Work in Progress Update and tour of a Lancaster Bomber

On November 25, 2023, I visited the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Port Hope, Ontario. As part of my Work In Progress (WIP), I went to research the WWII Lancaster Bomber there, and was given an incredible personal tour of the plane by the flight crew. Thank you to them for their time and expertise. It's an amazing museum near Hamilton, Ontario, largely run by volunteers. Go visit and support them. Lest we forget.

The research was for my middle-grade book about WWII, and my father's experience as a boy working at a Lancaster bomber aircraft factory in 1941. The Canada Council kindly gave me a Research and Creation grant for this book, and a Letter of Introduction about my research. I have such gratitude for this remarkable opportunity. The experts at the Warplane Heritage Museum were delighted to show me around, and I spent a long time talking with them about war, the aircraft, and the aircrew who flew them. It was a difficult day, to be honest. 

IMAGE: Bomber Command Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, London UK

The first Lancaster heavy bombers rolled off the British assembly lines in September, 1941. Over 50,000 RAF air crew died in the Lancaster bombers between 1941-1945, mostly over Europe, and the average age for air crew was 22 years. Younger than my son is now. 

The British bombed at night. 

As I sat in the cramped cabin of the Lancaster, I suddenly understood how dangerous, terrifying, and claustrophobic the night bomber's job was. I had nothing but sorrow for the bombed civilians, and the young men whose job it was to drop bombs from 20,000 feet onto European factories, bridges, and unseen enemies below. It was the first time bombs had been used to such a scale in war, and it was controversial. Experts are still undecided if the RAF bombing raids were successful in bringing a faster end to the war with Nazi Germany. 

UPDATE: My middle-grade book is now finished, has a publisher and a tentative PUBLICATION DATE of October, 2026. I tried to make the story focus on the sorrow of war while still allowing the characters to be children (17, 15, and 14 years old), who like dancing, music, and birthday cake. Through the connection between an English boy and a German girl on either side of the English Channel, and a young RAF rear gunner, my characters are still just teenagers, and they're more alike than they are different.

IMAGE: The Lancaster Bomber Rear Gunner Turret. Tiny, cramped, freezing, and deadly, the rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber had a low chance of survival on each bombing raid (as low as 50/50). Sitting in a bubble at the tail end of the huge aircraft, they were easily shot by Luftwaffe fighter planes, and were often killed.

It's been 81 years since the send of WWII, but sadly this story is more relevant than ever. I'll keep readers updated on the cover, the title, origin story and more once the manuscript goes back to the publisher. This has been the most difficult write of my life,

and I have to say that it's a relief to be finished the job of writing this book. It's hard to be constantly engrossed for 3+ years in war, war, war. Especially in the world as it is right now, endlessly at war it seems. Also, the layering of research, the horror of war, creating a workable narrative using family history, and one for younger readers (ages 10+), has tested all my skill to the max. SO MUCH respect for historical fiction writers, for any age of reader!

My newest book is out now, THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD, and it couldn't be more different from my war story. Check it out: a short, classically gentle story about love and friendship one summer, for ages 6-9, or a wonderful all-ages read-aloud.

For more posts about my WIP and research on the Lancaster Bomber.