Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 190
February 13, 2019
The Sky Above Us Release Day Giveaway – Winner!
Thank you so much to all of you who helped me celebrate the release of The Sky Above Us and who spread the word about The Sky Above Us Release Day Giveaway. We had 2044 entries! I’m thrilled to see so much interest!
And now to announce the winners . . .
Victoria La Pere
Joy Neal Kidney
Jeana Owens Sealock
I’ll send you each an email in order so you can choose your prize package and I can mail your package. If a winner who does not respond within a week, a new winner will be chosen.
Thank you again, dear readers, for all your support!
Today in World War II History—Feb. 13, 1944
US Eighth Air Force B-17s bombing Berlin, 1944 (USAF photo)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 13, 1944: Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff issue Combined Bomber Offensive directive of targets for Allied bombers: 1) aircraft production and ball bearings, 2) “Crossbow” (V-weapon) targets, 3) Berlin and industrial targets when weather is bad.
February 12, 2019
Today in World War II History—Feb. 12, 1944
US troops firing a bazooka near Cassino, Italy (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 12, 1944: Allies repel German counterattack at Anzio in Italy, but ground has been lost.
First Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy ends in Allied failure.
In the Indian Ocean, Japanese submarine I-27 sinks British transport Khedive Ismail—1297 killed, including 77 nurses & Wrens, the 3rd worst Allied shipping disaster and the worst loss of female service personnel of the war. Destroyer HMS Petard then sinks I-27, making Petard the only ship to sink a German, an Italian, and a Japanese submarine in WWII.
February 11, 2019
The Lieutenant’s Bargain by Regina Jennings
All Hattie Walker wants is a chance to prove herself as a real artist. Longing to paint the luscious landscapes of the Rocky Mountains – and for recognition – she takes a stagecoach to Denver. However, her stagecoach is attacked by gunmen, and Hattie is rescued by friendly Arapaho – but she doesn’t realize they’re friendly.
Lt. Jack Hennessy has made a name for himself in the US Cavalry based in Fort Reno, and he’s put his all into earning the trust of the Native American tribes. When he’s sent to retrieve a rescued woman – who is most definitely not behaving herself – he’s stunned to find himself face-to-face with Hattie, the girl he pined over back at home.
No longer bumbling and scrawny, Jack sees the chance to finally prove himself worthy of the beautiful Hattie, but things go awry. Jack and Hattie strike a bargain to save face, but if he lets her go to fulfill her dreams, he’ll have to abandon his life’s work, his reputation, and the woman he has always loved.
Featuring a charmingly bookish and clueless hero and a clueless-in-her-own way heroine, The Lieutenant’s Bargain is full of Regina Jennings‘s trademark humor. Even better is the character transformation as Jack gains the last bit of confidence he needs and Hattie opens her heart to see beauty and worth where she never had before. I adored this novel and highly recommend it.
Today in World War II History—Feb. 11, 1944
Lt. Richard Peterson, Maj. Leonard “Kit” Carson, Maj. John England, and Lt. Clarence “Bud” Anderson, the highest scoring aces of the US 357th Fighter Group (Imperial War Museum, American Air Museum)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 11, 1944: First mission of the US 357th Fighter Group in P-51 Mustangs in England—this group would produce the most aces (42) in the US Eighth Air Force, including Leonard “Kit” Carson, Clarence “Bud” Anderson, and Chuck Yeager.
Soviets take Shepetovka, rail center west of Kiev in Ukraine.
February 10, 2019
Today in World War II History—Feb. 10, 1944
Troops of Indian 7th Division at the Ngakyeduak Pass near Sinzweya, Burma, 6 February 1944 (Imperial War Museum IND 2994)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 10, 1944: Japanese surround Indian 7th Division on the Arakan peninsula in Burma; Allies keep the 7th Division supplied through air drops.
Movie premiere of Lady in the Dark, starring Ginger Rogers & Ray Milland.
February 9, 2019
The Sky Above Us – Tour of the Queen Mary
To celebrate the release of The Sky Above Us, I’m conducting a photo tour of locations from the novel that I saw on my research trip to England and Normandy.
Today—the Queen Mary (sister ship of the Queen Elizabeth)
Don’t forget to enter The Sky Above Us Release Day Giveaway, which includes lots of items I picked up on the trip! Giveaway runs Feb. 5-12, 2019.
In The Sky Above Us, American Red Cross worker Violet Lindstrom and US fighter pilot Adler Paxton meet while waiting to board the troopship HMT Queen Elizabeth, and they get to know each other—a bit!—on board.
The Queen Elizabeth is no longer with us—the ship caught fire in 1972 and was scrapped, but the Queen Mary is a popular tourist spot in Long Beach, CA. I toured the Queen Mary while researching this book. In addition to the self-guided tour, we took the “Glory Days” docent-guided tour focused on the history of the ship, which was exceptional! Today I’ll share some history of the “Queens” as well as photos from my tour of the Queen Mary.
The RMS Queen Mary took her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936 with Cunard Lines. Passengers were able to cross the Atlantic in luxury in a matter of days—the record was in 3 days & 20 hours, a record that stood until 1952! Her sister ship the RMS Queen Elizabeth was launched on Sept. 27, 1938. She was eleven feet longer, and with one fewer funnel, accommodated more passengers.
RMS Queen Elizabeth in New York City after World War II (public domain via State Library of Queensland)
When World War II broke out on Sept. 1, 1939, the Queen Mary was en route from England to New York—passengers included movie star Bob Hope. On September 2, the ship’s portholes were painted black for blackout conditions, and the ocean liner arrived safely in New York City on Sept. 4.
The fitting-out process of the Queen Elizabeth was halted, and she didn’t receive her luxurious trappings until after the war. On March 21, 1940, she sailed to New York in great secrecy—including a ruse that she was en route to Southampton. The German Luftwaffe bombed Southampton that evening, believing the deception.
“Queen Elizabeth Comes Up The Clyde,” US Army painting by Byron Thomas, depicting troopship HMT Queen Elizabeth bringing US troops to England during WWII (US Army Center of Military History)
For several months, the two Queens, as well as French ocean liner Normandie, sat idle in New York. Britain requisitioned the two Queens and sent them to Australia and Singapore for refitting as troopships, and within a year, both were carrying large quantities of troops in decidedly un-luxurious settings. HMT (His Majesty’s Troopship) Queen Mary and HMT Queen Elizabeth each transported over 750,000 troops overseas during the war. With their high speeds (up to 30 knots), they were able to travel without warship escorts, because enemy submarines weren’t able to catch them. After the war, both transported servicemen—and war brides—back to the US and Canada.
British troopship HMT Queen Mary returning US troops from Europe, New York, NY, 20 June 1945 (US National Archives)
Shall we visit? When arriving at the dock in Long Beach, one is first impressed with the sheer size and beauty of the Queen Mary. Today she is stunning in her red-and-black paint, but during the war, she was painted in gray for camouflage—nicknamed “The Gray Ghost.”
Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
The bow of the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Queen Mary – and three of the men in my life – my oldest son, my father, and my husband, Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Shall we board? As we board the ship, we can see the set-up of the decks. On the bow, the size of the anchor chain reminds us how very big this ship is. The ship also retains a 40-mm Bofors gun, which could be used to drive away enemy aircraft.
Boarding the Queen Mary – the sun deck (under the lifeboats), the promenade deck (rectangular windows), and main deck (round portholes).
Sarah Sundin on the bow of the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Anchor chain of the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Looking down on the bow of the Queen Mary and the WWII-era 40-mm Bofors antiaircraft gun. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Let’s tour the decks, from the top down! The sundeck was open to the fresh air—which was very bracing in the North Atlantic. Next down was the promenade deck, which was covered. Both of these decks are amidships, which was “officers’ country” during the war. When enlisted men wanted fresh air, they were restricted to the main deck fore and aft. On boarding, each person received a colored card stating which section of the ship they were assigned to—and which shift for eating at the mess.
Sun deck and lifeboats, Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Sun deck of the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Promenade deck of the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Promenade deck of the Queen Mary, stairs up to the sun deck – and my mother and oldest son. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Looking down on the main deck at the stern of the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
The main deck at the stern of the Queen Mary and the stairs to the promenade deck. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Shall we go inside out of the icy air? Brr. Currently the Queen Mary is fitted out in her postwar ocean liner finery. The opulence of the Royal Salon, the Observation Bar, the stairways, and the passageways by the staterooms give us a taste of what travel was like during the golden age of travel.
Royal Salon in the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Observation Bar in the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Staircase in the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Passageway and staterooms, main deck, Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Staterooms, main deck, Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
However, during the war, conditions were far less swanky. The Queens routinely carried 15,000 passengers and crew, with a historical record of 16,683 passengers in July 1943 on the Queen Mary. The fancy salons—and even the emptied swimming pool—were filled with cots in tiers three to seven cots high. Stories of the troopship crossings describe rough seas, unpleasant British cooking, and crowded conditions. The presence of signs as shown below reminded the troops that, despite the high speed, dangers remained. With lifeboat space for only 8000 passengers, these reminders were sobering.
World War II berthing on display at the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
World War II era signals sign on the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
World War II warning sign on the Queen Mary. Long Beach, CA, June 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
During World War II, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth served the Allies as faithfully as any warship, carrying US and Canadian servicemen to England for D-day and beyond. I hope you have the opportunity to visit the Queen Mary and imagine what life was like, both for the first-class passengers and for the crowded troops.
Thank you for joining me! I hope you’ve enjoyed the photographs, the history behind them, and the connection to The Sky Above Us. If you missed the photo tour for The Sea Before Us (2018), come see pictures of London, Southwick House, “D-Day at Sea,” and Omaha Beach. When The Land Beneath Us releases in early 2020, I’ll share the photos from England, Normandy, and Tennessee related to that story.
Today in World War II History—Feb. 9, 1944
Ruins of Aprilia, Italy, WWII (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 9, 1944: In counterattack at Anzio, Italy, Germans retake Aprilia (“the Factory”).
February 8, 2019
The Sky Above Us – Tour of Duxford Air Museum
To celebrate the release of The Sky Above Us, author Sarah Sundin is showing photos from her research trip to England and Normandy. Today – Imperial War Museum, Duxford
To celebrate the release of The Sky Above Us, I’m conducting a photo tour of locations from the novel that I saw on my research trip to England and Normandy.
February 6—London!
February 7—D-day in the Air
Today—Duxford Air Museum
February 9—the Queen Mary (sister ship of the Queen Elizabeth)
Don’t forget to enter The Sky Above Us Release Day Giveaway, which includes lots of items I picked up on the trip! Giveaway runs Feb. 5-12, 2019.
In The Sky Above Us, Adler Paxton flies his P-51 Mustang with the 357th Fighter Group based at Leiston Army Airfield in Leiston, England. Today we’re visiting the air museum at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England. Built in 1917, Duxford Airfield served as a sector station for RAF Number 12 Group of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, and in April 1943 it was passed to the 78th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force, which flew P-47 Thunderbolts and later P-51 Mustangs.
Today Duxford is the home of a complex of excellent museums—from general aviation to the Battle of Britain to the American Air Museum. You can watch restoration in process, and when weather permits, the historic aircraft take to the air.
The Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Interior of the Airspace Museum, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Many of the airfield’s original structures remain or have been restored. Here are pictures of the control tower, the operations room (which is set up as it was during the Battle of Britain in 1940-41), and the corrugated tin Nissen huts. Since Duxford was a permanent airfield, the airmen were housed in heated brick barracks, far more luxurious than the coal-stove-heated temporary Nissen huts used at other US Eighth and Ninth Air Force air bases.
Control Tower at Duxford Airfield, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Operations room at Duxford Airfield, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Nissen huts at Duxford Airfield, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
The Battle of Britain museum houses the RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires that won that pivotal battle, a German Messerschmitt Me 109, as well as an antiaircraft gun and searchlight that were so crucial in defending the British airfields from the Luftwaffe.
Hurricane fighter, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
RAF Spitfire, Imperial War Musuem, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
German Messerschmitt Me 109 fighter, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
RAF antiaircraft gun, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
RAF searchlight, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Duxford also commemorates the Yanks who invaded the island, with an excellent exhibit in the American Air Museum and loving restorations of B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B and several P-51 Mustangs. Of course, I was thrilled to see two P-51s with the red-and-yellow checked markings of the 357th Fighter Group. They also have on display a “paper” drop tank (actually a paper-plastic composition). These extraordinarily lightweight tanks carried 108 gallons under the Mustang’s wings, could be easily dropped if the fighter needed to engage the enemy, and they extended the range of the P-51 to reach any location in Germany. One of the many reasons the P-51 is—arguably—the best fighter aircraft of World War II.
B-17 Flying Fortress “Sally B” (also painted as the “Memphis Belle” on one side), Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
US P-51 Mustang, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
P-51 Mustangs “Frenesi” and “Berlin Express” in markings of US 357th Fighter Group, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
Just for fun…here are some short video clips I took of B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B and an RAF Spitfire in flight! What a treat it was to see this beautiful planes flying in England!
Please join me tomorrow for a tour of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, the sister ship of the Queen Elizabeth, which transported both Adler and Violet from New York to England.
Today in World War II History—Feb. 8, 1944
Soviet artillerymen firing at German fortifications, Nikopol, Jan 1944 (Photo: mil.ru Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 8, 1944: In counterattack at Anzio, Italy, Germans retake Carroceto and secure Buonriposo Ridge.
Soviets take important manganese center of Nikopol in Ukraine.
