"The First Thunderbirds" by Clarence Simonsen, a Canadian aviation artist who has focused on collecting, researching and painting the nose art that appeared on military aircraft. Mr. Simonsen has given permission to reproduce this work here. The original work is in a private collection in Alberta.
This painting catches something of the real and the mythic aspects that have made up 111 Squadron's history. Conditions were brutal, yet they took the fight to the Japanese and played a part in driving them away from the Aleutians.
They also caught a lot of attention:
* Hollywood's Darryl Zanuck visited them and included footage of 111 aircraft and crew in one of his flying films.
* Both P-40s in the painting are wearing pictures of the Thunderbird totem bestowed ceremonially by Saanich First Nation.
* Milton Caniff, syndicated cartoonist with massive circulation, included a 111 P-40 in his feature cartoon series Terry and the Pirates and based one of his characters on 111's Squadron Leader Arthur Deane Nesbitt . That character is holding a small totem which, in the cartoon series, was his talisman.
* The Commander of the newly-created Alaska Defence Force had Walt Disney create a logo (the letter-juggling seal).
Mr. Simonsen catches all of these features of 111's story. I appreciate having it here. Thank you, Clarence Simonsen. Note: Typical of Mr. Simonsen's passion for authenticity and detail, he painted this image on a panel made from the original skin fabric taken from an RCAF 1942-vintage Noorduyn Norseman (#494).
This painting catches something of the real and the mythic aspects that have made up 111 Squadron's history. Conditions were brutal, yet they took the fight to the Japanese and played a part in driving them away from the Aleutians.
They also caught a lot of attention:
* Hollywood's Darryl Zanuck visited them and included footage of 111 aircraft and crew in one of his flying films.
* Both P-40s in the painting are wearing pictures of the Thunderbird totem bestowed ceremonially by Saanich First Nation.
* Milton Caniff, syndicated cartoonist with massive circulation, included a 111 P-40 in his feature cartoon series Terry and the Pirates and based one of his characters on 111's Squadron Leader Arthur Deane Nesbitt . That character is holding a small totem which, in the cartoon series, was his talisman.
* The Commander of the newly-created Alaska Defence Force had Walt Disney create a logo (the letter-juggling seal).
Mr. Simonsen catches all of these features of 111's story. I appreciate having it here. Thank you, Clarence Simonsen. Note: Typical of Mr. Simonsen's passion for authenticity and detail, he painted this image on a panel made from the original skin fabric taken from an RCAF 1942-vintage Noorduyn Norseman (#494).
Squadron Leader Arthur Deane Nesbitt proudly holding the newly-presented Thunderbird Totem, gift of the Saanich First Nation. This must have been made in the earliest version of Kodachrome. It is unusual to see colour photographs from this era. (Photographer unknown, possibly Lou Wise; supplied courtesy of Clarence Simonsen)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
On right, I get to hoist the squadron crest. This one by Clarence Simonsen who painted it on a "skin" from a Hawker Hurricane that flew in the same theater in 1942. I'm very grateful, Clarence. See a tribute to Clarence Simonson here: http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/noseart.html .
Behind me, the Tsimshian frog print is by Bill Helin. It just sneaked into this photo. See his site: www.billhelin.com
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Sources and References
Books
Allison, Les & Hayward, Harry, They Shall Grow Not Old - a Book of Remembrance Brandon, Manitoba: Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Inc. 1992
A work of love and dedication. This 900 page book contains the names and fates of all who died in the service of Canada in the RCAF during World War II. It is a staggeringly huge piece of scholarly work and research. I relied upon it heavily in identifying and describing the 111 Squadron members who died in service in the War.
Chandonnet, Fern, Alaska at War, 1941-1945: The Forgotten War Remembered
A brief description of the events at Kiska on page 24.
Cohen, Stan, The Forgotten War, Volume 1, a pictorial history of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc.1981.
Cohen, Stan, The Forgotten War, Volume 2, a pictorial history of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc.1988.
Both volumes, taken together, give a comprehensive look, both in pictures and words, of what went on in this largely unknown theatre of World War II. The pictures, however, slam home the profound discomfort of fighting in this region.
Coyle, Brendan, War on Our Doorstep - The Unknown Campaign on North America's West Coast. Surrey, B.C. Heritage House. 2002.
A very well researched, approachable examination of how the Second World War came home, literally, to Canada's Pacific coast. Beautifully written. A must-read for anyone wanting to get a quick update on what went on in our western waters during the early phase of WWII.
Coyle, Brendan, Kiska - the Japanese Occupation of an Alaskan Island. University of Alaska Press, 2014. Brendan has a great capacity for making his observations and analysis very readable. He was there, spending nearly three months on Kiska. Attu and Kiska Islands. These islands are the only pieces of American soil that have ever been occupied by an enemy. His photos and observations are very revealing of what it was like for the Japanese troops who had to hang on against America's furious assaults.
You can order it here: www.alaska.edu/uapress/browse/detail/index.xml?id=503
Douglas, W.A.B., The Creation of a National Air Force: the official history of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Vol II. Ottawa: University of Toronto Press, 1986
In a very large document, there is a brief reference to 111 Squadron's contribution on page 404. But it is good to see the context in which Squadron 111 came into being.
Garfield, Brian, The Thousand-Mile War - The World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Press. 1995
This is a reprint of the first book to be written in any detail about the Aleutian campaign against the Japanese. It is a major contribution to this story. Originally published in 1969, it received wide circulation and opened a lot of eyes. Who knew there was a North Pacific Theatre? Who knew that the Japanese, for a while, occupied American territory? It was written by a man who made his living writing novels and screenplays - a lot of them. When he turned his attention to the Aleutian Campaign, it was in search of new plot material for his next novel. But the story so captured him that he launched a major research project. This book is the result. He writes history like a novelist; he researches his material like a historian. This is a must-read for anyone interested in this period. A wonderful companion piece to Brendan Coyle's briefer but equally useful treatment.
Griffin, David F., First Steps to Tokyo, the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Aleutians, Toronto: J.M.W. Dent & Sons (Canada) Ltd., 1944
Halliday, Hugh A., Typhoon and Tempest: The Canadian Story Toronto: Canav Books, 1992
Hugh Halliday is the real deal. He is with the Canadian War Museum so he has everything handy. He can find what he needs and he writes history like he was right there and he'll take you along if you let him. When he teams up with publisher Larry Milbury (Canav Books) you can be sure the book will be gorgeous and just what you were looking for. This book is a case in point. If you want to know what it was like to be in a Tiffie invading Europe, this book is for you. The people, the planes, the terrain and the conditions are all explored in fine detail. I was enthralled because he focused on the all-Typhoon unit, RCAF No. 143 Wing which is where No. 111 Squadron was sent. You will meet many of the Pilots and the Erks from Nos. 438, 439 and 440 Squadrons, read their stories, learn their fates and come to appreciate the significance of this unit as it fought its way toward and into Germany. And pictures!
Holmes, Tony (ed.), Dogfight The Greatest Air Duels of World War II, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2011
Tony Holmes has pulled together the opinions and research from the most knowledgeable preservers of WWII aerial warfare history. He compares and contrasts five of the best Allied fighter aircraft with five of the best "enemy" aircraft, showing, with clearly written text and very beautiful illustrations, how they matched up, how they fought and how it all turned out for each of the pairings. He covers all of the WWII theatres but one. There is no coverage of the Aleutian Campaign, understandably, I suppose, since the USAAF established air superiority there quite quickly, with P-40's and some P-38s and P39s.
Kostenuk, S. & Griffin, J., RCAF – Squadrons and Aircraft 1924 – 1968. Toronto: Samuels Stevens-Hakkert & Co., 1977.
Outline of the chronology of 111 (f) Squadron in Alaska. Plus a whole lot more. This is one of my most valuable research aids.
Strocel, Terry & Vincent, Carl, (eds.) 440 Squadron History, Stittsville: Canada Wings, Inc., 1983.
An illustrated history of 440 Squadron with a good look at its beginnings as 111 (f) Squadron. Great content, too bad the production values were so poor.
Archival Records
Library and Archives Canada:
Canadian Archives, microfilm Vol C-12242, Date: August 1940 - November 1943 RCAF 111 (F) Squadron Record Book: Daily Diary.
A chore to read (photographs of original documents on microfilm - obviously hammered out on an old and under-maintained Underwood) but they were written on the days they described. Library and Archives now will provide a CD version in which the images are much clearer. 111 Squadron's Daily Diary and some of its Operational Reports are stored on CD: C-12242.
Websites:
www.rafweb.org/Sqn431-443.htm
Shows crest and battle honours of RCAF 111 Sqn and its later designation as 440 Squadron.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-111-Squadron-3
111’s early history, representative aircraft, operational history, honours and awards.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-440-Squadron-96
440 Squadron’s Crest, brief history, battle honours and aircraft.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?KITTYHAWK-14
Detailed descriptions and ID numbers of P-40s flown by 111 Squadron
http://www.ody.ca/~bwalker/index.htm
A detailed reporting of 9 P-40s used by 111 Squadron.
www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftList.php?
Pictures and descriptions of the early 111 Squadron trainers.
www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-111-Squadron-3
Brief description of aircraft, activities, honours and historical achievements of 111 Squadron
www.canadianwings.com/Archives/archivesDetail.php?The-RCAF-in-Alaska-18
An article describing the RCAF experience in Alaska. 111 Squadron’s role is described in some detail.
http://www.harrymcfee.com
Harry has created a website on the theme of a "beautiful tribute to those who volunteered to restore peace in the world." He has written a book, as well, telling the stories of 15 WWII fliers. The book is called For we were young and we had wings, St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing, Ltd., 2004
www.manitobamilitaryaviationmuseum.com/PDF/AleutianCampaign.pdf Oops, suddenly this address is no longer functional. Look here instead for the bulk of the Hatch article: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Kerwin.htm
Article by Flight Lieutenant F.J. Hatch describing 111 Squadron’s role in the campaign against the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands.
www.aviationartists.ca/Steve%20Tournay/stournay%20111%20P40s.htm
Steve Tournay is a Canadian artist who specializes in aviation history. Be sure to visit his website to see some great art and some great aircraft.
http://www.rcafkittyhawk.com/history.htm
The Late George Maude, owner of a restored P-40, delighted in telling the history of his. The history of P-40 # 1034 included some time at Patricia Bay and was the draw at a War Bond Drive parade. It was not one of 111 Sqnuadro's P-40s but the owner's exuberance was a delight to see. And a delight to meet. He was very gracious in allowing me to "visit" his prize.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Air_Force
A brief but quite comprehensive description of the U.S. Eleventh Air Force's role in driving the Japanese out of the Aleutians.
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2009/02/the-japanese-attack-air-force-part-31/
The Japanese Attack: Air Force, Part 31 Legion Magazine, February 23, 2009, by Hugh A. Halliday
Both articles by Hugh Halliday put the day-to-day travails of the individuals into a more sweeping perspective of the events involving 111 (f) Squadron.
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2009/04/winding-down-western-air-command-air-force-part-32/
Winding Down Western Air Command: Air Force, Part 32 Legion Magazine April 25, 2009, by Hugh A. Halliday.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/
This site will make it very hard for you to get up for work tomorrow. Be prepared for a beautifully organized, profoundly rich commemorative site dedicated to aviation with an emphasis on military aviation. There is the Captain Fred Paradie Archive, a 45,000 name directory of RCAF people, a USAAF Archive with details about individual servicemen. In fact there are archives for other countries: Take your pick: press the one you'd like to check out: Luftwaffe (the Kracker Archive) , RAF Bomber Command Loss Database, Poland, Korea. Belgian Aircrew Losses 1939 - 1945. I'm breathless just telling you about this site.
www.888wingrcaf.com/PDFfiles/ConceptContrails.pdf
Here is a fascinating read. Harry Bouman, retired high school teacher in Holland, is one of the many Dutch people who were touched to the soul by the liberating Canadian servicemen and the sacrifices made for their freedom. In The Last Flight of T for Tommy, Harry has focused in on one particular Lancaster crew who fell near his hometown. He was determined to show what their military life was like as they prepared for the role they played in serving his country. We get a close-up view of their training, the way Bomber Command worked, from their point of view, and how their last day progressed. A very touching and highly informative work. It is, as you would expect from an educator, loaded with illustrations and photographs. A lovely read, for anyone but recommended highly for teachers who want to show their students "what it might have been like." He originally wrote it in Dutch but it has been translated masterfully into English. It is available in both formats.
Blogs
www.floridabeachestotheberingsea.com
This is a work of exploration and love. The granddaughter of a 111 Squadron pilot, Flight Lieutenant Robert Lynch, having discovered that her Grandfather had participated in something historically unique and little known, has decided that she would like to find her way to the scene of his adventures in the Second World War. She has traveled to the Aleutians on a mission of discovery and affection. Her blog reported her progress. She writes with enthusiasm and a sense of discovery. She would be very pleased to hear from families of veterans who served in the Aleutians. She has devoted part of her site to celebrating and honouring their contributions to North American security.
http://elinorflorence.com/blog
Elinor Florence is a prolific and highly readable writer who has focused on the people of the Canadian war. This blog is a rangy, very affectionate telling of Canadians' stories (with wonderful photographs). She has also written two books, one fictional (Bird's Eye View) and the other biographical (My Favourite Veterans).
Press here for descriptions and opportunity to purchase.
Articles
President’s Report, Canadian Aviation Historical Society Newslatter, Vol 1, No. 7, (June) 2003.
A brief and affectionate description of the DeHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moth, the trainer for early 111 Squadron pilots.
Wise, Lou, The Original Thunderbirds: setting the record straight. Canadian Flight, December, 1999.
Article by Sergeant Lou Wise who was a member of 111 Squadron and who took the pictures when the Chief of the Saanich First Nation presented the Thunderbird Totem to the squadron on March 17, 1942.
Wise, Lou, Chapter IV The Alaskan Adventure, portion of an as-yet-unpublished manuscript, shared by the author.
Personal reminiscences by an astute man who was there and lived the adventure, photographing some of it.
Allison, Les & Hayward, Harry, They Shall Grow Not Old - a Book of Remembrance Brandon, Manitoba: Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Inc. 1992
A work of love and dedication. This 900 page book contains the names and fates of all who died in the service of Canada in the RCAF during World War II. It is a staggeringly huge piece of scholarly work and research. I relied upon it heavily in identifying and describing the 111 Squadron members who died in service in the War.
Chandonnet, Fern, Alaska at War, 1941-1945: The Forgotten War Remembered
A brief description of the events at Kiska on page 24.
Cohen, Stan, The Forgotten War, Volume 1, a pictorial history of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc.1981.
Cohen, Stan, The Forgotten War, Volume 2, a pictorial history of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc.1988.
Both volumes, taken together, give a comprehensive look, both in pictures and words, of what went on in this largely unknown theatre of World War II. The pictures, however, slam home the profound discomfort of fighting in this region.
Coyle, Brendan, War on Our Doorstep - The Unknown Campaign on North America's West Coast. Surrey, B.C. Heritage House. 2002.
A very well researched, approachable examination of how the Second World War came home, literally, to Canada's Pacific coast. Beautifully written. A must-read for anyone wanting to get a quick update on what went on in our western waters during the early phase of WWII.
Coyle, Brendan, Kiska - the Japanese Occupation of an Alaskan Island. University of Alaska Press, 2014. Brendan has a great capacity for making his observations and analysis very readable. He was there, spending nearly three months on Kiska. Attu and Kiska Islands. These islands are the only pieces of American soil that have ever been occupied by an enemy. His photos and observations are very revealing of what it was like for the Japanese troops who had to hang on against America's furious assaults.
You can order it here: www.alaska.edu/uapress/browse/detail/index.xml?id=503
Douglas, W.A.B., The Creation of a National Air Force: the official history of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Vol II. Ottawa: University of Toronto Press, 1986
In a very large document, there is a brief reference to 111 Squadron's contribution on page 404. But it is good to see the context in which Squadron 111 came into being.
Garfield, Brian, The Thousand-Mile War - The World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Press. 1995
This is a reprint of the first book to be written in any detail about the Aleutian campaign against the Japanese. It is a major contribution to this story. Originally published in 1969, it received wide circulation and opened a lot of eyes. Who knew there was a North Pacific Theatre? Who knew that the Japanese, for a while, occupied American territory? It was written by a man who made his living writing novels and screenplays - a lot of them. When he turned his attention to the Aleutian Campaign, it was in search of new plot material for his next novel. But the story so captured him that he launched a major research project. This book is the result. He writes history like a novelist; he researches his material like a historian. This is a must-read for anyone interested in this period. A wonderful companion piece to Brendan Coyle's briefer but equally useful treatment.
Griffin, David F., First Steps to Tokyo, the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Aleutians, Toronto: J.M.W. Dent & Sons (Canada) Ltd., 1944
Halliday, Hugh A., Typhoon and Tempest: The Canadian Story Toronto: Canav Books, 1992
Hugh Halliday is the real deal. He is with the Canadian War Museum so he has everything handy. He can find what he needs and he writes history like he was right there and he'll take you along if you let him. When he teams up with publisher Larry Milbury (Canav Books) you can be sure the book will be gorgeous and just what you were looking for. This book is a case in point. If you want to know what it was like to be in a Tiffie invading Europe, this book is for you. The people, the planes, the terrain and the conditions are all explored in fine detail. I was enthralled because he focused on the all-Typhoon unit, RCAF No. 143 Wing which is where No. 111 Squadron was sent. You will meet many of the Pilots and the Erks from Nos. 438, 439 and 440 Squadrons, read their stories, learn their fates and come to appreciate the significance of this unit as it fought its way toward and into Germany. And pictures!
Holmes, Tony (ed.), Dogfight The Greatest Air Duels of World War II, Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2011
Tony Holmes has pulled together the opinions and research from the most knowledgeable preservers of WWII aerial warfare history. He compares and contrasts five of the best Allied fighter aircraft with five of the best "enemy" aircraft, showing, with clearly written text and very beautiful illustrations, how they matched up, how they fought and how it all turned out for each of the pairings. He covers all of the WWII theatres but one. There is no coverage of the Aleutian Campaign, understandably, I suppose, since the USAAF established air superiority there quite quickly, with P-40's and some P-38s and P39s.
Kostenuk, S. & Griffin, J., RCAF – Squadrons and Aircraft 1924 – 1968. Toronto: Samuels Stevens-Hakkert & Co., 1977.
Outline of the chronology of 111 (f) Squadron in Alaska. Plus a whole lot more. This is one of my most valuable research aids.
Strocel, Terry & Vincent, Carl, (eds.) 440 Squadron History, Stittsville: Canada Wings, Inc., 1983.
An illustrated history of 440 Squadron with a good look at its beginnings as 111 (f) Squadron. Great content, too bad the production values were so poor.
Archival Records
Library and Archives Canada:
Canadian Archives, microfilm Vol C-12242, Date: August 1940 - November 1943 RCAF 111 (F) Squadron Record Book: Daily Diary.
A chore to read (photographs of original documents on microfilm - obviously hammered out on an old and under-maintained Underwood) but they were written on the days they described. Library and Archives now will provide a CD version in which the images are much clearer. 111 Squadron's Daily Diary and some of its Operational Reports are stored on CD: C-12242.
Websites:
www.rafweb.org/Sqn431-443.htm
Shows crest and battle honours of RCAF 111 Sqn and its later designation as 440 Squadron.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-111-Squadron-3
111’s early history, representative aircraft, operational history, honours and awards.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-440-Squadron-96
440 Squadron’s Crest, brief history, battle honours and aircraft.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?KITTYHAWK-14
Detailed descriptions and ID numbers of P-40s flown by 111 Squadron
http://www.ody.ca/~bwalker/index.htm
A detailed reporting of 9 P-40s used by 111 Squadron.
www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/aircraftList.php?
Pictures and descriptions of the early 111 Squadron trainers.
www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-111-Squadron-3
Brief description of aircraft, activities, honours and historical achievements of 111 Squadron
www.canadianwings.com/Archives/archivesDetail.php?The-RCAF-in-Alaska-18
An article describing the RCAF experience in Alaska. 111 Squadron’s role is described in some detail.
http://www.harrymcfee.com
Harry has created a website on the theme of a "beautiful tribute to those who volunteered to restore peace in the world." He has written a book, as well, telling the stories of 15 WWII fliers. The book is called For we were young and we had wings, St. Catharines, Ontario: Vanwell Publishing, Ltd., 2004
www.manitobamilitaryaviationmuseum.com/PDF/AleutianCampaign.pdf Oops, suddenly this address is no longer functional. Look here instead for the bulk of the Hatch article: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Kerwin.htm
Article by Flight Lieutenant F.J. Hatch describing 111 Squadron’s role in the campaign against the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands.
www.aviationartists.ca/Steve%20Tournay/stournay%20111%20P40s.htm
Steve Tournay is a Canadian artist who specializes in aviation history. Be sure to visit his website to see some great art and some great aircraft.
http://www.rcafkittyhawk.com/history.htm
The Late George Maude, owner of a restored P-40, delighted in telling the history of his. The history of P-40 # 1034 included some time at Patricia Bay and was the draw at a War Bond Drive parade. It was not one of 111 Sqnuadro's P-40s but the owner's exuberance was a delight to see. And a delight to meet. He was very gracious in allowing me to "visit" his prize.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Air_Force
A brief but quite comprehensive description of the U.S. Eleventh Air Force's role in driving the Japanese out of the Aleutians.
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2009/02/the-japanese-attack-air-force-part-31/
The Japanese Attack: Air Force, Part 31 Legion Magazine, February 23, 2009, by Hugh A. Halliday
Both articles by Hugh Halliday put the day-to-day travails of the individuals into a more sweeping perspective of the events involving 111 (f) Squadron.
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2009/04/winding-down-western-air-command-air-force-part-32/
Winding Down Western Air Command: Air Force, Part 32 Legion Magazine April 25, 2009, by Hugh A. Halliday.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/
This site will make it very hard for you to get up for work tomorrow. Be prepared for a beautifully organized, profoundly rich commemorative site dedicated to aviation with an emphasis on military aviation. There is the Captain Fred Paradie Archive, a 45,000 name directory of RCAF people, a USAAF Archive with details about individual servicemen. In fact there are archives for other countries: Take your pick: press the one you'd like to check out: Luftwaffe (the Kracker Archive) , RAF Bomber Command Loss Database, Poland, Korea. Belgian Aircrew Losses 1939 - 1945. I'm breathless just telling you about this site.
www.888wingrcaf.com/PDFfiles/ConceptContrails.pdf
Here is a fascinating read. Harry Bouman, retired high school teacher in Holland, is one of the many Dutch people who were touched to the soul by the liberating Canadian servicemen and the sacrifices made for their freedom. In The Last Flight of T for Tommy, Harry has focused in on one particular Lancaster crew who fell near his hometown. He was determined to show what their military life was like as they prepared for the role they played in serving his country. We get a close-up view of their training, the way Bomber Command worked, from their point of view, and how their last day progressed. A very touching and highly informative work. It is, as you would expect from an educator, loaded with illustrations and photographs. A lovely read, for anyone but recommended highly for teachers who want to show their students "what it might have been like." He originally wrote it in Dutch but it has been translated masterfully into English. It is available in both formats.
Blogs
www.floridabeachestotheberingsea.com
This is a work of exploration and love. The granddaughter of a 111 Squadron pilot, Flight Lieutenant Robert Lynch, having discovered that her Grandfather had participated in something historically unique and little known, has decided that she would like to find her way to the scene of his adventures in the Second World War. She has traveled to the Aleutians on a mission of discovery and affection. Her blog reported her progress. She writes with enthusiasm and a sense of discovery. She would be very pleased to hear from families of veterans who served in the Aleutians. She has devoted part of her site to celebrating and honouring their contributions to North American security.
http://elinorflorence.com/blog
Elinor Florence is a prolific and highly readable writer who has focused on the people of the Canadian war. This blog is a rangy, very affectionate telling of Canadians' stories (with wonderful photographs). She has also written two books, one fictional (Bird's Eye View) and the other biographical (My Favourite Veterans).
Press here for descriptions and opportunity to purchase.
Articles
President’s Report, Canadian Aviation Historical Society Newslatter, Vol 1, No. 7, (June) 2003.
A brief and affectionate description of the DeHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moth, the trainer for early 111 Squadron pilots.
Wise, Lou, The Original Thunderbirds: setting the record straight. Canadian Flight, December, 1999.
Article by Sergeant Lou Wise who was a member of 111 Squadron and who took the pictures when the Chief of the Saanich First Nation presented the Thunderbird Totem to the squadron on March 17, 1942.
Wise, Lou, Chapter IV The Alaskan Adventure, portion of an as-yet-unpublished manuscript, shared by the author.
Personal reminiscences by an astute man who was there and lived the adventure, photographing some of it.