Battle of Britain: Canadian Airmen In Their Finest Hour

“I had my lucky charm put on my aircraft the other day,” Pilot Officer Duncan Hewitt wrote his family more than 80 years ago. “It consists of a white circle, six inches in diameter, with an Indian head painted on it.”

It was 1940, the war was heating up, and this young New Brunswicker and his RAF 501 squadron were on convoy patrol over the English Channel. “Please don’t worry if a letter doesn’t come for three weeks or more,” he had written earlier. “If I am killed or taken prisoner of war, you will be notified by the Air Ministry immediately.”

A look at the role of young Canadian pilots in the Battle of Britain{ai:summary}The book "Battle of Britain: Canadian Airmen In Their Finest Hour" by Ted Barris recounts the experiences of Canadian pilots during World War II, particularly focusing on Pilot Officer Duncan Hewitt. Hewitt's letters to his family reflect the dangers and uncertainties faced by airmen in 1940.As they patrolled over the English Channel, the pilots maintained a sense of hope and connection with their loved ones, despite the looming threat of death or capture. #history

Author interview: Ted Barris

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