Captain Gerald Gibbs (left) and his observer pose with the German aircrew (centre) Gibbs shot down, then treated to dinner. Two weeks later, one of the Germans sent him fan mail asking for his autograph.(BNPS)

In days of yore: How WW I rivals revived chivalry in war

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

There are few rivals in war who have shared the mutual regard and respect, even camaraderie, as those who flew aircraft during the First World War.

Theirs was a singular experience, the scale and intimacy of which were unique in the annals of conflict, even aviation, before or since. With it, a new chivalric tradition, vestiges of which persist to this day, was born.

Blazing trails in the skies in bare-bones, canvas-and-wood airplanes, they fought mano a mano, skill to skill, often just metres apart. And mostly without parachutes.

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HMSC Oakville near Nova Scotia 1943.(Wikimedia)

Oakville’s Gamble: A Canadian Corvette vs. U-94

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Between 1942 and 1943, on behalf of the Canadian government, Hubert Rogers used his skills in comic book style writing and animating to create propaganda posters the eye-catching tagline such as, “Men of Valor: They Fight for You.”

Produced in both English and French while covering all three branches of the armed forces, one such poster highlighted the efforts of HMCS Oakville—particularly the heroics of seamen Hal Lawrence and Art Powell—in the attempted capture and eventual sinking of U-94 on Aug. 28, 1942.

On that fateful late summer day, the Flower-class Corvette had joined other Allied vessels, including HMCS Halifax and HMCS Snowberry, in escorting Canadian oil tankers through the Caribbean as part of convoy TAW-15.

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