1943-47 Rural Alberta Labourer and Film Buff Discussing Work, Life, the War, and Many, Many Movies

Camrose, Alberta, Canada, Canadian Prairies. Fair with no dust jacket. Hardcover. On offer is a fine example of a multi-year diary kept by a young man named George Granger in rural Alberta, Canada during World War Two (WWII). Most of what we know about George Granger is from context cues throughout his diary. We know he is a young man as there are early entries about attending school. We know that he lives near a small community in central Alberta and works on what is likely the family farm. In addition to the farm, he works in town, unloading freight at the railroad station. The community is or is near to the town of Camrose, just over an hour outside Edmonton. Our informal research has not been able to find any additional biographical information about him. The diary spans five years, from 1943 through 1947. His daily entries are generally brief but certainly until 1945, make continued veiled references to WWII. Mostly he comments on seeing airplanes - groups of them most days. Another constant in his entries are the many movies that he sees. Canada entered WWII in September 1939. The British government looked to its Commonwealth allies, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, for assistance in training up the necessary air crews required to prosecute the war. Canada was an ideal location as it was the closest to Britain, far from the combat front and had the vast space necessary for air training. In 1939, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) signed and the program was rolled out in Canada. Between 1940 and 1945, some 151 schools had been established across Canada with a ground organization of 104,113 men and women. By the end of the Second World War, the BCATP had produced 131,553 aircrew, including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators for the Air Forces of Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. A number of these schools / bases were located in Alberta, one of the largest being in Edmonton AB. This would account for Grangers almost daily sighting of planes. "Fair and warm. Earned 30 cents. 3 airplanes. Didn't go to school" [Mar 17, 1943]. "Thawing. Got $1.10 today. 7 airplanes. Have $28.00 now" [Mar 26, 1943]. "Fair and windy. Hauled out junk and got water. Our army invade France. Last train 4: 00. 3 airplanes" [June 6, 1944]. As noted, he lists the many movies that he saw and indeed, his diary could be a catalogue of the most popular war-time movies then in circulation. "Show: Queen of the Yukon..." [Apr 3, 1944]. "Fair and mild. Worked. Show: Captain Eddie" [Sept 28, 1946]. For a social historian, this diary offers an excellent long-term look at life in a rural Prairie province in Canada during the war years of WWII. This five-year diary measures 6.0 inches by 4.25 inches and contains 365 pages. It is 100% complete. The cover is in good condition. However, it has separated completely from the binding. The pages are in good condition and the handwriting is legible. ; Manuscripts; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 365 pages; Signed by Author .