Remembering World War II

Charles Richard Dickie

Name: Charles Richard Dickie Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service Number: R/65473 Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Date of Birth: April 14, 1922 Place of Birth: Canning, Kings Co., NS Date of Enlistment: September 24, 1940 Age at Enlistment: 18 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, NS Address at Enlistment: Canning, Kings Co., NS Height: 5 feet, 10 ½ inches Complexion: Medium Eyes: Blue grey Hair: Red Trade: Post Office Clerk Marital Status: Single Religion: United Next of Kin: David Nile Dickie (Father) Date of Death: December 21, 1940 Age: 18 Cemetery: Hillaton Cemetery, Canning, NS Grave: Lot 8 Commemorated on Page 12 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on January 15 Charles Richard Dickie was the son of David Nile Dickie (1890-1956) and Nina Alberta (Starratt) Dickie (1892-1925). Charles’ father David was working as a salesman during the Second World War, but he had enlisted as a Staff Sergeant during the First World War in the Army Medical Corps as a Druggist (Service No. 2005109). He was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant January 1919. Charles was a stamp collector and spent 4 years in the Boy Scouts. He enjoyed hockey, baseball and softball and occasionally, field sports. While completing his schooling, he worked the Post Office in Canning, Nova Scotia for 4 years. From October 14 to November 12, 1940 he completed his initial training at No. 2 Initial Training School in Regina, Saskatchewan. He was training at the No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) in Malton, Ontario when his Fleet Finch (#4441) training aircraft crashed and both members of the crew were killed. The second crew member was the pilot, Sergeant Robson Thomas Jewitt (Service No. R/69610), age 22, of Hamilton, Ontario. The accident was the result of a mid-air collision with another Finch aircraft on the approach to landing at the Malton airfield. Both aboard the second aircraft survived.