Aitkens, Francis Charles

He was the father of Arthur Charles Aitkens.

He completed school in Victoria (Victoria High) to Grade 9.

In 1921 he attended the Sprott-Shaw Business School for the W/T Course.

He served with the Wireless Service at Point Grey; Bull Harbour;.

In 1927 he served at Pachena Point BC.

He served at Gonzales Hill Station.

He served at Estevan Point BC and left about 1937. From then until 1939 he was leading crews to install radio beacon stations throughout BC.

In 1947 he then served overseas with International Civil Aeronautics Organization to Syria, Nepal and Afghanistan and retired again in 1967.

In 1939 he joined the RCAF leading crews establishing aero beacons.

In 1947 he signed onto RCAF regular forces and retired in 1957.

Jennifer Aitkens states "Individual wireless (morse code) operators could be identified by their "hand", the unique sound of their code. Charlie - or Chas as he was known later in life - was left-handed, but used his right hand on the key, which may have produced a distinctive "signature". When asked if he ever considered sending code using his left hand, he replied, no, that the telegraph key was set up as a right-handed station and you'd have to unbolt it and set everything up from scratch with every shift, so why bother?"