Books

Description

Description: 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 Veteran’s Land Administration. Reg 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.

Curriculum: Grade 6 Physical Science, “Principles of Flight”; Heroes.

​978-1927570-82-1; 6”x9”; 176 pages; 98 photos and 2 maps. © ​2023; Ages 13 to Adult. Nonfiction; Biography; Canadian Military History; Transportation; Aviation; Short stories; Anecdotes; Aviation history; Canadian history; Saskatchewan; Canadian author.

Responses from Readers:

• “This book is a must for any classroom and school library.”
• “This book would make a great read-aloud for teachers to share with their students about a Canadian war hero, especially around Remembrance Day.”
• “Grade 6 students and up would enjoy learning about Crash. He is a wonderful role model for young people in following their dreams, making the best of things in the face of adversity, and being brave, modest, and humble. “
• A great read of a most amazing man!”
• “Such an interesting book – I love the stories from back on the farm in the 1930s.”
• “I’m better for reading Reg’s story. I’m so thankful for the life I have and for the people who lived this life.”