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3 comments about In for a Penny, in for a Pound: The Adventures & Misadventures of a Wireless Operator in Bomber Command.

1. Howard Hewer has done a wonderful job in bringing us his life in Bomber Command as a wireless operator flying in the belly of Wellington bombers. From his nights flying over Berlin to the bombing of North Africa to his time spent convalescing after a crash (when he went on some of his most dangerous missions), Hewer spares few details in providing a colorful first-hand account. Anyone with even a passing interest in war memoirs, or who truly enjoys the view of the world from 10,000 feet, should read this book. Without a doubt the best memoir I've read in a long time.



2. "In For A Penny, In For A Pound" by Howard Hewer, sub-titled: "The Adventures And Misadventures Of A Wireless Operator In bomber Command". Stoddard Publishing, Toronto, Canada, 2000.

   This book recounts the experiences of T. W. H. Hewer as a young man and a wireless operator in the Royal Canadian Air Force. As a young teenager, Howard Hewer had dreams of flying Spitfires, so he enlisted in the Canadian Air Force, which decided, at that moment, they had a greater need for radio operators than for pilots. He was shipped to Calgary for training in radio operations. Hewer then tells the story of his training as an enlisted radio operator, and his experience during bombing raids on Nazi held Europe. He retired as Wing Commander.

   Young Hewer was well aware of the cultural differences between the British and the Canadians. He devotes an entire chapter (Chapter 6, "Yatesbury Wireless School - Collision of Cultures) to describe the class-conscious Brits and the young Canadians being trained in England. Throughout the book, these cultural differences will pop up, and, in some instances, be of major importance. In Chapter 19, (A Fine Line To Mutiny), it would appear that the British wanted a level of discipline that neither the Australians nor the Canadians wanted to accept. Admittedly, it as an Australian who first threw down his rifle and refused to drill, but Hewer appears to have approved of the group's refusal to exercise and drill. He later implies that this "mutiny" was responsible for the delay of his commissioning as an officer.

   This book is not just the usual recounting of the terrors of flying bombers into German held Europe. There is that, of course, but Hewer narrates a story that involves the European Theatre, flying to Malta, on to Egypt and then a trip, in a ship, around Africa. In South Africa, when warned to avoid certain down town areas because the Boers still remembered the Boer war and therefore were "hostile" to the British, Hewer relies on his "Canada" shoulder flash. He and a Canadian compatriot slip into a down town hotel and are feted by the old Boers with free beer and lunch.

   An interesting anecdote related by Hewer deals with the dance halls. He was on a balcony and looked down at the dancers, who reminded him of a field of moving daisies. . It seems that the ladies had all used peroxide to become blondes and their roots were slowly growing out in their darker colors. As Hewer glanced down, the whirling locks appeared as daisies in the wind. This remembrance, alone, makes the book worth reading.




3. This is a well-written memoir by Canadian wireless operator Howard Hewer, who flew more than his share of ops during WWII and contributed in both the European and North African theatres. Ironically, the title, "In for a Penny, in for a Pound" is also part of the libretto of Gilbert and Sullivan's light opera, Iolanthe, which continues: "It's love that makes the world go round." One wonders if the author intended any hidden commentary by referring to this particularly well-known couplet in such a context.
   
   Laced with stories typical of the war, Mr. Hewer's fine recounting also provides insight into that damnable situation which existed on the Allied side: the treatment of so-called "colonials" by RAF personnel. Truly, it's a wonder the English were able to win the war at all, when one considers the tomfoolery they frequently got up to in relation to Canadian, South African, NZ, Australian and other Commonwealth troops fighting alongside. Since Mr. Hewer flew mainly as a non-com, this work also provides us with insight into the lives of the lower ranking members of the military establishment of the day.
   
   Bomber Command was perhaps the most effective force fighting against Nazism prior to D-Day, but there was a very high cost paid in lost aircrews on each mission. Mr. Hewer reflects on the obvious: why was it he somehow always came back. This tension is woven throughout the text, making the book successful at yet another level, since who would really want to write or read a war memoir and come away smiling. It is not a pretty story, yet the author has presented it to us in a lively and balanced manner, making the book eminently readable while allowing a strongly-voiced message about war to come through as well. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Voices of the Left Behind: Project Roots and the Canadian War Children of World War II.

1. After World War II Canada welcomed over 65,000 War Brides of Canadian Armed Services personnel. Many had happy married lives and some did not. We have all heard their stories; sometimes the storytellers were among our own families and friends.
   But what about the 23,000 women, many of them teenagers, who were not so lucky, who bore children and were abandoned by their (often married or bigamous) lovers when the war was over? The attitude of the Canadian authorities was that illegitimate children of servicemen were not their problem; the soldier was posted elsewhere and requests for financial assistance were denied.
   
   This book opens the door on these hidden and tragic stories that were kept out of sight and out of mind for too long. It contains 50 simple narratives, many written by the now aging children themselves about their heart-wrenching experiences growing in a world that all too often despised and mistreated them for being illegitimate, and about their attempts to find their Canadian roots. Many of the war children still search in vain; their fathers are long since dead. The most poignant stories are those of fathers who returned from Canada to marry their sweethearts and were rejected by them. Yet there are happy endings for some children who discovered and were welcomed by half siblings half a world away.
   
   There is a nice balance of stories: British children, Dutch and German children, adopted children, children of war brides whose marriages failed, children of Canadian Servicewomen.
   
   My one complaint is that the book is too short. Twice as many stories would have made a greater impact. I saw many other, unresolved, stories on the authors' website which unfortunately did not appear here.
   Have the Kleenix box handy when you read this book.

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