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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Charles Lawrence Panton

In memory of:

Pilot Officer Charles Lawrence Panton

March 20, 1944

Military Service


Service Number:

J/90360

Age:

22

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

192 Sqdn.

Additional Information


Born:

September 8, 1921

Son of Lawrence A. C. and Marion Panton, of Toronto, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 410 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Surrey, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

Panel 252.

Location:

During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometers by road west of London.

The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen. Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:

IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE

In the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation, contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott."

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Pilot Officer Charles Lawrence Panton is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Pilot Officer Charles Lawrence Panton is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star April 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star April 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of Charles Lawrence Panton– SJ90360 Pilot Officer Charle L. Panton
Former student of Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute (Toronto)
  • Crash Report– Crash report on Panton's aircraft.  His aircraft was a special jamming aircraft.  Its job was to confuse German radar and aircraft controllers by using radios and electronic jammers.
  • Document– Charles Panton father was the painter Lawrence Panton.  He was the person who inscribed the memorial book in the upper foyer of the school.  Charles was the only child of the Panton's.
  • Photo of Charles Lawrence Panton– This picture is from Panton's military file in Ottawa, as are the others shown here.  This was taken just after he joined the RCAF and went into Basic Training.

Source: Whitehouse via Library & Archives Canada
  • Paybook– Here is the opening page of his paybook.  It shows his basic personal data.  Across the top someone has written "Missing and the date.  Notice that his old service number has been crossed out and his new Officer's number written in.
Source: Whitehouse via Library & Archives Canada
  • Paybook (2)– Page 2 & 3 of Panton's paybook show his decoration, promotions etc.  Please not that his commission as a Pilot Officer came through one(1) day before he was killed.

Source: Whitehouse via Library & Archives Canada
  • Photo 2 of Charles Lawrence Panton– This picture shows Panton with his Observer's Badge.  You can determine the date from his paybook (2 Apr 43)

Source: Whitehouse via Library & Archives Canada
  • Photo 3 of Charles Lawrence Panton– Panton's picture and signature on the back as taken from his Pers file in Ottawa.  Note the Library and Archives credit below the pictures.

Source: Whitehouse via Library & Archives Canada
  • Newspaper Clipping– The Toronto Star, February 23, 1945, page 31
  • Document– Report on the loss of the Wellington issued the morning that it should have returned.  Note that they already know that a British nightfighter has shot down an aircraft in the area that they were operating.

Source: Library & Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Letter– The Squadron CO sent this letter to Panton's parents on the day that they were declared missing.  It is a simple form letter with specifics about this crew.  Hundreds of letters like this were sent from each squadron during the war.  This was hard on the squadron CO's as they were often losing crews before they could learn their names.  In this case, it was a crew of veterans.

Source: Library & Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
           RG24 Vol 28370
  • Letter– Letter from P/O Panton's father to the Squadron CO asking for help in recovering pictures that his son had just had taken.  Unfortunately, they were never found and the family had to be satisfied with the contact proofs.

Source: Library & Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
           RG24 Vol 28370
  • Document– Message en Claire

The squadron sent this message to the Air Ministry on the non-return of the Wellington involved.  This is a standard form and as such the information is listed as answers to pre-set questions.  You can deduce the questions from the answers.

Source: Library & Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
           RG24 Vol 28370
  • Document– Log Book Letter

This letter gives you some idea of the number of casualties the RCAF suffered when it akes more than a year to return the individual airman's log book.

Source: Library & Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
           RG24 Vol 28370

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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