‘Making It Home’ Remembrance concert Nov. 4

In 1942, long before he was premier or a member of Parliament, Angus MacLean was a 28-year-old pilot of a Halifax heavy bomber.

On the night of June 8, as he and his crew were attacking the Krupp armaments factory in Essen, Germany, they were hit by flak and a night fighter. Two engines were knocked out. The crippled plane turned for home but couldn’t maintain altitude. By the time they were over Holland and approaching the North Sea, they were down to 1200 feet and falling. Angus gave the order to bail out. His crew went first and he barely escaped, landing hard in the same field as his plane. After lying stunned and unable to move for a few minutes, he regained the feeling in his legs, and gathered up his parachute and hid it under a bridge. So began a 72-day ordeal to escape the Nazis, which took him through Holland, Belgium and France in the care of the heroic men and women of the Underground.

Rob MacLean, Angus’ son, and Melissa Mullen will be giving a slide presentation of remembrance of this amazing escape in “Making it Home”, a remembrance concert set for Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at St. Peter’s United Church in St. Peters. This community has the distinction of having both the highest enlistment and fatalities per capita in Canada during World War II.

In addition, the Canada Remembers Chorus will be performing a selection of songs popular during World War II.

A light lunch will be provided. Free-will donations are gratefully accepted.