William Richard "Bill" Tew

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Sergeant Tew Is First To Get Wings in Aylmer

Aylmer, Sept. 24, 1941 (Staff) – When Wing Commander G. N. Irwin pinned pilot's wings on Sergeant W. R. Tew today, the first man had graduated from No. 14 Service Flying Training School here. The school was opened only a few months ago. The Toronto sergeant-pilot was top man in the class which graduated today and was the first to have the Wings pinned on his uniform.
Present for the graduation of the Ontario class was Wing Commander L. W. Dickens, D.F.C., A.F.C. in charge of training in No, 1 Command. He addressed the class briefly before the presentation.
"I won't say anything about the war, you'll find out about that soon, enough," he told the graduates. "It will be a more serious proposition when you get to England."
He cautioned the class members not to consider receiving their wings as the end of their training period and informed them there would be more training in England with a different type of plane.
"I am certain you will be able to meet any requirements you may be up against," he continued,
"I think an airman is like a captain of a ship — he wants an open sea; so, if you are going to go mucking around in a plane and stunting give yourself plenty of room; it doesn't matter so much then," he warned.
"However," he added, "if you have to bail out, don't blame me for telling you to go ahead."
Leading Aircraftman Reynolds of Houston, Texas, escaped with minor bruises when the Harvard training plane he was piloting from the school crashed on a farm near the school before the presentation. Wreckage of the plane was strewn for hundreds of yards in a ditch and over fields.
The graduating class and other airmen marched onto the field while the band from Fingal Bombing and Gunnery School played. A large crowd of friends and relatives of the graduating airmen attended the ceremony.
Graduates were from Ontario, with practically all sections of the Province from Windsor to Montreal represented. A few were from Toronto. Student fliers are trained as single-seater fighter pilots.
Americans in the graduating class were: W. E. Dunsmoxe, Pittsburgh; E. L. Gimbal, Chicago; S. B. Walcott, Providence, R.I.; E. Ives, Springwater, N.Y.; R. L. Alexander, St. Anne, Ill.
The Canadians were: W. R. Tew, Toronto; H. K. Lefroy, Oakville; C. S. Yarnell, Toronto; J. W. Hicks, Niagara Falls, Ont. J. H. Ryan, Toronto; J. M. Brodie, Saint John, N.B.; A. D. Melville, Winnipeg; I. C. Carson, Hamilton; A. H. McLaren, Montreal; H. T. Mossip, Thorndale; W. C. Wigston, Whitby; E. A. Glover, Toronto; N. C. Pow, Toronto; E. F. Horton, Owen Sound; S. M. Scott, Toronto; N. C. H. Howe, Toronto; R. H. Lean and R. A. Frith, Toronto.

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Air Force Casualties

Ottawa, Sept. 11, 1944 — The Department of National Defense for Air today issued casualty list 985 of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Showing next of kin of those named, those from Ontario include :

Previously Reported Missing, Now Reported Safe:

TEW William Richard, F/L - Mrs. G. T. Tew (mother), 361 Bloor St. E., Toronto.

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TEW, F/L William Richard (J7597) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.401 Squadron
Award effective 7 July 1945 as per London Gazette dated 20 July 1945 and
AFRO 1453/45 dated 14 September 1945.

Now on his second tour of operational duty, he has completed a large number of sorties. During his first tour of duty he destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged two others, and in addition he destroyed or damaged seventy-five enemy vehicles. Since then Flight Lieutenant Tew has destroyed at least a further two enemy aircraft and caused considerable damage to the enemy's lines of communications. At all times he has displayed a fine fighting spirit and set a high standard of skill, courage and devotion to duty.

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RCAF AWARDS

Ottawa, July 26, 1945 (CP) — Air Force Headquarters tonight announced 140 awards to members of the Royal Canadian Air Force for service overseas and released a collective citation which said they had shown utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty in operations against the enemy, The recipients included:
Distinguished Flying Gross
Flt. Lt. K. T. Wallace, 171 Kingsmount Park Rd., Toronto; FO's. W. R. Arnill, Dundalk; S. Ferguson, Niagara Falls; R. A. Forbes, Woodstock; J. W. Fraser, Pape and Danforth Aves., Toronto; G. A. Harpwood, Welland; A. W. Hutchins, 133 Lakeshore Dr., Toronto; I. G. Kerry, Port Perry; E. G. Legrice, 2400 Queen St. W., Toronto; V. L. Mills, Alvinston; F. B. Murphy, Cowley; J. C. Parry, Windsor; E. R. Penner, Beamsville; J. V. Reynolds, 104 Bartlett Ave.; Toronto; R. K. Rosebrugh, Gait; K. C. Roulston, London; H. Rubin, Ottawa.
J. W. Singer, 769 Annette St., Toronto; R. D. Thauvette, Alexandria; R. J. Tierney, 302 Sumach St., Toronto; W. A. Tulloch, Ottawa; S. L Uffelman, Waterloo; B. C. Wallace, 273 Fairlawn Ave., Toronto; G. D. Wilson, Brantford; PO's T. M. Baird, Waterloo; F. L. Blancher,, Morrisburg; J. E. Bolen, Kenilworth; U. C. Burns, Sault Ste. Marie; A. Campbell, Keewatin; L. W. Clark, Morrisburg; R. F. Clark, South Porcupine; K. F. Pallett, Ottawa; J. C. Schwandt, Singhampton; F. E. Tanner, Apsley; Sqdn. Ldr. M. D. Boyd, Clarkson; Flt. Lts. P. C. Green, London; R. N. Rives, Kitchener,. W. R. Tew, 42 Isabella St., Toronto.
FO's R. F. Doody, Ottawa; F. W. Evans, 310 Darie St., Toronto; K. V. Fraser, Ottawa; R. S. Grant, Weston; C. W. Holstead, London; A. D. Mclnnes, 4 Dawson Ave., Toronto; R. E. Shields, 25 Albany Ave., Toronto; PO's E. A. Foster, 803 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto; J. N. Maguire, 239 Heath St. E., Toronto.
Distinguished Flying Medal
Flt. Sgts. G. B. Smith, 95 Hamilton St., Toronto and J. H. Taylor, Windsor.

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Victories Include :

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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