Clennell Haggerston ‘Punch’ Dickins

Clennell Haggerston ‘Punch’ Dickins was born in Portage la Prairie on January 12, 1899. He interrupted his education at the University of Alberta in 1917 by enlisting in the 196th Battalion, having already completed an officer training course. After being sent to England, he joined the 21st Reserve Battalion. His brother, an observer with the Flying Corps, convinced him to join the Air Force. Mr. Dickins jumped from the Canadian to the British Army in order to facilitate a transfer to the Air Force. Once there, he trained at Tetford in a Morris Marmon Shorthorn. His active duty was with 211 Squadron at Dunkirk. Mr. Dickins and his gunner are credited with 7 enemy aircraft destroyed, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he spent time in the RCAF, with whom he did aerial photo-survey work. However, most of his civilian career was spent flying in Canada’s North, adapting aircraft for Arctic flight. He became one of Canada’s most famous bush pilots and a pioneer in aviation. Mr. Dickins and his wife Connie (nee Gerrie) lived in Gold Pines, Ontario. Mr. Dickins died on August 2, 1995.