South Yorkshire Times, November 25th 1944

R.A.F. Commission

The first Kilnhurst lad to receive his “wings” in the R.A.F. has now become the first to be awarded a commission.  He is Flt. Sgt. Charles Taylor (23), eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Taylor, of 1a, Glasshouse Lane, who has been commissioned Pilot Officer in Canada, where he has been instructing pilots.

He joined the R.A.F. on his 20th birthday, and being previously employed as a lorry driver by the Kilnhurst Co-operative Society, was placed in the transport section, but he volunteered for air crew duty, going abroad for training as a pilot in February 1943.  After receiving his “wings” in Canada, he was retained for instructional duty.  Pilot Officer Taylor was educated at Kilnhurst Council School.

His leaves have been spent with is uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kirby, who left Kilnhurst 22 years ago, and now reside in Michigan, where Mr. Kirby is a worker in the Ford plant.  It appears that the visit will be reciprocated, for recently Mr. and Mrs. Kirby’s 20-year-old son, Walter, who is in the U.S. Army landed in this country, and a few days ago looked up Mr. and Mrs. Taylor’s daughter, Anne, in Wales.  He hopes to pay his aunt and uncle at Kilnhurst a visit before Christmas.