Archive for January 1st, 1996

The sketches in Bobak’s war diary capture some of the more quieter moments in WW II army life. The “front page” (above) illustrates how she turned a diary into a long-lasting work of art. The large, bold headline reads: Heart-rending Scenes On Sunday. Fateful Day Brings Ghastly Parting For Lance-Corporal And Vermilion Friends. Moaning And Weeping As Train Pulls Out! Squeezed between this and an illustration of parading Canadian Women’s Army Corp regulars is the following news flash: On Sunday, Jan. 31, Vermilion Barracks lost another B Company. Reporters rushed to the scene at 12 noon. The mess was ringing with The [...]

The Blitz started without any warning. Churchill and the defence chiefs met for an emergency meeting the day before it began but their concerns were intelligence reports indicating that the invasion of England–Operation Sealion–was about to start. Nerves were stretched to the breaking point and the code-word Cromwell, which meant “invasion imminent”, was announced without Churchill’s knowledge.In Sussex, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was ordered to “standby at immediate notice”. Everyone would be needed no matter how incomplete their training or equipment. However, Hitler had decided on another form of assault; the whole strength of Germany’s air force was to [...]