A call to reason for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster

I wanted to post on my blog a call to reason! Something to the South of us in The United States is troubling me very much! It is the Oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Our Father's and Grandfather's have won many wars againts tyrants such as Hitler, Mussolini and people who wanted to rule the world without a democracy!! I think that this oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is like a war and we are not winning it right now! This spill is gushing millions of gallons of oil, methane and a lot of garbage that is killing wildlife and marshes and destroying the lives of thousands of fishermen, people related to the tourist industry in the United States and many more other working class people. This is all very sad!

BP and the American Government must do everything in their power to stop this oil spill before it gains the Gulf Stream and heads out to the Atlantic Ocean. This oil spill has already done enough damage and is now affecting the livelihood of people in Louisisana, Alabama, Florida and will eventually stream North with the Oceans current! I don't even want to think if there is a major hurricane in the Gulf although scientists and the people of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict that this hurricane season could be one of the worst on records due to the Gulf water and the Atlantic ocean being warmer than normal due to the oil absorbing the heat of the sun rays in the ocean.

I always like to talk of our veterans and all of their great accomplisments and history but this is oil spill is too important not to mention to the world through my blog and the way i feel about this disaster! This oil spill will go down in history as being humanities worst man made disaster!

Please, help in any way you can!! Please donate to an accredited Wildlife funds,  I have posted on my blog a logo of the National Wildlife Federation on the top left side, all you need to do is click on the logo to be re-directed to the National Wildlife federation to help maintain the eco system of the Gulf of Mexico and the wildlife. There are other sites where you can donate to help the people of The Gulf, write to your member of Parliament if you are in Canada or the United Kingdom, write to your senetor if you live in America and tell them that this spill must be stopped urgently because it is killing the Wildlife in the Gulf and destroying the Eco system of the Gulf of Mexico and destroying the people's lives.

You can contribute to Gulf Aid Acadiana. Gulf Aid Acadiana was founded by three friends with the help and support of many other friends. Singer-songwriter Zachary Richard is recognized for his committment to environmental and cultural causes. Author of 18 albums in both French and English, as well as several collections of poetry, he is best known for his efforts to promote the French language and Cajun culture of Louisiana. Their link is

http://gulfaidacadiana.org/

I wish i could help in the Gulf as a volunteer but being here in Canada is impossible for me! At least, if i can do anything through my blog, it will already be a step for me in the right direction. Our veterans have helped win World Wars and bring peace againts tyranny and madmen but this is another kind of war that we all must participate in so we can win it! For the people of the Gulf, for the wildlife and this beautiful planet EARTH that we all live on!

God bless you all and let's win this war in the Gulf like our veterans did! It is urgent and the Gulf of Mexico is being polluted by the minute and will take generations as of today to bring it back to it's original state so every hour and every minute counts! This is very urgent!

Thank you for your help and your call to reason in this sad situation in the Gulf of Mexico. Let's win this war once and for all and let's do it fast!

A forgotten Spitfire hero

As a Spitfire pilot in the Second World War, John Mejor risked his life for his country, England. He went on to devote his working life to conservation, helping to preserve the nation’s heritage and landscape.

But in his hour of need, when he might have expected something in return, the state he gave so much to has forgotten him. The 88-year-old grandfather, who requires round-the-clock nursing at a home because of dementia and diabetes, has had the funding for his care withdrawn despite the advice of his GP.
His family now fear they will have to sell the house where his 94-year-old wife Cecile lives to cover the care home costs. On Thursday his daughter Sally Mejor, 54, said: ‘My father made great sacrifices for his country, he is a war hero and deserves better than this. I feel totally let down and hurt that he has been treated in this way.

Sally Mejor with father John Mejor, 88, is being forced to sell his house after the NHS withdrew full funding for his care.

‘It is a complete nightmare, a disgrace and an insult. He was, and still is, a very dignified man.’

Mr Mejor was moved from his house in Exmouth, Devon, to a care home 18 months ago because his family could no longer look after him following a series of mini-strokes.

At first his NHS Trust paid the £800-aweek costs at the nearby Linksway Care Home under its ‘continuing health care’ scheme. Mr Mejor was eligible for the scheme, which is not means tested, because of the assessment of his GP.
But now his health needs have been reviewed by a different doctor acting for the trust. Officials say he is no longer considered a ‘severe’ case and will only receive £106 per week towards his care.
Miss Mejor, however, says her father’s condition has not improved and his GP does not agree with the findings.

Miss Mejor, who lives at the family home in Exmouth as her mother’s full-time carer, said: ‘I cared for him myself for the first five years of his illness and if I could manage to continue I would. At no point was it said there would be any timeframe or, that should his condition improve, even slightly, it would be pulled from us.
‘If there was plenty of money to cover it, I would be willing and happy to pay. But because there isn’t, I have to stand up for him.’ 

Mr Mejor was born in Belgium but moved to Britain as a young boy and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in the war. During a mission over Malta in 1942, in which he shot down German bombers, he was forced to bale out over the sea after his plane was hit – but returned to battle the very next day.

His last operational flight was on D-Day, and after the war he rose to the rank of wing commander, in charge of a squadron of Vampire fighters. He retired in 1964 and set up the Devon Conservation Forum and the Devon Historic Buildings Trust.

Mr Mejor flew a Spitfire like this one above in the Second World War during the battle for Malta

Miss Mejor said: ‘What worries me is the money we are going to have to find for his care is going to have an effect on my mother’s life.

‘I’m fearful for her future, too, because we’re going to have to sell this house and she very much wanted to spend the rest of her life here.’

The family could apply for the NHS to pay for the residential care, but this is means tested and it is highly likely they would be unsuccessful. A health care source said that because Mr Mejor’s health was thought to have improved, extra funding would be an issue of social care – such as help with washing and dressing – rather than health care. This would make it a matter for the local authority, not the NHS.
On Thursday NHS Devon said the cost of Mr Mejor’s care would still be covered while an appeal was heard. This could take several months.

Parveen Brown, who is responsible for continuing health care funding at NHS Devon, said: ‘There is no question of funding being suddenly cut off, or of houses having to be sold abruptly.

‘We deal with these issues as sensitively as we can and we will offer our support throughout.’

Means test rules in England state that anybody who has been assessed as ineligible for nursing care must pay for residential care if they have assets worth more than £23,000. Last month it was revealed that at least 3,000 elderly people a year are forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care. There are fears that cash-strapped health trusts will use public spending cuts as an excuse to reduce funding further in England.

South Normay-April 12, 1940 by Fl/Lt. M.W Donaldson, Royal Air Force

This is the account of a bomber pilot whose bombers formation attacked and sank the German cruiser "Karlsruhe" Flight Lieutenant Donaldson who is a Canadian flying with The Royal Air Force, hails from Lethbridge, Alberta, held a short term pre-war comission in the R.A.F.

This is a day i shall not forget in a hurry as it landed in Gafangenenschaft where i have resided. I was in a night bomber squadron, but owing to the invasion of Norway and our almost complete lack of long range day bombers we were called up to operate in daylight.

A German heavy cruiser (later identified as the Karlsruhe) had been damaged in the early morning hours by our Navy, but owing to heavy seas and bad visibility had made good escape. We were ordered to locate and destroy her. After a sticky trip across the North Sea the 12 of us arrived over the south coast of Norway and opening up into a wide view of sanctions commenced a sweep. I was a little worried about our formation as operating over ennemy territory with heavy and consequently slow aircraft, we ran every chance of meeting fighters. However we carried on and after two hours sweeping we sighted our quarry lying in Kristiansand harbour. "What very shortly proved to be a very costly mistake was made here as our leader ordered us into sections astern, aircraft astern which presented a long line of single bombers to the ennemy, any one of which could be engaged without assistance from another, and it also cut down our firepower to a bare minimum.

Opening the bomb doors we fused our bombs and commenced our run up. The picture is and will be clear in my mind; a cloudless sky, height 12,000 feet, airspeed 180 miles per hour, the cruiser appearing as a small gray silver of steel dashing headlong for the open sea and a pumping up of A.A. for all she was worth. Leading the last section of three, i was just coming onto the target when low and behold enemy fighters, six Messerschmiths 109's. Needless to say they attacked my section and in less time than it takes to put in writing my No.3 airman was shot down in flames and all hands were sadly lost. My No.2 and i managed to weather the storm, ran up, bomded, and as i did a turn to the west saw a direct hit scored just forward of my funnel. But i had very little time to observe as i was unable to catch up to the rest of my formation owing to the increased speed and the heavy and accurate attacks of the ennemy.

Being completely unable to hold them off, having neither the speed nor the firepower i came down to sea level, that at least protected our belly. The two of us had only just arrived there and got properly formed up with No.2 and simply exploded in mid-air in a mass of flames and in the twinkling of an eye had dissappeared forever under the cold gray surface of the sea. I was just about to throw in the towel then and there as with all my section except myself shot down, one of my gunners killed, the rest of us all hit and bullets and cannon shells simply raining in from all directions, we were a gone goose. But one dosen't surrender in the air and fight on we did.

After about three-quarters of an hour of concentrated hell my starboard engine took fire and i was forced to turn north and try to make the Norwegian coast. On the run in, the Jerries figuring we were cold meat threw caution to the winds and attacked relentleely right up to 20 yards. It was a bad mistake on their part as we still had a certain sting in the for of two Vickers K's. By simply heroic work my remaining rear gunner bounced three of them in quick succession with the result the remainder held off to a more respectable distance. Just as we were approching the shore, a well placed burst brought us crashing down in flames in the sea. By the grace of God and a lot of luck, we in the aircraft who were alive as we were shot down all emerged alive and kicking from what had a few seconds before been an aircraft.

Well there it is Jerry, you will no doubt think it is just one big moan--probably it is, but one does hate like hell to be as throughly thrashed as we were and have practically no means of fighting back but let me tell you the war is not over for me. I will continue fighting to my last breath!      

The WW2 RAF poster boy now aged 91

The dashing young airman who became the poster boy of the RAF during World War II has been revealed – 65 year after the conflict ended.

Squadron Leader Ian Blair, now 91, was 22 years old when the famous snap was taken in 1940 after his daring flying in north Africa earned him a medal.

But he didn’t realise his fame until two years later when, on a break in Bournemouth, he saw his face on a propaganda notice warning 'Careless Talk May Cost His Life'.

Flying ace: Squadron Leader Ian Blair with the classic World War II poster he unwittingly posed for at age 22

The poster, aimed at raising morale on the Home Front and spreading vital educational messages, was one of the most enduring images of the war.

Last week, a recently unearthed stash of mint condition pictures sold at auction for more than £25,000 after attracting bids from around the world.

Mr Blair, from Brentwood, Essex, who was born the year the RAF was formed, yesterday told of the moment in 1942 when he first saw the poster.

He said: ‘I wasn't even aware that it had been produced. The photo had been taken two years earlier, in North Africa, when I was a 22-year-old corporal.

‘I didn't think anything more of it, and then all of a sudden, there I was, hanging on the wall of a post office.’

In the famous image, Mr Blair is smiling in his airman's kit as if he hadn't a care in the world.

But just the day before, the former air ace of 113 Squadron had saved himself and a comrade with an act of bravery that won him the coveted Distinguished Flying Medal.

Dashing: Mr Blair was pictured in north Africa in 1940 after earning the Distinguished Flying Medal for bravery

He said: ‘I look cheerful in the photo. I always look cheerful. But it doesn't tell you the true story - the full picture.

‘The day before, we had been sent out to bomb an enemy airfield at Derna, about 400 miles west of Alexandria.

‘We were in a Blenheim bomber, and I was the observer. That's the guy in the front who does the navigation and drops the bombs.

‘But as soon as I had released the bombs, a fighter-plane attacked us.’ Glasgow-born Sqn Ldr Blair still has the blood-stained flight log he made that day. The pencil entries end suddenly.

He said: ‘There was an almighty bang. When I looked round, the pilot - a chap called Reynolds - was slumped forward on the controls.

Hero: Mr Blair with his medals on his dress uniform

‘I think it was the very last round that killed him. It was really unfortunate. His luck had run out.

‘Then the aircraft went into a steep dive.’

Despite having never flown an aircraft in his life before that moment, the young airman - paid one shilling and sixpence per day extra to fill in as part-time air crew - took charge.

He said: ‘From that moment the only thing going through my mind was survival. Everything happened so quickly, and we had to get the heck out of there.

‘I managed to pull the pilot's body off his seat and get the aircraft under control. But we still had to get home and land the thing.

‘My gunner, Hank, sent a message back to base saying: “We're in dire trouble here, the observer is flying the aircraft.”

‘Lo and behold, when we got back to base there was whole gallery of people, cars, ambulances and fire tenders all lined up waiting for the ultimate - but it didn't happen.

‘I had spent a long time watching pilots, and made a textbook landing. We came down in a shower of dust.

‘Perhaps I was a bit over-confident. The air officer commanding the base apparently said: “If that guy can fly an aircraft without a pilot's course, let's send him on a pilot's course.”’

He was presented with his DFM by George VI.

Mr Blair, who joined the RAF as a boy entrant apprentice aged 16 in 1934, went on to fly Spitfires against the Luftwaffe, and was shot down twice before the war ended.

He said: ‘They say that if you walk away from a landing, it's a good landing.

‘I spent 11 months in hospital after one crash but the strangest effect was psychological.

‘Each aircraft has its own smell. After the incident in the Blenheim, I couldn't bear the smell of Blenheims. It was the same after I was shot down in a Spitfire.

‘The quack prescribed a daily glass of milk with three drops of iodine. My friends were quite envious because nobody else got milk.’

Iconic: The well-known propoganda poster was among a selection recently sold for £25,000 at auction

After the war he served in Singapore and Malta and retired from the RAF in 1977, having served for 44 years.

He was an honoured guest at the RAF's 90th birthday celebrations two years ago, where he was introduced to the Queen.

Today, he says his thoughts are with British servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said: ‘I know how difficult it is on the ground with Improvised Explosive Devices. The sense of the unknown must have a terrible effect on their morale.

‘You can't compare the two eras though. Back in my day we never had enough equipment. The finances were always a problem. There was never enough money for anything.

‘The trouble with the politicians was that they wanted the Forces to do too much with not enough people.

‘What really impresses me nowadays is the computerisation. The mind boggles.

‘When I was a navigator, we had to work out our courses laboriously. Now you just press a button.’

In his tenth decade, Mr Blair - who had four children with his late wife, Vera, and has ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren - shows no sign of slowing down.

He regularly tours the country giving PowerPoint presentations to schools and veteran's associations on his wartime experiences.

He said: ‘I can't leap into a Spitfire with careless abandon as I used to in my younger days. But I do enjoy sitting in flight simulators.

‘I have always been interested in flying. My first flight was when I was ten. I paid three shillings to go up with my hero, pilot Sir Alan Cobham.

‘And at Sir Alan Cobham's flying circus I met WE Johns, who wrote the Biggles books.

‘Were the books true to life? Not really. Well, perhaps to some degree.’

Looking for Spitfire/Typhoon veteran pilot Eric FTS Cooke RCAF

Looking for Spitfire/Typhoon veteran pilot Eric FTS Cooke RCAF of King City, Ontario, Canada

Greetings to all in cyberworld.

A gentleman wrote to me from England who was in Royal Air Force in World War 2 and is looking for a good friend of his who was in The Royal Canadian Air Force. This veteran has a letter dating back to 1987 ..he was 60 years old that year. Eric Cooke is from KING CITY, Ontario...Eric Cooke served in the RCAF During the war. They were very good friends and they joined the service together...I was RAF. We met up in London during the war, 1944, 1945. Eric Cooke flew spitfires and Typhoons in Europe.....we met again in cambridge England, both were married by this time......I did speak with him by phone once...but no contact since...his wife BERNICE....children I know not.... Eric Cooke worked for the local government E.M.O. for 12 years.....I am 83 years of age and would like to hear again of my very good friend Eric Cooke.

If anyone in cyberworld has ever heard of Mr. Eric Cooke or knows where we can find him, be friends or family, can you please let us know. This gentleman looking for his good friend is Mr. Ray wade who was in the Royal Air Force Navigation school during the war.

Any news what so ever would be truly appreciated for this World War 2 British RAF veteran. If ever, i can help two veterans meet again after all these years will be an honour and a very gratifying experience for me because our veterans need all the recognition they deserve.

Thank you to you Mr.Wade and to Mr.Cooke.

A Great World War 2 movie,The Battle of Britain 1969

A Great World War 2 movie, The Battle of Britain 1969

Hello to all!

I dont know, if you are like myself but i do like to watch once in a while World War 2 movies, especially the ones that are more historically accurate. The 1969 movie, The Battle of Britain, i think is one of those great World War 2 classics! The reason that i wanted to write about this movie classic, that i am posting today on my blog is to try to help people understand and know what World War 2 history was like! I want to continue to help the world as best as i can about World War 2 history and also of it's consequences, this is the reason, i have created my blog about the Royal Canadian Air Force, The Royal Air Force and all of the other Air Forces of World War 2 and of our soldiers and seamen. I would like people to know what their fathers and Grandfathers accomplished during the war and of all their courage in the air, at sea and on the ground, so we do not forget their sacrifice!

There are other great World War 2 movies, i could write about such as Dark Blue World and Nine O'Clock high. but today, i will talk about this great classic, The Battle of Britain! With a string of career actors such as Christopher Plummer (Canadian fighter pilot), many Canadian fighter pilots flew for the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Michael Caine (as squadron leader Canfield) , Trevor Howard (Air Marshall Keith Park), Laurence Oliver whom by the way gives an extraordianary role as (Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding) and Robert Shaw ( as an unnamed Squadron Leader, referred to as "Skipper") The actors who play German pilots and personel also play a very good role! We must not forget the very good Polish and Checkoslovakia pilots who flew for the RAF during the Battle of Britain.You will get to see the determination of the German Luftwaffe for the control of the skies over The English Channel and Britain. The movie is directed by Guy Hamilton. This movie is a great Historical reenactment of the air war in the early days of World War Two for control of the skies over Britain in the summer and fall of 1940 as the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force determine whether or not an invasion of Britain can take place.

It is in the month of August 1940, Adolf Hitler is planning to bomb England into submission to his dreams of a 'Fortress Europe'. Standing between Britain's freedom and Hitler's terrifying plans is the R.A.F - dedicated RAF and Commonwealth including Canadian pilots who took to the skies again & again in the face of overwhelming odds. The German Luftwaffe's planes outnumber the R.A.F's by more than 2 to 1 - 650 planes of the R.A.F. vs. 2,500 of the Luftwaffe! These odds. however, do not deplete the determination of the R.A.F. to stop Hitler, and as the Luftwaffe launches wave after wave of Heinkel 111 bombers against British cities, the R.A.F. responds, under the leadership of Air Vice Marshal Park and Squadron Leaders Canfield and Harvey who lead the newest pilots of the R.A.F. into confrontation after confrontation with the Luftwaffe's experienced veterans, with the aim of driving Hitler's forces away from Dover's white cliffs for good...and back to occupied France.

This movie is very accurate and if you want to have a good history lesson with great actors, this movie will remind you of all of the great sacrifice our veterans have done for us so we can be free today!  This movie is highly accurate and one of the reason being is that while filming the movie, many veterans such as Douglas Bader (RAF), Adolf Gallant(Luftwaffe) and other veterans of the Commonwealth and Luftwaffe were consultants for the movie. This was done so because it was important that the movie be done of the greatest  accuracy! I have included three of the DVD covers so if ever you want to buy or rent the movie, you will recognise the DVD or Blue Ray cover.  I hope you will enjoy this movie as much as i did and let's all take a moment to thank a veteran when we see one! We owe our veterans all of our freedom for if ever Britain fell to Germany, the war most likely would have been lost by the Allies for we would have lost the only soil that we had as a footstep to Europe! Don't forget D-Day was launched from Britain on it's southern coast to invade France and to help free Europe.

Let's not forget to thank all of our veterans past and present when we meet one!

Canada and the world we love!

Canada and the world we love!

Hello to eveyone in cyberworld. Welcome to the year 2010. I wish you health, peace, hope and happiness. If you are living in the western world, chances are that you are doing fairly well? I sure hope so! Like i said in my previous blog, 2009 has been a tough year and many people have lost their jobs and because of this, hardship follows for a while? Here in Canada, times can be tough sometimes for us but we can always have help from many private or governmental organisations. We, Canadians are known to be tough and how to get out of hardships, this is what makes us strong and united!

In the wake of the massive earthquake in Haiti, my heart goes out to the people of this little island in the Caribbean ocean. I do not want to mention all of what they are going through. All you need to do is open your television and we are bombarded with all the information that we need to know! There is so much suffering and death that the images we see on CNN and all the other news medias are reminiscent of a horrible war scene. In Haiti, this is not war, it is famine on an unimaginable scale, misery and grief. We should be all so greatful not to be living under those horrific circumstances. So sad!

Today, while watching the news, i have heard that our first Canadian military personal have arrived in Port au Prince to bring relief to these wonderful Haitian people. Canada doesen't like to abandon people in need and this is reminiscent of our history! In any time of need, our people are there! Soldiers, policemen, firemen, engineers, doctors and so on! We are not there to conquor but to help. We are there to help and once it is time to leave, if the goverment in place asks us to stay, we will stay to continue helping the people in need of that country! We help our fellow human beings! I hope that what ever can be done by yourselves, finacially or in any other way, please do so, we can all help, even by givin the Haitian people a little prayer from the heart, because somehow we can be of help to this people in need!

During two World Wars, the Korean war, the United Nations peace missions, Canadians have givin their lives and their youths because we have stood on guard for thee and we still do so today in Afghanistan and other places in the world! This is why, i am proud of my country! Canada is not perfect but we are all human beings and as long as our Canadian hearts stand on guard for thee, this will always make me proud to be a Canadian and am i proud of our past and present accomplishmets to our country and the world!

Please, help the people in need of Haiti. What ever little deed is done, their prayers will be answered!

Here a few reliable links, where donations can be made to help the people of Haiti

http://www.worldvision.ca/Pages/Home.aspx

http://www.oxfam.ca/

Thank you!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010

Greetings to all!

It has been a pleasure for me this year to bring to the world, stories of the RCAF and our veterans and of World War 2 events. Although, i have not done as much as i would have liked in 2009 on my blog, i will do my best in the year 2010 to bring you more interesting stories of our fascinating history! 2009 has been a year mixed with emotions all over the globe. Unfortunatelly, there are still wars, we would think by now that humanity would have learned that wars don't bring nothing good to mankind. The climate is of major concern as we are seeing more and more frequent freak storms and different weather patterns all over the globe. How can i not mention the H1N1 virus and the economy that seems to be under the bad spell of the H1N1 virus and cant seem to find a cure for it's well being! It's been a crazy year but things will work out just fine! As long as there is life, there is hope!

When i think of the sacrifice our veterans, past and present have givin us, we must not forget that somewhere, we also must make a sacrifice and do an effort to make this a better world! No matter, how big or small our contribution is! We can make a difference! PEACE AND HOPE, HOPE TO ALL ON EARTH!

Lets keep the faith in 2010 and lets all turn things around for the better!

My thoughts go out to eveyone in the Cyberworld that read my blog and that have sent me nice words through the year, It was really nice hearing from you and please keep those nice emails coming my way, everyone, including our veternas past and present every human being, all over the globe!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year 2010

PEACE

Behind Enemy Lines in North Africa

This is the true story of Lieutenant, Dick Jones, General list.

Webmaster comment: Although this story is not of the RCAF, i do have an interest also for the WW2 North African desert campaign.

In November 1941 I accidenttally parachuted into Tunisia on my way to Tripoli. The Vichy bagged me almost immediately and i was internet at Layhouat (Algeria). From there i escaped in 1942 and was again recaptured. This time i was charged for espionage and sentenced to twenty years hard labour. Despite the efforts of the American counsul, the authorities interned me in a civil prison.

In November, 1942 (by then the Americans had landed in North Africa, i escaped from prison during a revolt.

In quick time we managed to assmble part of our old organisation, obtain some money, a wireless and other necessary tools of our trade. My orders from Malta were to stay in Tunis and gain information.

After three months, i was ordered to cross through the lines and proceed to Algers. My compagnion on the journey was to be a French doctor who had been in Goal for Gaulisme (The Vichy didn't like the Gauliste)

We left Tunis at 11:30 a.m. on the 23rd February, 1943. Our conveyance was a Jewish supply lorry ferrying material to the front. A short distance from Djonzzar (Pont du Fahs) we hopped off the lorry and made into the woods. We changed into Arab dress.

By now it was 2:30 in the afternoon. A five hours walk took us the the front line. It was now dark. We oriented ourselves by the gun fire.

Everything was going well when we were captured by Arabs. Undoubtedly they intented to rob us. As we had several million francs in our possesion it would have not been a bad haul. Happily, i speak Arabic fluently. After a two hours delay we managed to convince them as we were just simple travellers and should be allowed to proceed on our journey. The snag was that while we were past the Arabs, we had lost our two valuable hours of darkness before the moon came up. This meant that we had to pass through German lines in moonlight.

We went on. At Shraa, a German patrol of three soldiers discovered us. We were in "No Man's Land". We tried to withdraw. They fired half a dozen shots in our direction. I asked my friend- "Coggia! Are yout hit?"

"No," he answered.

We pretended we were dead. When the Germans were about three yards from us we instinctively fired from our "Parabellums" (small Italian revolvers we had brought from Tunis). Then all hell broke loose. This small German patrol was supported by a fighting patrol of about 50 men. My compagnion was killed. The three Germans were killed. I was wounded in the leg. I was taken prisonner by the Afrika Korps.

At their headquarters, a German officer demanded my identity. "Dick Jones" He wouldn't believe it. At the time the Gestapo had a price on my head. The officer insisted that he knew Dick Jones quite well and that i was not him. Prospects did not look too bright, captured as i was in Arab dress with a wireless.

On arrival at Berlin i was handed over to the Gestapo. Then began a tour of German Gestapo prisons for the next thirteen months.

Repeatdedly the Germans promised to grant me P.O.W, recognition as a British officer. Eventually, i got fed up and started my hunger strike againts the schocking treatement i found myself put to.

September 20th, 1944 was a great day. I walked through the gates of Oflag IVC. At long last i was with civilized people Allied soldiers, airmen and sailors as a prisoner of war.

Mackenzie King's speech somewhere in Britain August, 1941

This is a speech Makenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada declared somewhere in England on August,20th, 1941. This article is taken from The Telegraph, Journal of Saint John, New Brunswick dated Thursday August 21, 1941

Canada is with you The Empire "Heart and soul for winning the war" Prime Minister Makenzie King declared tonight. Asked for a statement before boarding a train for London the prime minister, who arrived here by plane from Canada today, told reporters: "Please tell Great Britain that Canada is with the Empire heart and soul for winning the war and will not spare any effort that is necessary to ensure victory."

Mr. King also thanked the British people for their hospitality to Canadian servicemen and women. "This friendship will strengthen the strong ties existing between Britain and Canada and help us, in the future to develop the cultural, material and economic exchanges necessary to the welfare of both countries" he said.