Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War
John Boileau and Dan Black tell the stories of some of the 30,000 underage youths — some as young as fourteen — who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the Second World War. This is the companion volume to the authors' popular 2013 book Old Enough to Fight about boy soldiers in the First World War. Like their predecessors a generation before, these boys managed to enlist despite their youth. Most went on to face action overseas in what would become the deadliest military conflict in human history.

They enlisted for a myriad of personal reasons — ranging from the appeal of earning regular pay after the unemployment and poverty of the Depression to the desire to avenge the death of a brother or father killed overseas. Canada's boy soldiers, sailors and airmen saw themselves contributing to the war effort in a visible, meaningful way, even when that meant taking on very adult risks and dangers of combat.

Meticulously researched and extensively illustrated with photographs, personal documents and specially commissioned maps, Too Young to Die provides a touching and fascinating perspective on the Canadian experience in the Second World War.

Among the individuals whose stories are told:

• Ken Ewing, at age sixteen taken prisoner at Hong Kong and then a teenager in a Japanese prisoner of war camp

• Ralph Frayne, so determined to fight that he enlisted in the army, navy and Merchant Navy all before the age of seventeen

• Robert Boulanger, at age eighteen the youngest Canadian to die on the Dieppe beaches
"1132219444"
Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War
John Boileau and Dan Black tell the stories of some of the 30,000 underage youths — some as young as fourteen — who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the Second World War. This is the companion volume to the authors' popular 2013 book Old Enough to Fight about boy soldiers in the First World War. Like their predecessors a generation before, these boys managed to enlist despite their youth. Most went on to face action overseas in what would become the deadliest military conflict in human history.

They enlisted for a myriad of personal reasons — ranging from the appeal of earning regular pay after the unemployment and poverty of the Depression to the desire to avenge the death of a brother or father killed overseas. Canada's boy soldiers, sailors and airmen saw themselves contributing to the war effort in a visible, meaningful way, even when that meant taking on very adult risks and dangers of combat.

Meticulously researched and extensively illustrated with photographs, personal documents and specially commissioned maps, Too Young to Die provides a touching and fascinating perspective on the Canadian experience in the Second World War.

Among the individuals whose stories are told:

• Ken Ewing, at age sixteen taken prisoner at Hong Kong and then a teenager in a Japanese prisoner of war camp

• Ralph Frayne, so determined to fight that he enlisted in the army, navy and Merchant Navy all before the age of seventeen

• Robert Boulanger, at age eighteen the youngest Canadian to die on the Dieppe beaches
34.95 In Stock
Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War

Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War

Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War

Too Young to Die: Canada's Boy Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in the Second World War

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Overview

John Boileau and Dan Black tell the stories of some of the 30,000 underage youths — some as young as fourteen — who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the Second World War. This is the companion volume to the authors' popular 2013 book Old Enough to Fight about boy soldiers in the First World War. Like their predecessors a generation before, these boys managed to enlist despite their youth. Most went on to face action overseas in what would become the deadliest military conflict in human history.

They enlisted for a myriad of personal reasons — ranging from the appeal of earning regular pay after the unemployment and poverty of the Depression to the desire to avenge the death of a brother or father killed overseas. Canada's boy soldiers, sailors and airmen saw themselves contributing to the war effort in a visible, meaningful way, even when that meant taking on very adult risks and dangers of combat.

Meticulously researched and extensively illustrated with photographs, personal documents and specially commissioned maps, Too Young to Die provides a touching and fascinating perspective on the Canadian experience in the Second World War.

Among the individuals whose stories are told:

• Ken Ewing, at age sixteen taken prisoner at Hong Kong and then a teenager in a Japanese prisoner of war camp

• Ralph Frayne, so determined to fight that he enlisted in the army, navy and Merchant Navy all before the age of seventeen

• Robert Boulanger, at age eighteen the youngest Canadian to die on the Dieppe beaches

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781459411722
Publisher: Formac Publishing Ltd.
Publication date: 10/03/2016
Pages: 488
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

DAN BLACK has written and edited hundreds of articles on Canada's military, past and present. He is the former editor of Legion Magazine. Dan lives outside of Ottawa.

JOHN BOILEAU is a retired Canadian army colonel and author of twelve books and 500 articles. He is a frequent commentator on military issues for radio and television and a lecturer to service organizations and historical societies. In 2010 the Minister of National Defence appointed him Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) and in 2014 he became the unit's Honorary Colonel. He lives in Nova Scotia.

GENERAL JOHN de CHASTELAIN is a former Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces and an ambassador to the United States.

Table of Contents

List of Maps 9

Organization of the Canadian Armed Forces Overseas 11

Canadian Army Overseas 13

Principal Warships of the Royal Canadian Navy 19

Royal Canadian Air Force Overseas 23

The "Boys" 27

Foreword 29

Preface 35

Introduction: "I had no knowledge of anything military until one day my father's oldest brother … appeared in uniform…": Youth and Another World War 39

Part I First Battles: Hong Kong and Dieppe 55

Chapter 1 "It had been rather an unusual Christmas day … one to remember … one never to forget.": Hong Kong, The Battle 59

Chapter 2 "I thought we'd be taken prisoner and we're not going to be that long. I thought maybe six months at the most.": Hong Kong, the Prisoners 85

Chapter 3 "I want to be at peace with God.": Death at Dieppe 111

Part II Italy: the D-Day Dodgers 137

Chapter 4 "We were - and are - quite proud of the boy's determination and independence.": Italy, The Invasion 139

Chapter 5 "Well Mother Darling this going to be an awful surprise to you all and I sure hope and pray that you dont take it to hard.": Italy, the End 164

Part III North-West Europe: D-Day to V-E DAY 193

Chapter 6 "This is it. I'm going to die.": Normandy, D-Day 197

Chapter 7 "I would have got it right across the middle of my chest.": Normandy, the Road to Carpiquet 225

Chapter 8 "Whenever we were moving we were looking for depressions in the ground - someplace to dive into.": Normandy, Caen to Falaise 249

Chapter 9 "I feel like crying my heart out - half with joy, half with sorrow.": North-West Europe, Ealaise to V-E Day 275

Part IV Dangerous Waters 303

Chapter 10 "Asleep in the deep.": On the Sea, the First Years 307

Chapter 11 "I got frostbite all up the left side of my face. I didn't have to shave for years.": On the Sea, the Final Years 334

Chapter 12 "One lad was only twelve years old - so I wasn't always the youngest one.": The Boys of Canada's Merchant Navy 359

Part V Dangerous Skies 381

Chapter 13 "As I remember him, he would have found another way.": No. 6 (RCAF) Group Bomber Command in Britain 385

Chapter 14 "I went away as a boy and came hack as a man.": Bombing Germany and Occupied Europe 413

Epilogue: "I wasn't sleeping or eating well so they put me in what they called the bomb-happy ward.": Post-War, Back Home 436

Acknowledgements 451

Endnotes 455

Bibliography 470

Image Credits 475

Index 480

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