My darling Auntie Pat died at the age of 99, in December of 2022. Prior to that time, she'd been the focus of several posts I've written, both here and on Ricochet. This particular one came about on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, on June 6, 2019, a time in which Donald Trump was the… Continue reading D-Day +81: Spent With Auntie Pat, of Blessed Memory
Tag: wwii
V-E Day +80
Much has changed since I first posted about this on Ricochet, on May 8, 2017. Auntie Pat is no longer with us, having passed on at the age of 99 in December, 2022. Queen Elizabeth is gone too, and the country awaits “The King’s Speech” at 9 o’clock this evening, the same time at which… Continue reading V-E Day +80
A Book Recommendation–From Sapper to Spitfire Spy–And Some Notes on Diving For Pearls
Today (March 6, 2025) would have been Dad's 106th birthday. He departed this earth at the age of 88, on September 30, 2007, and I miss him every day. A few years ago, I came across the book mentioned in the title of this post, on my way--as so often happens--to looking up something else. … Continue reading A Book Recommendation–From Sapper to Spitfire Spy–And Some Notes on Diving For Pearls
December 7, 1941: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
At the time, it took a little while for "breaking news" to encircle the globe. Unsurprisingly, though, Hawaii addressed it in a timely fashion, in an "extra" edition of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, on Monday, December 7 itself: The sub-heading reads, "SIX KNOWN DEAD." There would turn out to be more than 2,300 dead U.S.… Continue reading December 7, 1941: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
Seventy-Nine Years Ago–Japan Surrenders: The End of World War II. I’m Pretty Sure That Actually Happened. I Even Have the Papers to Prove It.
Somewhere in the stacks of stuff that form my life, are newspapers and magazines reporting the event. The death of Queen Victoria. The ascension of Edward VII, and subsequently of George V. The election of Franklin Roosevelt. George VI's declaration of war on Germany. The marriage of the Princess Elizabeth. The divorce of the Princess… Continue reading Seventy-Nine Years Ago–Japan Surrenders: The End of World War II. I’m Pretty Sure That Actually Happened. I Even Have the Papers to Prove It.
Five Years On: Auntie Pat on Operation Overlord
I first published this post five years ago, on June 6, 2019–the seventy-fifth anniversary–when Auntie Pat was still alive (she was 95 at the time). I really miss her: June 5, 2019: I just got off the phone with her and–shameless self-promotion alert–she’ll be 96 next month, and is my Dad’s last surviving sibling. I phoned her… Continue reading Five Years On: Auntie Pat on Operation Overlord
June 4-5, 1944: It’s 80 Years Since Dad Marched into Rome and Met the Pope
Eighty years ago today, on June 4, 1944, my father marched into Rome, his British Army regiment having been seconded alongside Mark Clark's Fifth Army. (What Dad had to say, from a personal standpoint, about General Clark doesn't bear thinking about.) My mother always pooh-poohed the whole thing (not unusual for Mum to do something… Continue reading June 4-5, 1944: It’s 80 Years Since Dad Marched into Rome and Met the Pope
Dam Busters +81
A repeat, because--by gum--those wonderful men deserve it: Eighty-one years ago, on May 16-17 1943, an elite group of airmen, mostly from the Royal Air Force, but also with contingents from Canada and Australia, took off in nineteen Lancaster bombers from the RAF station in Scampton, Lincolnshire. Their mission was clear: Destroy three dams in… Continue reading Dam Busters +81
Operation Overlord: Seventy-Nine Years On
Today, the seventy-ninth anniversary of the D-Day invasion, I can't but think of one of my most iconic conversations with my late, great, darling Auntie Pat. It was in 2019, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the day. Pat was approaching her ninety-sixth birthday, Donald Trump was the President of the United States, and the specter… Continue reading Operation Overlord: Seventy-Nine Years On
“His Holiness Will Receive You in a Few Moments–I could Have Dropped Dead!”
Seventy-nine years ago today, on June 4, 1944, my father marched into Rome, his British Army regiment having been seconded alongside Mark Clark's Fifth Army. (What Dad had to say, from a personal standpoint, about General Mark Clark doesn't bear thinking about.) My mother always pooh-poohed the whole thing (not unusual for Mum to do… Continue reading “His Holiness Will Receive You in a Few Moments–I could Have Dropped Dead!”