LETTERS FROM LONDON 1944-45
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On June 5, 1944, twenty-one-year-old Leading Airwoman Edna Johnson arrived in London, England, to begin her duties as clerk/stenographer at RCAF Overseas Headquarters. The next day, she witnessed thousands of planes flying overhead and wondered what on earth she had gotten herself into. The Invasion of Normandy, as she later discovered, and the long march to end the Second World War had begun.
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By Edna Johnson Wilson
ISBN#1-897113-22-6
ISBN#9781897113226
Edna was one of the few women in the RCAF to serve overseas during World War II, and the situation in London was a far cry from what she had experienced as a typist a No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, in Jarvis, Ontario. In London, just getting to and from work each day could be a life-threatening experience.
Yet this prairie girl from Saskatchewan embraced all London had to offer. Together with the other "crazy Canadians" in their Kensington rooming house, they saw the sights, went to the theatre, found a "local", and explored the countryside. She fell in love.
In weekly correspondence with her family, Edna captured much of what it was like to be a Canadian in London during the war: the rationing, the bomb scares, the fleeting friendships, and the dreams of a good life when peace was ultimately won. Observant, newsy, sparkling and affectionate, Edna's letters present a captivating, first-hand account of the Second World War.
Letters from London, 1944-45, is an extraordinary collection from an extraordinary time.
About the Author
Edna now resides in Ottawa. She worked in the library of National Health until 1974. Her and Bert had two sons. Edna did many hours of volunteer work with such organizations as The Royal Canadian Legion, Good Companions and senior's groups in Ottawa.
