Lieutenant Charles Duncan Bremner Green (August 14, 1897 – October 3, 1941) was a Canadian World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with 11 aerial victories. Postwar, he went on to success in business until World War II. After rejoining military life, he again served until his untimely accidental death.

Early life

Charles Duncan Bremner Green was the son of Charles and Annie Henderson Green. He was born at sea while his parents were en route to Australia.

World War I

Green began his military service with the

164th (Halton and Dufferin) Battalion, CEF The 164th Battalion (Halton and Dufferin), CEF, was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Orangeville, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Halton and Dufferin Counties. Prior to saili ...

, with whom he enlisted. He transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

, and was rated as a Flying Officer while still a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

, on December 22, 1917. He was stationed in

Salonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

, Greece with B Flight of 47 Squadron as a pilot of

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

as. On April 13, 1918, he and fellow Canadian Gerald Gordon Bell destroyed an enemy Albatros D.III. When 47 Squadron's fighter flights were incorporated into forming the newly 150 Squadron, Green went with them. On May 6, he began a string of ten triumphs with his new squadron by driving down a DFW reconnaissance foe. He accrued victories one or two at a time until July 18, 1918. By then, he had destroyed six enemy planes, including the one shared with Bell and another shared with

Acheson Goulding Group Captain Acheson Gosford Goulding (15 May 1893 – 27 April 1951) was a Canadian World War I flying ace credited with 21 aerial victories. After infantry service, he transferred to aviation and served in Asia Minor and the Balkans. After wi ...

. He had also driven down five other opponents out of control.

Post World War I

Green was finally awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross on January 1, 1919. After his return to Toronto, he married Marion Wilton Baillie, age 22, on June 9, 1923. They had three children: Bremner, Donald, and Elizabeth. He began work as a

broker A broker is a person or firm who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither role should be confu ...

for Amelius Jarvis and Company, and continued with this company until 1939. Retrieved April 3, 2011.

World War II

Although he was married with three children when World War II broke out, he re-enlisted, this time in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. He served near his home at Camp Borden as an instructor, with the rank of

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

. His service in this post saw him rewarded with the General Service Medal and the

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal is granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who voluntarily served on Active Service from September 3, 1939, to March 1, 1947. The medal was established on October 22, 1943 ...

. In the autumn of 1941, he went to hospital for treatment of an old wound. While being treated, he toppled off the hospital's balcony to his death on October 3, 1941. He died without a will, and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. Retrieved April 3, 2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Charles D. B. 1897 births 1941 deaths Canadian World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Canadian Air Force officers Accidental deaths from falls People born at sea