WWII veteran’s son shares father’s journey from RCAF sergeant-pilot to commissioned USAAC pilot

Royal Canadian Air Force Sgt-Pilot Charlie Wilson poses for his official photo in Canada, 1941. Wilson hitch-hiked to Canada with just $10 in his pocket at 20-years-old, from his hometown of Ft. Worth, Texas, after being told he couldn’t become an officer with the U.S. Army Air Corps due to not having the pre-requisite two years of college education. Soon after, as the war started to worsen, the USAAC contacted the RCAF and requested the Airmen be allowed to transfer over to the U.S military. Wilson was immediately assigned to the 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk, England, and took his field commission to become a lieutenant. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Wilson and 100th Bomb Group Foundation)

PHOTO BY: Courtesy photo
VIRIN: 241212-O-F3253-1941.JPG
FULL SIZE: 0.47 MB
Additional Details

CAMERA

N/A

LENS

N/A

APERTURE

N/A

SHUTTERSPEED

N/A

ISO

N/A

IMAGE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

Read More

This photograph is considered public domain and has been cleared for release. If you would like to republish please give the photographer appropriate credit. Further, any commercial or non-commercial use of this photograph or any other DoD image must be made in compliance with guidance found at https://www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations, which pertains to intellectual property restrictions (e.g., copyright and trademark, including the use of official emblems, insignia, names and slogans), warnings regarding use of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters.

Go to Gallery