Charles Thomas Wright

This story and photo is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Pete Colley, Curator, Wickenby Museum. Additional information from the WWII Records and Service Files of War Dead, Libraries and Archives, Canada

Remembering Charles Thomas Wright, Sgt, air gunner, aged 20, Royal Canadian Air Force, son of George and Elizabeth F. Wright of Wilson Creek, BC, Canada. He was born on the 28th January 1924 and had one sister. He went to David Lloyd George Point Grey Junior School and Magee High School between 1930 and 1940. In his free time, he enjoyed playing softball, soccer and basketball. After he left school he worked as a clerk and messenger for Stanfield Underwear, Vancouver from 1940-1941 and was in the Air Force Cadets in Vancouver. He then went to work as a rivetter for Boeing Aircraft from 1941-1942.

When he was working for Boeing he went to Brisbane School of Aeronautics to study aircraft maintenance but then enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on the 13th July 1942. He was recommended for the role of Air Gunner, his record stating that he: "Should easily qualify as Air Gunner. Good aggressive material for this category." After initial training in Canada he embarked for the UK from Halifax on the 24th November 1943, arriving there on the 1st December. He was eventually posted to 30 OTU on 30 January 1944 and was allocated to his crew. They were posted to 12 Squadron on the 8th June 1944.

He was killed on his 2nd mission attacking Saintes. They took off  at 22.20 hrs on the night of 23rd June but as they approached the target area a night fighter, piloted by Ofw. Hermann Stahler, raked their Lancaster with canon fire, sending it crashing into the sea off St Nazaire. They were posted as failed to return, nothing heard of since take off.

For families of airmen who had been posted as missing, they always had hope they would be found. Charles Wright's parents heard from Elizabeth West, the mother of one of the other airmen in the crew and his mother immediately wrote to the Casualty Officer on the 21st April 1945.

"Received from letter personally last evening, was out of town when it came to the house. We feel that rumors we have heard should be checked before our boys are presumed dead.
Would like confirmation on them first. The first came from Mrs West (...) Mrs West is the Mother of Reg West, Engineer of the Missing Crew.
She wrote me that the Chaplain on the station from which they were flying told her that "four boys had been seen to bail out."
Then Mrs Wright's sister-in-law (...) visited some relatives of the Pilot Frank Jeffrey. They had heard through the Red Cross, that the Pilot came down at St Nazaire.
In view of the news that Bordeaux has been attacked by our forces, it may mean that the pocket between Bordeaux and St Nazaire may soon be liberated, then we may hear something of what happened to our boys, surely a bomber and seven of a crew could be heard of, some how. We would like to know just what did happen, think we have been very patient, and cannot help hoping that we will hear something definate (sic), yet.
Thank you for your kindness in writing from time to time.
Needless to say we feel very deeply the loss of our only son. He was very close to us, being such an affectionate boy"

Unfortunately, she would not hear any good news. Charles Wright's Certificate of Presumption of Death was issued on the 31st August 1945. He is commemorated on the Royal Air Force Memorial to the Missing at Runnymede.