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31st December 1941On this day:
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Remembering those who died this day.
- Burns Charles Withers McLeod. Flt.Sgt. (d.31st Dec 1941)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Want to know more about the 31st of December 1941? There are:6 items tagged 31st of December 1941 available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Stories from 31st December 1941
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Flt.Sgt. Charles Withers McLeod Burns. Royal Canadian Air Force, 229 Squadron. (d.31st Dec 1941) Charlie Burns was lost and his aircraft was never found. I believe he was the tail end aircraft of his formation. His formation mates stated that they had seen a Messerschmidt 109 in the area but they never saw Charlie being shot down, nor did they hear a call from him so he may have fallen victim to a single pass from this fighter. It is all conjecture. Perhaps he was over the sea or his aircraft was lost in the desert. Charlie's instructor stated that he was very respectful under criticism and as he admired his courage he recommended him for fighters.
Charlie had been born in the Canadian Maritimes. His mother, Lou Withers, was from Granville Centre, Nova Scotia, and his father, Sidney Burns was from the Truro area of Nova Scotia. Charlie had spent some time as a child living in Regina, Saskatchewan before returning to the Maritimes with his family. He was married, and after his death his widow, who was living in New Brunswick, also passed away. He has no descendants. He has one surviving sister, Margaret, who served in the RCAF in England, and two cousins, Neil and Robert Wade, who served overseas in the Royal Canadian Signal Corps and the Royal Canadian Artillery respectively.
Fletcher Wade
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