Land Girls

The Novel, Land Girls by author Angela Huff, originally published in 198 is a great World War Two novel. Three women from completely different backgrounds are united when they arrive at the Lawrence Farm in rural England. They develop a bond which will see their friendship last for the rest of their lives.  This is a far better novel than it was a film - even though I loved the film which starred  Anna Friel, Rachel Weisz and Catherine McCormack. The problem is, and it's one that often happens, is that the film adaptation is rather different to the novel with certain facts having been altered, leaving you with differing impressions depending upon whether you watched the film or read the book!



Nonetheless, I enjoyed Huff's writing and the entire novel if I'm honest. It represents a fair account of life as a Land Girl and of living off the land as it were. There's the usual romance and love lost and then rekindled and there's the sadness of the loss of life because of war. For me, it was a well crafted novel, realistic and thoroughly enjoyable.

A relative of mine was herself a Land Girl from 1941 until the end of the war. She recollected the daily ration of  beetroot sandwiches - well, there was little else for them at lunch times. Then there was a girl called Bea, who used to secretly eat her stash of food or sweets if she had any, from her locker during their basic training. Thanks to rationing and food shortages she didn't like to share. Another girl  had a mysterious case of stomach ache, brought on quite suddenly and it was quite severe. As it turned out she was in labour and had concealed her pregnancy from everyone, thus heralding the end of her service career.

All in all it was enjoyable and good experience with many friends made for life, but as Aunty Jean says, it was incredibly hard work and a very tough life. Working in all weather, hard labour depending upon your task that day. And it was a long day with very little time off. Still, time off was relished and brought welcome relief and time for romance and dancing which she and her friends enjoyed immensely. Having kept in touch with her friends from those days, all former Land Girls, and enjoying annual reunions, there are now only two of their select group remaining. 

70th Anniversary of The Dambusters Raid

Today heralds 70 years since the Dambuster Squadron (617) embarked upon their daring raid of the Ruhr dams in Germany, Operation Chastise, leaving RAF Scampton at midnight on the 16th May 1943. Led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who was only 24 years old, 53 would not return whilst 3 became prisoners of war. Out of 19 bombers, eight were shot down.

617 Squadron

George 'Johnny' Johnson is the last remaining British survivor of that squadron and he was present today at RAF Scampton to mark the 70th Anniversary of the raid. Les Munro is the only surviving pilot of that raid and hails from New Zealand. Canadian rear gunner Fred Sutherland (89) is the third and final surviving crew member of the raid.

Johnny is first on the left.

Events are taking place this week to mark the Anniversary here in the UK and also at the Eder Dam in Germany on Friday.

The bravery and the sacrifice of the young men from that Squadron will always be recognized and honoured. Can you imagine flying a Lancaster Bomber at a mere 30 feet above water, getting ready to drop a bouncing bomb? That was the role of bombardier, Johnny Johnson, who lay in the belly of the Lancaster, watching the water flash by - and each plane could only hold one bouncing bomb so there would be no second chances.

The mission was top secret and extremely dangerous. Flying at such low levels left the bombers extremely exposed. The loss of life was tragic on both sides. Indeed, the daughter of Barnes Wallace, the inventor of the bouncing bomb has said how her father never got over this consequence of the mission and a sadness remained with him for the rest of his life.

Please remember them all this evening at midnight. Think of them leaving to board their Lancaster's  taking off and embarking upon the daring raid to the Ruhr Valley in Germany. Flying perilously low across the water. Fifty Three crew members would not return. Innocent people would lose their lives in the Ruhr Valley as a consequence of the raid. Please remember them all.

Lancaster Bomber Fly Past Over Derwent Dam

Inspiration - Where Does It Come From?

Writing is fantastic. It's also filled with flaws and turbulence. Anything can upset the balance and I have endured my own tidal wave of 'events' over the last five months. You could say that my writing has been little and not very often which is incredibly frustrating. However, as an avid reader I have recently received some fresh inspiration.

I read Hilary Mantel's biography recently and she said that she always knew she was capable of writing and of being a good writer but she did not know how to write fiction. Ta da! My first snippet of inspiration courtesy of Hilary. When I first began my writing journey, I was anything but an accomplished fiction writer.  I began out in the same camp as Hilary in that I always knew that I could write fairly well but I had never attempted to write fiction - not since my school days and that was some time ago. So, the fact that Hilary Mantel had to learn her trade is certainly inspirational and gives me hope.

My next jewel of inspiration came direct from a Cumbrian author, a traditionally published author who has now embarked upon self publishing. Her opinion of self publishing has changed from one of negativity to one of positivity and she is fully embracing all it has to offer. The rather bleak and negative changes in traditional publishing have pushed many authors out into this new, evolving world and there are many benefits to be gained. The main one is that you could have your new novel published and for sale within 3 months of completing the manuscript. It certainly beats the traditional route which could actually take 2 years + to achieve this. Well, it's food for thought.

My final sparkler came from an interview over on the historical novel society.
Author Kate Lord Brown discusses her second published novel, 'The Perfume Garden,' which was set during the Spanish Civil War. Listening to her words inspired me today because she appears to share my passion for both World Wars, aviation and romance. It's great to hear about the work of others but it's fantastic when you encounter someone who seems to share your passion and essentially, your work. You can take inspiration from the most simple things or words and sometimes it's almost as if it was there waiting for you to come along in need. So, now I'm quite inspired I'm off to do some work. You can tune in for the interview here:
http://historicalnovelsociety.org/richard-lee-talks-with-kate-lord-brown-about-the-perfume-garden-and-the-allure-of-the-spanish-civil-war/

Douglas Bader's Wingman

Sir Alan Smith was hand picked by Douglas Bader to be his wingman during the fierce Battle of Britain.
Alan Smith was born on the 17th March 1917, in South Shields in north-east England. Sadly he would never  know his own father, Captain Alfred Smith, who was tragically lost at sea during World War One.

He grew up in South Shields, working in his mother's ironmongery store. He joined the Royal Airforce Volunteer Reserve along with many other young men and was called up to serve his country in 1939.

Alan Smith

He joined 610 Squadron as a Sergeant at Acklington in October 1940. At the beginning of 1941 he was posted to 616 Squadron which would become part of the Tangmere Wing, led by none other than the infamous Douglas Bader.

One day as Smith came in to the dispersal hut, Bader turned to him and said, 'What's your name?'
'Smith, Sir,' Alan replied.
'Right, you'll do. Fly as my number two and God help you if you let any Hun get on my tail,' Bader barked at him.


Smith made an exemplary wingman to Bader, protecting him from enemy fire on many occasions. Unfortunately, on the day Bader was shot down in August 1941, Smith was not flying as his wingman due to the fact that he was unwell. That day, Bader baled out and was captured by the Germans.

Later that year Smith received a commission and the DFC, the citation for which read, "in combat he has been of great support to his leader."

Smith went on to become a flight instructor and would assist the USAAF pilots convert to Spitfires. After service in North Africa he received a bar to his DFC. He was a Spitfire Ace with 5 confirmed enemy kills.

After the war he had a most successful career in the textile industry and was awarded the CBE in 1976 followed by a Knighthood in 1982. He died on the 1st March 2013 in Perth, Scotland. Rest in peace, Sir Alan.

Sir Alan Smith (right) with Air Vice-Marshall Johnnie Johnson

Book Review of 'The American Bomber Boys,' by Martin Bowman.

Synopsis:
Asked why he was in Britain, a US serviceman, fighting the war in the skies over Germany with the US 8th Air Force quipped, 'We're here to win the war for you'. The men of the US 8th AF dropped more bombs on Germany and Italy than any other air force, with most of their raids being in daylight. Martin Bowman has spent much of the past two decades recording the memories of hundreds of American airmen who came to Britain to fight the Germans and Italians. Giving a unique insight into both combat missions and life back at base, he has managed to compile a fascinating oral history of the war through the words of the men who took it direct to the heart of both Germany and Italy, men who risked their lives daily in the search for freedom for occupied Europe. A fascinating history from the voices of the American airmen who flew daily from bases in East Anglia to the heart of Germany.

Review: For anyone with an interest in World War Two, especially the war fought from the air. The book is well written, interesting and the author does not bombard you with technical information. Instead, it's filled with personal accounts which serve to deliver a picture of what it was really like to be part of the mighty American Air Force during those last few years of the war.  

There are a number of fantastic images which give a real sense of the period. I loved the chapter about GI Brides and I also loved hearing about the language barrier the Airmen encountered when they first arrived in England. Common day phrases that were used here meant something completely different to the American Airmen. Rest and recreation invariably detailed outings to the local pub or up to London, visiting clubs and restaurants and going to shows. Female company was always sought and grappling with cycles along darkened country lanes devoid of sign posts could be interesting.

There are some poignant stories, some of which detail tragic losses of life and one learns about the daily fears those brave men endured and fought with, day after day, in order to fly one operation after another. One such story details a young Bombardier from New York who has just become a father for the first time and is killed on his next operation when his B-17 'Baby Doll,' is shot down. Blunt and sudden, it serves to illustrate how short life can be and just how precious it is to live.

All in all the book is a great insight into their daily life and one which I definitely recommend.

Research is a Journey of Undiscovered Jewels.

I began the research for my novel approximately 18 months ago. Historical fiction is not exactly straight forward -well, you can't simply write from your imagination. Historical accuracy is essential, especially if you want good reviews! The problem I have is that just when I think I have done the ground work, my writing reveals that's not quite the case. I find that I am forever dipping in and out of books, looking up this and that and spending hours online researching. The perils of the latter, as you will be well aware are that one can so easily become sidetracked and waste time.

One of the biggest problems I've encountered is 'place.' Researching the place where particular events happened is clearly essential and the best way forward is to visit the relevant locations. However, whilst location never alters, landscape invariably does. For me, visiting old airfields is great but frustrating. The majority are as if they never existed, the land having been returned back to agricultural use. Decaying old Nissen huts and watch towers are about the most one gets to see with perhaps the occasional old aircraft hangar.

At the end of it all I have come to realise that I can only discover so much about the past. Times have changed and I'll never really know what it was like during the 1940's. I'll never truly know what it felt like to fly in a Lancaster Bomber or a B-17. I'll never witness the sight of an Me-110 fighter coming straight towards a B-17, firing until he shoots her down, crew and all. These are the sort of facts that I've searched through countless books to discover. Essentially, books, films and museums have been my main resources.

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, UK.

Museums are invaluable. You can wander around, soaking up the atmosphere as you marvel at the displays. At the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre (above), you can even pay for a 'taxi' ride in a real Lancaster Bomber, named 'Just Jane.' You get to have a look inside and take up a position such as navigator or radio operator, where you sit whilst the aircraft is 'taxied' across the runway. Sadly you don't take off and fly but wouldn't it be fantastic if you could? And in case you don't know, 'Just Jane' featured in the Doctor Who Christmas special 2011.

The museum was established by Fred and Harold Panton, two farmers who lost their elder brother, Pilot Officer Christopher Panton during World War Two. He was tragically killed in a raid over Nuremburg on March 30th, 1944. Christopher was among the many who lost their lives in Bomber Command. The centre also has a Spitfire and some fantastic exhibits -well worth a visit if you ever visit the county. It's on the site of the former RAF East Kirkby. In total, 212 operations were flown from this base during the war, with 121 Lancasters failing to return.

The control tower has been fully restored with recreated sounds of a night operation in Berlin.

A total of 840 airmen gave their lives during the war. Their names are inscribed on a roll of Honour within the Station Chapel.

The Panton brothers made a trip to Germany many years after the loss of their brother, to visit his crash site. They discovered fragments of his plane just beneath the surface of the ground, fragments which they collected and put on display in the museum. They also found the cycling spanner which their brother always kept in his uniform pocket -still with a piece of his uniform attached. They never cleaned it.

The museum is amazing and worth visiting especially if you'd like to show your support. The family have done  fantastic preservation work here, keeping a small piece of England as a memorial to those who gave their lives and so much more so that we might have a safer future. 

Spring, New Life & New beginnings.

Spring appears to be here finally, in chilly Cumbria. There are signs of growth everywhere in the garden, the daffodils are gradually springing into action and finally, having suffered a blow to my creativity lately, I sense the wind is changing. The writing has been slow and perhaps not as steady as I would have liked. However, I have been reading like mad. As most people know who visit my blog, I am an avid World War Two amateur historian and writer. My research is constantly ongoing and just lately I've been reading several books about the unsung heroes of the air who risked life and limb to fly Bombers. My latest read is by the author, Kevin Wilson:

There were many ways for a combat crew to die during Bomber Command's war of 1944. Over German territory, bursts of heavy flak could tear the wings from their planes in a split second. Flaming bullets from German fighter planes could explode their fuel tanks, cut their oxygen supplies, destroy their engines. In the spring of that year, thousands of young men were shot, blown up, or thrown from their planes five miles above the earth; and even those who returned faced the subtler dangers of ice and fog as they tried to land their battered aircraft back home. 

The winter of 1944 was the most dangerous time to be a combat airman in RAF Bomber Command. The chances of surviving a tour were as low as one in five, and morale had finally hit rock bottom. In this comprehensive history of the air war that year, Kevin Wilson describes the most dangerous period of the Battle of Berlin, and the unparalleled losses over Magdeburg, Leipzig and Nuremberg. He tells how ordinary men coped with constant pressure of flying, the loss of their colleagues, and the threat of death or capture. And, by telling the story of the famous events of this period - the Great Escape, D-Day, the defeat of the V1 menace - he shows how, through sheer grit and determination, the 'Men of Air' finally turned the tide against the Germans.

It's a fantastic read and very informative. It's also filled with personal accounts of those who were part of Bomber Command. One gets a sense of the fear those men carried with them every day, what is was like to be flying through the Flak in Europe, watching your crew get hit and injured or worse still, killed before your eyes. Watching other crews bailing out of stricken bombers, going back to base and always seeing new faces, the old ones having barely had the chance to become 'old hands,' now vanished for ever. Life in the forties is wonderfully recreated by the accounts of these men and it has proved to be a valuable resource for my own research. It is well researched and I like the format.

One of the poignant moments was reading a little about the  German fighter ace, Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, (14 August 1916 - 21 January 1944).He received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross personally from Hitler himself in 1943 and prior to the meeting he contemplated shooting the Fuhrer. According to his mother, he was very disillusioned with the war. He had become Germany's most successful night fighter yet he would confess to friends about his angst at killing airmen when he shot their planes down. He claimed that he always tried to hit the enemy plane so as to give the crew a chance to bale out. Clearly this expresses a more humanitarian view and it is such views/opinions that are so refreshing and intriguing to hear when reading these true accounts. Overall, it's a book I would highly recommend.