Elinor Florence's Blog, page 14

Jack Dye Followed His Star

Jack Dye, a brave young bomb-aimer from Regina, Saskatchewan, saved everyone on board his Halifax bomber in this terrifying incident that took place seventy-one years ago today -- on June 3, 1944.

Cheers to the Chute Girls!

Of all the work performed by women in uniform, packing parachutes -- those complicated contraptions of silk and leather -- meant the difference between life and death for a man plunging from the sky.

Tony Cashman: Life as a Halifax Navigator

Author and journalist Tony Cashman is famous for his lifelong contribution to the history of Edmonton, Alberta -- but less known for the significant role he played in World War Two, completing a full tour of thirty operations as the navigator in a Halifax bomber.

A Mitchell and a Manuel

A twin-engine wartime Mitchell bomber called Maid in the Shade flew from Arizona to Alberta last summer, but the highlight of the aviation event was meeting Manuel Sharko, a veteran of Bomber Command who defied the odds to complete 36 operations as a mid-upper gunner in a Halifax.

From Nazi Camp to U.S. Army:The Story of a Jewish POW Interrogator

Of all the connections made through Wartime Wednesdays, this is the most wonderful. Hank Herzberg of Chicago, aged 95, learned at last what had happened to his boyhood friend from Hanover, Germany, by reading my post called The German Jew Who Bombed Berlin. And his own story is also extraordinary.

Lady Orchid Keeps Lancaster Aloft

Thanks to a body part donation from another Lancaster called Lady Orchid, one Canadian Lancaster bomber is still flying. And the man indirectly responsible was Lady Orchid’s pilot, Ron Jenkins. His daughter Deb explains the fascinating chain of events.

Lady Orchid keeps Lancaster aloft

Thanks to a body part donation from another Lancaster called Lady Orchid, one Canadian Lancaster bomber is still flying. And the man indirectly responsible was Lady Orchid’s pilot, Ron Jenkins. His daughter Deb explains the fascinating chain of events.

Georgina's RCAF Photo Album

Now 96 years old, Georgina Harvey was a young woman from a well-known family in Kelowna, British Columbia, when she joined the air force in 1943 and trained as a photographer. Her photo album reveals a fascinating slice of life in uniform.

Wartime Scrapbook, Part Three

Thanks to Wartime Wednesdays, the families of two veterans who shared a Lancaster bomber for 15 missions -- one in Glasgow, Scotland, and the other in Vancouver, Canada -- are now connected. See more stories and website links of special interest to aviation buffs here.

Wartime Scrapbook, Part Two

Here, for your browsing pleasure, are some fascinating photos and stories sent to me by readers of Wartime Wednesdays, plus a few I found myself.