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(I originally wrote this touching wartime reminiscence for the Cowichan Valley Citizen in 2005, the Year of the Veteran, with the help of the late Jean Phillips of the Royal Canadian Legion, Cowichan Branch 53.)
The BC Chronicles rarely strays beyond our geographic borders but I believe Remembrance to be universal. Speaking is the late John Cannon of Duncan, B.C.
Read MoreOfficially, the Second World War ended with Japan’s surrender, 80 years ago. In at least one sense, however, the war goes on.
Although no hostile action was fought on Canadian, let alone British Columbia soil, we, too, have a history of live ordnance—so-called ‘friendly fire’—turning up, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places; several times, it has killed.
Read MoreConclusion
Today, a wrap-up of my tribute to the lost airmen of Pat Bay Airport during the Second World War.
As we’ve seen, no fewer than 179 young trainees from Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand were killed, 1940-1945, without ever getting overseas. Fifty-eight of them have graves in Saanich’s Royal Oak Burial Park, Section D. Others are interred in collective graves at the crash sites. Some have never been found.
Read MorePart 2
As we’ve seen, during the Second World War, Patricia Bay (today’s Victoria International) Airport was part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan in which 1000’s of Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand airmen were trained.
179 of Pat Bay’s young airmen never made it overseas.
Read MorePart 1
During the Second World War, Patricia Bay (today’s Victoria International) Airport was part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan in which 1000’s of Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand airmen were trained.
179 of those young airmen never made it overseas.
Read MoreIt’s uncanny how history mimics if not actually repeats itself. Last month’s excitement over a series of so-called ‘scientific’ research balloons from China provided an eerie reminder of the Second World War. That’s when the Japanese attempted to ignite our forests with incendiary bombs delivered via the air currents of the aptly-named Japanese current.
Read MoreI've wanted to write this story for years. But I was missing a key element so I set it aside then misfiled it. It's been so long now that I forgot how I happened to learn of it in the first place.
Read MoreOver the past 24 years I’ve had the privilege of writing the Remembrance Day edition for the Cowichan Valley Citizen. At a calculated guess that would be close to 150 articles—a lot of words. All of them honouring what I believe is the most important day of the year: Remembrance Day.
Read MoreA stroll along Ladysmith’s Sixth Avenue is a stroll into the past—Boer War era.
Read MoreGrowing up in Saanich (okay, Victoria) as I did, the CPR’s fabled B.C. Steamships’ Princess ships are part of my DNA. From the beginning I was drawn to the Inner Harbour and the comings and goings of these beautiful black and white pocket liners with their buff funnels and checker board logos.
Read More
