Couldn’t Wait To Fly

Heroes Remember

Couldn’t Wait To Fly

Transcript

Interviewer: What was your reaction when you heard Canada was at war? I think that it was just, you know, I'm too young to get in yet. I was anxious, you know. I visualized myself over the Channel with a white scarf flying on top of the coop top. On my eighteenth birthday, you had to be eighteen to get in, so I had been to the recruiting depot and had all my medicals and everything in advance. So on my eighteenth birthday, I was there first thing in the morning and got sworn in. Interviewer: On your eighteenth birthday. Yep. Interviewer: Wow, what year was that? 1943 Interviewer: Were there school mates or chums or friends of yours that had been killed in the war at this point? At that point I only knew one friend that had been actually killed, at that point. And of course, as time went on there were more. Interviewer: Why did you join? I think you've already answered this. You joined this branch of service because of your father's experiences in the trenches. You didn't want to go in the army. I thought, you know, I'd love to fly. And I'd had a chance to have a couple of rides in a small aircraft. I'd won one in a draw at the airport [inaudible] put your name in a box and I won a 20 minute flip, you know, in a little thing. And it was just, you know, it was exhilarated. So I went out. I used my birthday money another time to go out and buy another little flip. I just couldn't wait to learn how to fly that thing.

Description

Mr. Sharpe talks about joining the RCAF on his 18th birthday.

Charles Richard “Dick” Sharpe

Charles Richard Sharpe was born in St. Catharines, Ontario on February 11, 1925. His father worked for the Canada Customs Service, getting pensions for wounded Veterans. A Veteran of World War One, Mr. Sharpe’s father told him many stories about the war.

Mr. Sharpe joined the RCAF on the morning of his 18th birthday and became a pilot. He flew 23 missions for the RCAF and rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant. After the war, Mr. Sharpe became a very successful businessman, serving for many years as CEO of Sears Canada. Among his many awards and recognitions, in 1998, he became a member of the Order of Canada.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 1:37
Person Interviewed:: Charles Richard “Dick” Sharpe
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Branch:: Air Force

Language selection

Couldn’t Wait To Fly

Heroes Remember