As I continue researching for my next book on Canadian fighter pilots, I am always delighted by the thrill of discovering new things, or piecing together bits that perhaps have never been been put together before or (more likely) have been forgotten for many decades. Let me share a few recent discoveries about Canadian fighter […]
Adventures in research Read More »
Shortly after the declaration of war, the Canadian government sent a note to the British Government to determine what Canada could send right away. The British government hoped that Canada’s contribution would eventually be as great as that of the 1914 war but requested a division of infantry immediately. They could complete their training in
A Return to War – A. Tice Post Read More »
Harry T. Hionides was a first-generation American, born in Ohio to Greek immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in 1912. He was a brilliant student, an exceptional mathematician, a dedicated scholar of Greek literature, and a member of the National Honor Society. His congressman had nominated him for both the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
Harry Hionides – The American in the RCAF who got a Greek medal of valour Read More »
Canada’s Exceptional and Nearly Forgotten Fighter Leader. Wing Commander Lloyd V. Chadburn was more than a fighter pilot – A natural leader, a fighter ace, and a fierce defender of the bombers that struck at occupied Europe. It was often felt that Chadburn’s presence made the difference between life and death for the men he
Angel in a Spitfire Read More »
1939-Nov-6 | Able Seaman James Westcott, RCN | HMCS Fraser James Westcott had lived in Victoria, BC all his life. The town of Esquimalt, next door, was host to the major Royal Navy and then Royal Canadian Navy base on the Pacific coast. Although the RCN was small in those days, Jim knew he wanted
First RCN Casualty Read More »
1939-Sep-14 | Warrant Officer James Doan and Corporal James Rennie | RCAF 8 (GP) Squadron Canada’s military was small and equipped with outdated gear. But when war seemed inevitable, they were determined to be ready. The Royal Canadian Air Force prepared an Ottawa-based squadron for anti-submarine patrols from Sydney, Nova Scotia. They planned to use
First RCAF Casualty Read More »
1939-Sep-14 | Private Aurele Chevarie | Corporal Emery Rogers | New Brunswick Rangers Corporal Emery Rogers and Private Aurele Chevarie were both proud to be part of Moncton’s local militia unit, the New Brunswick Rangers. Chevarie had been in the army cadets as a boy but pursued a career as a bookkeeper. At 26 years
First Canadian Army Casualty Read More »
1939-Sep-03 | Pilot Officer Ellard Cummings | 1 Air Observers School, RAF When the German Army invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the British and French governments gave them two days to pull back to their borders, but when they did not, war was declared and on September 3, war had come again to Europe.
First Canadian Casualty Read More »
What Makes a Canadian? Canada is not a particularly martial country. Its armed services have always been small, especially in consideration of the vast size of the country. But when it contributes, it punches way above its weight. The first foreign expedition was the British Empire’s call to arms for the Second Boer War in
Canadians In World War Two Read More »
The biography of another unsung Canadian hero. His life is legend among airmen who knew him and those who knew of him. Wing Commander Lloyd Vernun Chadburn, DSO and Bar, DFC lived almost 25 years but in those short years he stood as an example of what a dedicated leader and unassuming hero could and