236 Grand River Street North

Corporal Frederick Fernley Saunders Oldham

Frederick Fernley Saunders Oldham, was born in Paris in 1916, his parents, Frederick and Kate Oldham, having immigrated three years earlier. The family initially lived on Mechanic Street, but by the time of the war, they were living at 236 Grand River Street North.

Fred enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force two years before the outbreak of the Second World War and rose to the rank of Corporal. Tragically, he did not get to see action in the war. Walter was training to be a pilot, but while he was practicing forced landings in the RCAF military base in High River Alberta, his aircraft, a Tiger Moth, appeared to stall in midair. He died in the crash on July 18, 1941. He was 25 years old.