­Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all the people who helped with the research for this book. Several folk deserve special mention. Dr. Owen Cornish, my dentist’s father, trained on Tiger Moths and flew in World War II. He read and critiqued the book in its early drafts. Dace Wiersma kept me in touch with her sister, graduate Paul Braid’s widow Kathy. Paul’s pilot’s scarf, badges, log book, training notes and sketches informed me as I wrote. Gayle Simonson’s father, Ken Rutherford, allowed me to interview him about his training and selection for navigator school in the early part of the 1940s. Gwen Molnar talked about being so young and joining up, and life in those times. Her husband George added insights as well. Frances Sutherland, a nursing sister in World War II, gave ­advice.

My husband, who had grown up close to a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (bcatp) base outside of Moose Jaw, accompanied me as I toured and took photos at the old site, copied data from the Archives in Moose Jaw and visited the Western Development Museum, where Kate Johnson helped immensely. The hangars and museum in Edmonton and the planes in the Wetaskiwin museum inspired me. Denny May, Wop May’s son, read the
manuscript to check out technical details. Peter Woodbury, our son the pilot in Yellowknife, checked the flying scenes for me. I relied heavily on all these relatives and friends to keep my novel as historically and technically accurate as possible. Any errors are mine and I ­apologize.

I understand W. O. Mitchell used “Repete” as a nickname for a character in one of his early works. I liked it and I’m sure W.O. wouldn’t mind that I used it too. He was a great writer. Imitation is the sincerest form of ­gratitude.

A grant from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts enabled me to go to Saskatchewan and do the research and then to stay home and work on this ­novel.

Finally, thanks go to the staff at Coteau Books for their continued interest in my work. Their editing, design and layout make this book a better ­book.