Clifford Ralph Thorpe was born on Nov. 11, 1915 in Portland, Oregon. He enlisted in the RCAF on August 1940 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He received his training at Manning Park, Toronto, Gooderich Ontario and obtained his wings at the training school in Summerside PEI. He served as a Pilot Officer in the 121st Eagle Squadron and was posted to England from May 1941 to March 1942. Then, he was posted to North Africa (Egypt) as a Pilot Officer of the RAF 250th Squadron from April 1942 to September 15, 1942. His plane was shot down 20 miles southwest of Al Alamein Egypt, he became a German /Italian POW from September 15, 1942 to November 1, 1943 (Stalag Luft 3). He was liberated on May 2, 1945 at Trenthorst, near Lubeck Germany.

After the war, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at UBC in 1946. He married and moved from Calgary, Alberta to Trail, British Columbia in Canada to work for Cominco from 1948 to 1979. He retired in 1979 as the manager of Non Destructive Testing, Engineering Dept. (Cominco). Thorpe died on August 11, 2007 at 91 years of age but his current burial is unknown.