World War 2 Event

[cessna152towser]

One of the perks of becoming a Community Transport Driver is being able to borrow a wheelchair accessible vehicle for self drive private use, so I was able to take Ann out from her care home to a World War 2 event at East Fortune airfield near Edinburgh.

Ann met a Royal Air Force living history group

Air Cadets ready to march

Air Cadets standing at ease

The Yanks are coming

M24 Chaffee Tank, Normandy 44 Re-enactment Group

Stars and Stripes and an American truck.

The Royal Canadian Air Force were also represented but when we reached their stand they had all been called away on ops.
That's all folks.

[Jordan]

Good lookin photos Alex, Nice to see the ATC in evidence suporting the Raf at these events.

Jordan

[EagleJCS]

Good to see that the US flag was also historically accurate to the period. (Only 48 stars - they line up evenly in 6 rows of 8 stars per row. The modern 50-star flag has offset columns with an alternating number in each row - 5 rows of 6 stars alternating with 4 rows of 5 stars.)

[McClef]

Always love historical re-enactments that are still within living memory.

My local railway is having a '40s weekend in the summer which should be good.

Good to see Ann!

[English Bloke]

I'll bet that was a good day out Alex. Would have like to have been there too.

[Darkislander]

Where do you get the energy?
I'm sure Ann would have enjoyed the day out.

[JSFMACLJR]

Good to see that the US flag was also historically accurate to the period. )

Too bad that wasn't the case with the Canadian flag!

In WW II Canada flew the Red Ensign.

[Lallans]

Too bad that wasn't the case with the Canadian flag!

In WW II Canada flew the Red Ensign.

The RCAF flag is historically accurate, I believe (note the maple leaf). And myself, I would rather see the current Canadian flag on such-like Canadian commemorative sites; our use of the Union Jack and the Red Ensign was one of the ten thousand reasons the Canadian presence was so taken for granted during WWII, and later by history and Hollywood et al.

[macwilkin]

The RCAF flag is historically accurate, I believe (note the maple leaf). And myself, I would rather see the current Canadian flag on such-like Canadian commemorative sites; our use of the Union Jack and the Red Ensign was one of the ten thousand reasons the Canadian presence was so taken for granted during WWII, and later by history and Hollywood et al.

There is no reason why the maple leaf and the red ensign couldn't be displayed together at such a display; while I see your point, the fact is that Canadian troops in WWII did not serve under the Maple Leaf, which was (as I'm sure you know) introduced in 1965.

T.

[Lallans]

There is no reason why the maple leaf and the red ensign couldn't be displayed together at such a display; while I see your point, the fact is that Canadian troops in WWII did not serve under the Maple Leaf, which was (as I'm sure you know) introduced in 1965.

T.

They mostly are seen together at those events, together with the Union Flag (Union Jack), but I believe that during WWII Canada used the Union Jack, which was properly our official national flag until circa 1965 (the Red Ensign was originally naval, Merchant Navy). I was in grade school when the Maple Leaf was adopted and the kids and teacher in my class literally wept when they came with the new flag for the corner of the classroom and took away the Union Jack. We felt strongly about the British flag, but use of it it obscured who we were- in our own eyes as well as those of others.

When they joined Canada, Newfoundland actually passed a law saying the British Union flag would always be their Provincial one- but recently they have 'modernized' their design so that you have to look hard to see the old flag in it. (And yes it's now Newfoundland and Labrador; I didn't forget, fellow Canucks!)