Elinor Florence's Blog, page 12

Behind the Lens: Ruth Owen Whitelegg

Ruth Eva Owen Whitelegg trained as a photographer for the Royal Canadian Air Force and served at RCAF Centralia, Ontario, during World War Two. Her photo album gives us a glimpse into wartime history, crammed with candid snapshots of life on a Canadian air training base.

Runaway Teen Became Tank Driver

Seven decades after German artillery fire blew up the Sherman tank Stan Stachera was riding in, as he crossed a muddy intersection in the Netherlands, the folding leather cribbage board he made during his hospital recovery remains his family's favourite link to his wartime past.

'Living History' Groups Honour WW2

History buffs with a passion for World War Two take it to the limit – dressing in vintage uniforms, sleeping in tents, eating rations, and even reenacting entire battles! Their primary purpose is to teach the public about a war that is rapidly fading from living memory.

 

Five Fascinating Flashbacks to Wartime Women

Because my focus is on women’s lives during the Second World War, I’m always delighted to unearth little-known stories about their unique experiences. Here are five of the best.

"High Flight" Written 75 Years Ago

This year, 2016, marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the writing of one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry ever composed – “High Flight,” by John Gillespie Magee Junior. A few months after creating this lyrical work of art, the brilliant young Spitfire pilot died in a tragic air accident. He was just nineteen.

Bud Abbott Rained Terror on the Tirpitz

Bud Abbott was just twenty-three years old when he strapped himself into his cockpit, took off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, and headed into aerial combat for the very first time. His target: one of the deadliest German battleships ever built.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

For hundreds of thousands of families around the world, 1945 marked the first happy Christmas celebrated together after the sad and lonely years of war.

Presents for People Who Love the Past

Just in time for Christmas, here’s my annual list of twenty gift ideas that can be ordered for the history buffs on your shopping list -- from the very young to the young at heart.

Flyer Was No Shrinking Violet

Violet Milstead of Toronto was a ferry pilot, one of the elite few Canadian women who served with the Air Transport Auxiliary in Great Britain during World War Two. She flew forty-seven different types of aircraft, including fighters and bombers, from factories to airfields. This Remembrance Day and always, let us remember Violet and thousands of other women around the world who served their countries in wartime.

Wartime Wednesdays Celebrates Two Years

To mark the two-year anniversary of Wartime Wednesdays, I’m reposting stories from my Living Legends – ten wonderful veterans who have shared their wartime experiences with me. You may also take advantage of my special anniversary book offer.