tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69379904948576273832024-03-13T10:05:01.257-07:00Forces with History -- Official Blog of Robert W MackayRobert W Mackay is the author of "Soldier of the Horse" -- a historical novel set in the First World WarRobert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-69971140817500865432015-10-09T11:46:00.000-07:002015-10-09T11:48:51.826-07:00A Second Location
It's very gratifying to see my "Forces With History" blog continues to attract attention, even though I'm now blogging on a regular basis on a new site, where my blog is integrated with my website.
A direct link to my new blog will take you straight there.
I'm continuing to publish a newsletter, also called "Forces With History", that comes out every three weeks or so. It deals with defence Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-17455204998172916142015-06-17T11:15:00.000-07:002015-06-17T11:15:49.587-07:00Historian Roger Litwiller--"White Ensign Flying"
My friend Roger Litwiller has two books out, "White Ensign Flying: Corvette HMCS Trentonian", and "Warships of the Bay of Quinte".
Roger is a historian, and strictly speaking an amateur one, but he does great work and gets things right. "White Ensign Flying" is a terrific read, telling the story of the men who served in HMCS Trentonian, the last corvette sunk in the Second World War.
Here isRobert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-90043820748838145722015-06-05T12:34:00.000-07:002015-06-05T12:34:41.284-07:0071 Years ago, D-Day Forces are Away
June 5th, 1944. The Allied armada is at sea, the gliders and troopcarrying aircraft are standing by. The weather on June 4th was bad enough that Nazi-occupied Europe's German forces are relaxed.
But June 6th is a full moon, and the weather may abate. Dwight Eisenhower makes his fateful decision--the invasion of France is on.
Aboard HMCS Kitchener, Canadian corvette, is Able Seaman Bill Cameron,Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-67634533258899188762015-05-29T12:23:00.000-07:002015-05-29T12:23:02.758-07:00"Soldier of the Horse" and Bloody Jack
Bloody Jack Krafchenko was executed for murder in 1914, after a bizarre series of events that included an escape from the Winnipeg jail using a pistol smuggled in to him by--perhaps--his lawyer.
One version of the story was included in "Soldier of the Horse", when Tom is accused of having a part in the plot. The real-life Tom isn't around to answer any more questions, but the gun is. It's Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-40097744990441664072015-05-23T08:50:00.000-07:002015-05-23T08:50:11.419-07:00"Terror on the Alert" going to Kamloops
When my first novel, Soldier of the Horse, came out in 2011 I was surprised how much work has to go in to make a book successful after the writing is finished and the book is in the stores. That's the new reality, however, and among other efforts I did a tour in BC and Alberta to get the word out.
One of the places where I spoke to a very friendly audience was at the Kamloops Library. I Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-7440207151866006412015-05-11T13:52:00.000-07:002015-05-11T13:52:43.440-07:00Battle of the Atlantic Dinner
The 70th anniversary of the end of the longest battle of the Second World War, the Battle of the Atlantic, was celebrated at HMCS Discovery, Vancouver's reserve naval base, on May 2nd.
Present and pictured at left as Guest of Honour was The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Brian Cook, president of the Naval Officers Association on BC was mess president Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-92192570215128221462015-05-08T13:02:00.001-07:002015-05-08T13:02:15.286-07:00IPPY Strikes Again
Here's what Soldier of the Horse's Independent Publishers (IPPY) gold medal looked like three years ago. Soldier won top prize in the category Military/Wartime Fiction.
Now my second novel, Terror on the Alert, has almost duplicated the feat, receiving a silver medal in the same category.
Very exciting and rewarding.
There is a lot of encouragement out there for writers. Not to mention a Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-54535078716142100362015-05-06T17:34:00.000-07:002015-05-06T17:34:01.849-07:00Authors For Indies--Lots of Fun
"Authors For Indies" was celebrated across Canada on May 2nd. More than 700 authors swooped down on 120 independent bookstores across Canada.
Preliminary returns show an 18% increase in sales over previous Saturdays, which is very rewarding. It certainly reinforces my own feeling, which was that it was a fun and successful occasion.
I attended at two Black Bond stores in Surrey. The photoRobert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-31738520282790518192015-05-01T16:25:00.000-07:002015-05-01T16:25:51.231-07:00Busy Days for WritersTomorrow, May 2nd, is Authors for Indies Day across Canada. The idea is that writers can show their support for independent bookstores, those stubborn and determined booksellers who havecarried on in spite of the onslaught of the large chains. To show appreciation, writers are appearing in local stores to talk to customers and show their appreciation for booksellers, without whom most authors Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-70639454484514839212015-04-28T11:08:00.000-07:002015-04-28T11:08:13.164-07:00"Authors For Indies" Day, May 2nd"Indies", as in Independent Bookstores.
Across Canada, authors will be spending time in their favourite bookstores to help promote books.
I'll be at two Black Bond locations, as follows:
11:30 am to 1:30 pm 15562 24th Avenue, Surrey.
1:30 pm to 3:30 pm Semiahmoo Mall, South Surrey.
"Terror on the Alert" will beRobert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-90061899368434008622015-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:002015-04-23T11:41:21.688-07:00D-Day Corvette, HMCS Kitchener (4)
On one occasion Able Seaman Bill Cameron returned to his ship, HMCS Kitchener, after a run ashore in the UK to find a delivery from home--a 10" square heavy fruit cake from his girlfriend and future bride Joyce. He could hardly wait to get off watch and avoid having to eat hard tack for some time to come. Unfortunately, he says, his messmates helped him out with the cake, and it was gone in Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-80165965478110765102015-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:002015-04-18T10:18:17.649-07:00From Snorting Steeds to Roaring Mechanical Monsters
Canada's cavalry regiments, which had distinguished themselves in World War I, had a major transition with the advent of the Second World War. At left is Lieutenant Austin Stanton of the 19th Alberta Dragoons, ca. 1937. (photo courtesy Jim Stanton.)
Only five years later,Lieutenant Stanton had made the big jump to the armoured corps, serving as Battle Adjutant of the Calgary Tanks when Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-64759517091818414472015-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:002015-04-13T13:09:40.608-07:00D-Day Corvette, HMCS Kitchener (3)
In 1944 HMCS Kitchener, Corvette K225, found herself in Plymouth Harbour during the buildup to D-Day. Able Seaman Bill Cameron and his shipmates were disappointed to hear they'd be escorting two former French battleships, now loaded with concrete, to the French coast, where they'd be scuttled to form artificial harbours. Well away from the action. But captain and crew wanted to support the Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-48393270596246513732015-03-30T09:55:00.000-07:002015-03-30T09:55:25.214-07:00The Battle of Moreuil Wood, 97 Years AgoMarch 30th, 1918, was a dreary day in Picardy, France. The Canadian Cavalry Brigade was mounted and on the move, having bivouacked at Guyencourt. They crossed the Noye River, and at a high point of land were directed to Moreuil Wood, across the River Avre, via Castel. Brigadier J E B Seely had led the way, setting up a command post at the northwestern corner of the Wood while under fire.
Men Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-39000657484528282312015-03-11T14:57:00.000-07:002015-03-12T07:32:57.539-07:00D-Day Corvette, HMCS Kitchener (2)
A couple of weeks ago I posted about HMCS Kitchener, K225. Here she is on the left, looking somewhat battered as I'm sure all the RN and RCN corvettes did after a couple of Atlantic crossings.
Kitchener starred in the 1943 movie "Corvette K-225", with Randolph Scott playing her captain. That time, at least, Hollywood resisted the impulse to Americanize the movie, with Scott Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-5087503780491084092015-03-09T14:59:00.000-07:002015-03-09T14:59:33.616-07:00A Tour of a Cold War O-Boat (6th of 6)
Here is a shot taken in 2012. The former HMCS Ojibwa is about to give birth to the Elgin Military Museum's submarine exhibit at Port Burwell on the north shore of Lake Erie--by making her way to her final (I can't help myself) berth.
(photo credit Phyllis Hinz)
And here's how Ojibwa looked in 2013, when the able and welcoming staff in Port Burwell were working their magic, Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-12464311198461104692015-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:002015-03-02T09:22:21.335-08:00A Tour of a Cold War O-Boat (5)
Continuing our tour aft on board HMCS Ojibwa, we have passed through the accommodation space with its assorted messes and berths. The photo to the left is part of the starboard side of the control room, featuring the chart table, a prominent red light bulb, various communication outlets, a clock, etc.
And to the right is an image of part of the port side of the control room under red Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-31326880225964418302015-02-23T14:33:00.002-08:002015-02-23T14:33:54.478-08:00D-Day Corvette, HMCS Kitchener
The picture at left is of Bill Cameron, posing with "Terror on the Alert" at the White Rock Library on February 15th this year. The occasion was a Sunday afternoon presentation by 6 local writers.
The Friends of the Library showed up with refreshments, and had done a wonderful job of organizing the writer/presenters, never an easy thing to manage.
I was excited to meet Bill, who served in Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-37370231751799811912015-02-05T11:03:00.002-08:002015-02-05T11:10:26.030-08:00A Great War Trooper's Last Ride
A short time ago I posted a photo of my father, Tom Mackay, when he was training in Winnipeg before joining his regiment, Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC), in France. (See 22 January 2015 )
Tom's legs were badly shot up when he rode with Gordon Flowerdew at Moreuil Wood in 1918. He was then a sergeant, Acting Troop Leader of 1st Troop, and was right behind Flowerdew as they made their desperate Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-54194128332175991682015-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:002015-01-31T15:27:04.531-08:00Submarine Lecture in Ladner
This was the scene at the Ladner Yacht Club the evening of Friday January 30th. The Fraser Power and Sail Squadron held a graduation ceremony for recent boating course students. I was honoured to be asked to speak about "Submarines, Canada, and Terror on the Alert". Above, I'm being introduced by instructor Bob Juulsen.
It was a real pleasure to talk submarines to an appreciative and Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-43109695528110577792015-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:002015-01-29T09:12:36.635-08:00Philip Sherwood, Lifewriter, at Canadian Authors-Vancouver
Philip Sherwood presented to the Canadian Authors-Vancouver on January 14th. His presentation was dynamic and well-received, appealing to potential memoirists, biographers, autobiographers, and family historians.
Through his firm lifewriters.ca, Philip assists families, companies, and individuals to tell their own stories. His books have won many awards.
Among other subjects have been membersRobert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-69627715364147180132015-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:002015-01-26T10:22:43.981-08:00A Tour of a Cold War O-Boat (4)
We are continuing aft on board HMCS Ojibwa, as she rests in her permanent berth ashore in Port Burwell, Ontario. We have passed through the watertight door into the accommodation spaces. On the left is a shot of a couple of bunks and some lockers. My memory fails me as to whether this is in the crew's quarters, or the chiefs and petty officers mess. Can someone help with a comment?
Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-45363494380556798222015-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:002015-01-22T15:52:18.956-08:00A Trooper of Canadian Cavalry 100 Years Ago
One hundred years ago in January 1915, the Canadian Mounted Brigade was training in the mud and slime of Salisbury Plain, preparing for a chance to charge German infantry.
They didn't get that chance for some time, as years of duty in trenches awaited them first.
This photo is of my dad, Tom Mackay, MM. It was probably taken on the training ground of Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg, before Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-23915934227115605882015-01-14T09:25:00.000-08:002015-01-14T09:25:15.392-08:00A Tour of a Cold War O-Boat (3)
Following up on our tour parts (1) and (2), we've now climbed the stairs and entered the forward torpedo room in HMCS Ojibwa. We're looking forward in the cavernous space. The spot of bright light near the centre of the photo is the top of the new access door through which we've entered. The size of the space can be gauged by the figure of retired Admiral Dan McNeil, who can just be Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937990494857627383.post-19634425463046157612015-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:002015-01-08T11:25:02.162-08:00A Tour of a Cold War O-Boat (2)Number 1 in this series of posts showed an unusual view of HMCS Ojibwa, the gorgeous museum piece in Port Burwell, Ontario.
(If pressed, I'll admit that "gorgeous" when referring to a submarine is all in the eyes of the beholder.)
At left is the Ojibwa as she appeared when the Cooking Ladies and I approached from the west and crossed the bridge into Port Burwell in 2013.
The boat was Robert Mackayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11861916864219637155noreply@blogger.com2