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Butterfly Bombs and Strafing

Mr. Wilson describes how the Germans harassed their airfield by dropping butterfly bombs and occasionally strafing the landing strip, once while he sat helplessly in his cockpit.

Different Aircraft and Tough Navigating

Mr. Wilson discusses his surprise at being selected for fighter pilot training, and goes on to describe training on the Miles Master and Hurricanes. He describes the challenge of navigating in industrial cloud cover.

An Unusual Welcome to England

Mr. Wilson describes arriving in Scotland, traveling by train to Bournemouth and being welcomed there by a German dive bomber.

Tiger Moths and Harvards

Mr. Wilson compares the experience of training in a single-engine Tiger Moth and the much more powerful twin-engine Harvard.

Canada is Sacred

Mr. Walsh offers some thoughts on why he was proud to serve.

War isn’t for Older People

Mr. Walsh describes the demoralization factor he attributes to older married soldiers constantly reminiscing about their families.

Just a Soldier Like Me

While in occupied Germany, and in command of a work detail, Mr. Walsh befriends a badly wounded German soldier. Their conversations reveal how similar they really are.

A Low-key Celebration on VE-Day

Mr. Walsh discusses his company’s low-key reaction to news that the war was over, and describes an amusingly disappointing attempt at celebration.

An Unfair Repatriation System

Mr. Walsh discusses his disappointment with what he saw as an unfair repatriation policy which meant he was left behind when his unit returned to Canada.

Dwindling Manpower and Resources

Mr. Walsh describes how attrition had caused critical shortages of both men and supplies by the time the Canadian army faced the Germans in Holland.

Walcheren Island - a Tough Objective

Mr. Walsh discusses the dangerous and time consuming strategy of leapfrogging along the dyked approaches to the German stronghold on Walcheren Island. He describes an alternative strategy, amphibious assault, which eventually succeeds. Finally, he expresses admiration for the impregnability of the German battlements on the island.

Two More Wounds

Mr. Walsh describes two more wounds he sustained, one in Holland and the other in Germany, and in both cases waiving medical attention to get back into action.

Date modified:: 2019-02-19