Date of Birth: Born on the 1st of February 1920, in Palmerston North
Personal Details: Charlie was educated at Okautere and Kaipaki Schools. He left school at the age of 14 and went farming at Monavale, where he worked till the war. After the war he returned to farming and he also worked in engineering and design of farm machinery and other inventions.

Charlie was introduced to the Masonic Lodge in 1942 while in the Army, and has been an active Mason since. He says this helped his RNZAF career considerably, as several NCO's who were also Masons helped him get far in the service. Notice in the accompanying portrait photo of Charlie in his RNZAF uniform, he is wearing a Masonic tie pin, which was not actually allowed to be worn on the uniform. He wore it simply for the photo.

Though Charlie had been a mechanic in the RNZAF, he had an interest in flying and after the war he once attempted to learn to fly at Rukuhia under the instruction of Fenwick and Robertson, but his wife was against this so he gave up.

Cambridge Aerodrome, not in the centre of the track but on the land at the corner of Taylor Street and Victoria Road. Charlie says that you could get an aeroplane ride from Cambridge to Hamilton from Taylor's Paddock, and he thinks the pilot that ran this kind of service was Mac MacGregor, but isn't positive. He said the road was so bad that people took the option often, and alternatively went on a steamboat down the river, or on a speedboat run by Souters. Charlie says the aeroplane trip cost four shillings.

He says during show days Stan Blackmore would fly in and out of the race course and take rides. He also remembers seeing Scotty Fraser parachuting into Taylor's Paddock.

Today: Charlie lives in Cambridge and has a second home in Katikati

Connection with Cambridge: Charlie grew up and was educated in the Cambridge district, and worked here before and after the war. he remains a resident today.

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