

Rickard, J. "No. 148 Squadron (RAF): Second World War." No. 148 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/148_wwII.html>.

Gardner, Richard. "CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE." CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.warplane.com/pages/contributers.html>.

"Siege of Malta (World War II)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Malta_(World_War_II)>.