Charles William “Charley” Fox was born on February 16, 1920, in Guelph, Ontario, where he later attended Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute.
At the age of 14, Fox watched in awe as five Royal Air Force biplanes flew low over his home—a moment that would ignite a lifelong passion for aviation.
With the outbreak of World War II, both Charley and his brother, Ted, enlisted in the military. Ted joined the Royal Canadian Artillery, while Charley joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Graduating at the top of his class, Fox initially served as a flight instructor in Dunnville, Ontario, helping train a new generation of pilots.
In 1942, he married Helen Jean Doughty. The couple would have one son and two daughters.
Fox remained in Dunnville until 1943, when he began combat training at an Operational Training Unit in Bagotville, Quebec. On June 1, 1943, a mid-air collision between his Hurricane and a Harvard aircraft left him injured, but he managed to bail out safely.
In 1944, Fox joined the 412 Squadron in Europe as a flight lieutenant, piloting Spitfires. Known as “The Flying Fox”, he quickly earned a reputation for precision strikes against enemy targets. Over the course of his tour, Fox flew 220 combat missions, destroying or damaging 153 enemy vehicles, including 22 locomotives, and shooting down four enemy aircraft.
His courage earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross with Bar. Despite his skill, enemy fire took a heavy toll: fourteen of his aircraft were damaged beyond repair after returning from missions.
On D-Day, Fox flew three patrols off the coast of France. He later participated in attacks on V-1 and V-2 rocket sites and took part in Operation Market Garden in Holland.
A pivotal moment came on July 17, 1944, when Fox strafed a German staff car near Caen while flying out of the Allied airbase at Bény-sur-Mer. Unknown to him at the time, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was in the car and was seriously injured. Rommel’s later death was officially reported as a suicide linked to the July 20 plot against Hitler. Fox would later express lingering regret over the incident, noting that Rommel had reportedly been working on negotiations to end the war early:
“It’s something I never wanted to make a big fuss about… I do feel a little bit uncomfortable.”
After his combat tour ended in January 1945, Fox remained in Europe, serving first with the #410 Repair and Salvage Unit and later with 126 Wing. On May 5, 1945, he and three fellow Canadians from 126 Wing flew what is believed to be the last RCAF sortie of the European war.
Following the war, Fox served with the 420 Reserve, flying Harvards, P-51 Mustangs, and T-33 jets. He retired from the military in 1956.
Fox then worked for Tender Tooties Ltd., a shoe company, until 1998. He also founded Torch Bearers, a non-profit dedicated to educating young people about Canadian military history. Throughout his later life, he campaigned tirelessly to preserve veterans’ stories through speaking engagements at schools, colleges, and other venues. At the time of his death, he was working on a book titled “Why Not Me?”, sharing his story and those of other veterans.
On April 30, 2004, Fox was named honorary colonel of the 412 Squadron in Ottawa, part of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton.
Tragically, on October 18, 2008, Charley Fox died in a car accident near Tillsonburg, Ontario, leaving behind a legacy of courage, service, and dedication to preserving Canada’s military history.
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