Tag Archives: The Great War

December 14, 2013 · 8:41 am

Festive Christmas Deal ~99Cents 14th-20th December!

Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home, historical fiction set between 1910 and 1920 in

Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home

Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home

Southampton, the Solent area and The Channel Islands is 99Cents  for one week only on KINDLE.

~A HEARTFELT READ ~ L Simms Top 100 Reviewer!

          ~VERY ENJOYABLE BOOK~

                      ~ STRONG HISTORICAL NARRATIVE ~

~CHARACTERS DESCRIBED SO VIVIDLY~

Original Aspects of WW1

I was thrilled to receive my latest 5* review on Amazon.com:

“I don’t normally read historical fiction, but I’m glad I took the leap with Ancasta. The passion and knowledge the writer possesses flows through the pages, and Ancasta probably has the best background research and world view of any book that I’ve read. A thoroughly enjoyable read, which took me to a place and time completely unknown to me, until now!”

MH84 ~ Please say hello by email sometime. I’d love to say thank you. You have made my day with your encouragement!

OR… A LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFT

Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home would also make a great last minute Christmas gift in paperback too for anyone interested in

Historical Fiction

                                    The Great War and the role of Women

                                                                                                             Early Flying Boat

History of Southampton and Woolston

                                                                      a lover of Guernsey or Alderney………

Available in Waterstones West Quay, Southampton or on Amazon

Although the second in The Riduna Series Ancasta is written to stand alone!

and if you read it I would be truly grateful if you could give an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads or both. Please spread the word……………..RT or SHARE…….

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

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Filed under Book reviews, Book Shops, Channel Islands, Events, Flying Boats and Sea Planes, Historical Fiction, Southampton, The Great War, Woolston

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December 5, 2013 · 9:38 am

Raymonde de Laroche ~25th November 1913

431px-Raymonde_de_LaRoche_HeadTo add to my recent posts about early female aviators I must mention this French lady:

Raymonde de Laroche 1886 -1919

Background and Inspiration to Fly

Raymonde always enjoyed sport and motorcycles but was inspired to learn to fly after watching Wilber Wright’s flight demonstrations in Paris in 1908. In 1909, under the instruction of Charles Voisin a personal friend, she took off for the first time. I like the story that she disobeyed his orders not to take off on that first occasion. Whatever the truth she was certainly a headstrong and determined young lady.

Her achievements

She gained her pilot’s licence in March 1910 and as many aviators of her time took part in meets and shows. Although injured in September 1912 at the Reims Air Show and a subsequent car crash, she recovered fully and won the Femina Cup after a four hour, non stop long distance flight on 25th November 1913.

In WW1 she served as a chauffeur and engineer, confidently driving officers too and from the front.

Notable Difference

Although of humble birth, the daughter of a plumber, she called herself Baroness, but after the war in 1919 she hoped to become the first female test pilot in Le Crotoy. Unfortunately the plane she was in crash landed and she was killed.

If you are interested in early female aviators I have done a series for this blog but here are some other links:

Mother Nature Network – 8 Famous Female Aviators

Women of Aviation Worldwide Week in March

NB I was interested to see Harry Harper, the Aviation reporter of the Daily Mail at that time, writing about Raymone. I was so intrigued by Harry’s name appearing so many times whilst I was researching for my novel Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home that he became a character in my novel and he is a man I intend to research in the future.

 

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Filed under Early Flight, Frivolous Flying Facts, Research, Role of Women, The Great War, WW1

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September 12, 2013 · 3:27 pm

Early 20th Century Female Aviators ~ Ruth Bancroft Law

Was my third brilliant aviator from the early 20th Century the first woman allowed to wear an NCO uniform? Of course she didn’t fight in battle and there were characters like Joan of Arc and Boadicea before her, leaders of war in their day, but nevertheless Ruth Bancroft was a strong willed lady who deserves to be remembered, despite the fact the it was her husband who put a stop to her flying exploits.

Here is Ruth’s story:

Ruth Bancroft Law 1887 – 1970 ‘Ruth Law’s Flying Circus’

Background and inspiration to fly ~ A student at a private academy in New Haven CT, Ruth Law saw her first plane in the sky and fell in love with the idea of flying. 

Aviation achievements ~ She gained her pilots licence in 1912 and set the non-stop cross country record from Chicago to New York. It is also claimed that she was the first woman to do a loop the loop and to fly at night.

During WW1 she formed ‘Ruth Law’s Flying Circus’ to raise money for the Red Cross where cars raced aeroplanes and she flew through fireworks.

Notable difference ~ Due to her determination to contribute in a more substantial way to the war effort she was dismayed at the army’s rejection of her application to fly for them, but finally they allowed her to wear an NCO uniform whilst raising money for their cause. The first lady ever to do so.

The New York Governor chose Law to illuminate the Statue of Liberty which she circled three times with flares on the tips of her wings and a banner with the word ‘liberty’ on the fuselage.

It is strangely her husband who decided enough was enough, and put a stop to Law’s flying antics, by writing her notice of retirement in the newspaper in 1922!

Death ~Ruth Law died at the good age of 83 years.

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Filed under Early Flight, Frivolous Flying Facts, Research, Role of Women, The Great War, WW1

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