Charles Roy Slemon

Slemon, Charles Roy

Charles Roy Slemon, air marshal (b at Winnipeg 7 Nov 1904; d at Colorado Springs, Colo 12 Feb 1992). One of the first group of provisional pilot officers trained in the RCAF after its creation in 1924, Slemon spent much of the following decade as a "bush pilot in uniform" flying aerial photography operations over the North. He was senior staff officer and then commander of western air command 1938-41, and in 1942 was posted overseas. He served as senior air staff officer of No 6 (Canadian) Bomber Group 1942-44, and was deputy air officer commander in chief of the RCAF overseas in 1945. A fine administrator he was appointed chief of the air staff 1953-57, leaving to become the first deputy commander in chief of NORAD. He retired to live in Colorado Springs, Colo, in 1964.