Mr. Rogers is asked what he would say to the young people of Canada today if he was speaking to them about love of country, duty and patriotism. His candid answer may surprise you.
Every Person Was Important to the Victory
Mr. Rogers gives great credit to the work of the infantry. He goes on to make the point that every person involved in the war effort made an important contribution to the Allied victory.
The War Ends
It’s early May, 1945 and Mr. Rogers recalls the day the war in Europe ended.
Caen and Beyond
The 3rd Division, of which the 12th Field Regiment is a part, eventually finds itself near Caen. They witness the destructive bombing that levelled the historic French city.
Beyond the Normandy Beach
The 12th Field Regiment encountered relatively light opposition along their section of the beach and managed to move seven miles inland on the first day. As night came, it continued to be a noisy and active operation.
The Normandy Landing
Mr. Rogers, along with his regiment, was assigned to provide artillery support from off-shore barges for the troops moving onto the beaches at Normandy, France.
Preparing for D-Day
Mr. Rogers talks about loading their barges and waiting out the weather until they could sail out for the D-Day attack.
Consorting with the Troops
Mr. Yarnell talks about how involved the ground crews were in the maintenance and watchfulness over what they considered to be ‘their’ birds.
How to Bail Out and Land
Mr. Yarnell describes some characteristics of the Spitfire. He explains how to bail out and how to do a ‘belly’ land in case of trouble.
109's and 190's
Mr. Yarnell describes encounters with German ME - 109's and Focke Wulf 190's in Italy and talks about the differences between the planes.
Getting Shot Down (Part 4 of 4)
Mr. Weir remembers being picked up by the Germans and being treated in a German hospital.
Shoot-ups and Sweeps (Air Tactics and Operations)
Mr. Weir describes the difference between two kinds of air tactics and operations - shoot-ups and sweeps.