Friday, November 11th 2023, was well observed by Rotarians. The service at the Cenotaph was followed by a special Rotary lunch meeting at which Past President and Past District Governor Michael Parker delivered a stirring address with the memoirs of his uncle, who was a vital member of a Halifax bomber squadron. Some highlights of the day follow.
Rotarians, Michael Parker and Tony Pitts (below) lay a wreath from Cobourg Rotary.
Mario Pereja built and displayed three exquisitely detailed maquettes, commemorating the Vietnam war, Operation Overlord (D-Day), and WWII fighter pilots.
June 28th, 1944 was Nelson Cobb’s last entry in his diary. It was to be an account of the crew’s 42nd mission. But was in fact recorded by David Cobb because Nelson’s plane was hit, destroying both engines and sending the plane into a spin. Immediately everyone was ordered to bail out. Nelson chose to stay behind in order to stop the spin, but he never made it out. The rest of the crew all landed safely where they were captured and became POWs. Nelson Cobb died that day, only three months after celebrating his 21st birthday.
PP-DG Michael Parker read excerpts from his uncle Nelson Cobb’s WWII diaries, sharing this powerful and historical account of a group of airmen flying the Halifax Bomber aircraft over Europe. Flight Commander Nelson Cobb’s diary recounts his and his crew’s many bomber missions including times when their aircraft was hit and fellow airmen were injured.
A table set for a fallen soldier.