Bombs Away

Bombs Away!; Hitler, World War II, and Canada’s Response to the Crisis
by M. G. Bucholtz
Published by Wood Dragon Books
Review by Toby A. Welch
$24.99 ISBN 9781990863899

When a non-history buff cracks open a book that examines Canada‘s involvement in the Second World War and can’t put it down until turning the last page, you know it’s a gripping read!

Bombs Away covers the years from 1918 to 1944, exploring the aftermath of the First World War, the rise of Adolf Hitler, and the political and military events that ultimately led to the Second World War. As war loomed in September 1939, Bucholtz paints a vivid picture of both global events and Canada’s response. The book is filled with fascinating details I’d never encountered in history class or in documentaries about the era.

In 1940, Canada joined the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). Thousands of young men who had expressed a desire to join the air force effort were called up for service. Those men needed a home base where they could train and fly. Enter Mossbank, Saskatchewan. An area outside the small town was deemed ideal as it had level topography, gravel nearby, accessible amenities, and a lake suitable for bombing practice.

The Mossbank No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School was built in astonishingly little time. Within months, what had been open prairie became a fully functioning military community featuring hangars, barracks, a hospital, chapel, recreation hall, headquarters, firing range, and three landing strips. (The book’s historic photographs vividly capture the scale and speed of the project.) Officers arrived and began work at the Mossbank School in October 1940. They faced numerous hurdles – threatened walkouts from civilian personnel due to salary issues, building fires, a lack of heat during a freezing Saskatchewan winter, outhouses required due to sewer line issues, among other problems – but persevered.

A self-described math geek, my favourite section of Bombs Away was Appendix Two near the back. I’d never stopped to consider that before computers could perform rapid calculations, bomb aimers had to do the math themselves to figure out when to drop a bomb. Air speed, wind speed, bomb weight, bomb dimensions, temperature, air density, bomb launch angle, and numerous other variables had to be factored into the equation. I found it absolutely fascinating!

Bucholtz mentions in his introduction that he hopes Bombs Away finds its way into the hands of readers interested in wartime history. I agree but I’d go a step further. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of military history or someone who usually bypasses the history shelf, this book offers an engaging look at a remarkable chapter in Canada’s past. Bombs Away is both informative and surprisingly difficult to put down.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM