Browsing by Author "Anderson, Kevin N."

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    Knights of the Air Division: Flying, fatalities, families, and fear
    (University of New Brunswick, 2024-08) Anderson, Kevin N.; Windsor, Lee
    This thesis uses a multi-generational, oral history approach to investigate the experiences of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) personnel and their families in Canada’s No. 1 Air Division in Europe from 1951 to 1963. It examines issues with housing, food, and education; exercises and operations during the Cold War. While more has been written about the Army Brigade in Europe, No. 1 Air Division was meant to be Canada’s largest contribution to NATO. The RCAF members interviewed for this project strongly believed that their service contributed significantly to deterring a major war with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War. This research captures previously undocumented experiences of life in Canada’s foreign air bases and provides emotional context and unique perspectives so others can understand the sacrifices of those who lived and died there. This thesis thus makes an important contribution to Canada’s emerging Cold War history.