Fighting for Fort George

Story by Sharon Adams

At the turn of the 19th century, the British were concerned about a balance of power where British territory met American on the banks of the Niagara River.

The British wanted a fort on the west side of the Niagara River, in what today is Niagara-on-the-Lake, to counterbalance Fort Niagara on the east bank and safeguard shipping on the river to Upper Canada.

Fort George was completed in 1802; its strategic importance recognized as war clouds gathered. It became headquarters for the British army during the War of 1812.

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Knights of the air

Story by Stephen J. Thorne

There are few rivals in war who have shared the mutual regard and respect, even camaraderie, as did those who flew fighter planes during the two world wars.

Theirs was a singular experience, the scale and intimacy of which were unique in the annals of conflict, even aviation, before or since.

The chivalric tradition among flyers began during the First World War. Known as Knights of the Air, they blazed trails in the skies in canvas-and-wood airplanes with rudimentary instrumentation, sans parachutes. They fought mano a mano, skill to skill, sometimes just metres apart.

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May 27, 1941

The German warship Bismarck is sunk.

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Afghanistan and the AK-47

Story and photogtaphy by Stephen J. Thorne

With more than 75 million estimated to be in circulation, the Avtomat Kalashnikova, or AK-47 (for the year Mikhail Kalashnikov completed his work), is the most popular and most copied weapon in the world. Light, simple, reliable and stable, the AK-47 has for decades been the weapon of choice among revolutionaries, insurgents, terrorists and resistance fighters in virtually every corner of the globe. Easy to maintain and easy to use, it is ideal for child soldiers and marginally trained fighters, though its accuracy leaves something to be desired. In Afghanistan, the AK-47 is ubiquitous, and every one has a story. And while journalists don’t carry weapons, they have stories too. Here are mine.

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Jitter and snatch patrols in Korea

Story by Sharon Adams

In the spring of 1952, the Allies in Korea were starving for intelligence on Chinese forces, which went to ground (and underground) between attacks. Two new strategies were employed, one to get enemy soldiers to give away their positions, and the other to capture prisoners for interrogation. The troops labelled them jitter and snatch patrols.

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May 20-21, 1952

One dies and four are wounded as the Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry conducts a night raid in Korea.

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