Crash Harrison - Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Death - by Deana J. Driver (Driver Works)

Reginald Harrison grew up on a Saskatchewan farm during the Dirty Thirties. His interest in flying was sparked even before he watched fighter plane pilots do loops in the sky above his family’s farm as they trained for the Second World War. Seeking adventure, Reg enlisted and became a bomber pilot in England. He survived four crashes – none of which were his fault – and several close calls. He is one of the few Canadians in the famed “Guinea Pig Club” after receiving reconstructive skin graft surgery during the war. A fellow airman nicknamed him “Crash” one day, and the name stuck. After the war, Reg moved to Saskatoon and helped war veterans obtain farms and other assistance through federal programs from the Veterans’ Land Administration. He met his future wife right after the war in a moment that can only be described as “a scene from a movie.” Reg Harrison was named an “Honorary Snowbird” by the renowned Canadian Forces aerobatics display team and is a celebrated war veteran whose stories will captivate and educate readers from teens to seniors. This book, written in Reg’s voice, shares his experiences of growing up on the dusty Prairies during the Great Depression, then going off to war and surviving crashes and intense combat. This book contains page after page of details about Canada’s involvement in the Second World War and Reg Harrison’s experiences, as well as Fun Facts about Reg “Crash” Harrison, a Timeline of Events, and Helpful Resources.