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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The Royal Navy destroyer Cossack rescued a cat in the aftermath of the Bismarck sinking. The feline, who became known as Unsinkable Sam, is said to have survived two more sinkings before he was retired to a sedate life of relative luxury. (WIKIMEDIA)

In defence of cat ladies, and gentlemen: The tale of Unsinkable Sam and other seafaring felines

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. —Ian Fleming

One of the epic sea battles of the Second World War, the Battle of the Denmark Strait, was over. HMS Hood was at the bottom of the sea; a wounded HMS Prince of Wales was limping back to port. The German battleship Bismarck, disabled by a relentless barrage from British ships and aircraft, had been scuttled and sunk.

It was May 27, 1941, and after eight days and multiple torpedo strikes from Swordfish biplanes of the Fleet Air Arm, along with more then 400 hits from Royal Navy guns, just 114 of Bismarck’s 2,200-plus crewmen would survive.

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Major General Isaac Brock met with Shawnee chief Tecumseh in Amherstburg, Ont.

The Siege of Detroit

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

On Aug. 13, 1812, Major-General Isaac Brock arrived at Fort Malden. There, intent on reinforcing the garrison near Amherstburg in present-day Ontario, the British commander of Upper Canada was greeted by the sound of gunfire.

The din of musket shots came not from the American side of the Detroit River, where 59-year-old U.S. General William Hull was now on the defensive after a failed invasion of Canada launched a month earlier, but were the weapons of Indigenous allies led by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh.

Discharged into the air, it was meant to be a welcome.

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