The Soldiers' Tower Memorial Room and Carillon

08/29/2026

08/21/2026

Schedule for August, 2026.

07/22/2026

Flight Commodore John Edward Sharman

3rd Wing, 10th Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service

Killed in action: July 22, 1917 Warneton, Belgium

“The son of Thomas H. Sharman, John Edward Sharman studied Applied Science at the University of Toronto from 1913 to 1915. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service on 3 February 1916 and received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate 3216 on a Bristol biplane at Royal Naval Air Station, Redcar on 15 July 1916. Posted to 3 Wing later that year, he scored his first victory on 25 February 1917 while flying the Sopwith 1½ Strutter. When 3 Wing was disbanded, Sharman was reassigned to 10 Naval Squadron on 1 May 1917, becoming a member of Raymond Collishaw's "Black Flight." Flying the Sopwith Triplane known as "Black Death," he scored seven more victories before he was killed in action.”

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC):
Flight Sub-Lieut. John Edward Sharman, R.N.A.S. For devotion to duty during long distance air raids. On one occasion, after leading a flight in the morning and returning safely he volunteered and flew a bombing machine with a second flight in the afternoon, again acting as leader.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)Bar:
Flt. Lieut. John Edward Sharman, D.S.C., R.N.A.S. For courage and skill in attacking enemy aircraft. On the evening of the 14th June, 1917, while on an offensive patrol with three other scouts, he observed five Albatross Scouts. He dived on one of these, firing from his machine gun at about 50 feet range. The Scout then went down in a spin. On the 24th June, 1917, with six other machines, he attacked fifteen Albatross Scouts. After a combat at close range he destroyed one of these, its right plane and tail plane falling off.

French Citation:
Sharman (John-Edward), sous-lieutenant pilote à l’aviation navale anglaise (G.B. n° 4): "a assuré, avec un grand courage, dans onze raids de bombardement à grande distance, la protection des avions de son escadrille. A conduit au bombardement de (censored) son escadrille deux fois dans la même journée."

Sources: theaerodrome.com and the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

07/20/2026

Schedule for July, 2026.

07/09/2026

Lieutenant Robert Clifford Craufurd

18 Fd Coy, Royal Canadian Engineers

BASc 1935. Died of wounds overseas, 9 July 1942. Buried in Brockwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey, England.

Group photo of Rugby Intercollegiate Champions shows Craufurd standing front row, centre (holding ball). Source: Torontonensis, University of Toronto yearbook, 1935.

Photo Credits: The Canadian Virtual War Memorial

07/01/2026

Flight Lieutenant Edward Henderson Viens

RCAF, 113 Sqn, Royal Canadian Air Force

Former student in Ontario Agricultural College, 1937-39. Missing, believed killed, in the Far East, 1 July 1944. Name inscribed on the Singapore War Memorial, Malaya.

Photo Credits: The Canadian Virtual War Memorial

06/28/2026

Schedule for June, 2206. Please join us on Canada Day for a special recital featuring Dr. Elisa Tersigni.

05/07/2026

Schedule for May, 2026.