One Day at a Time by Patricia Greasby
The war years of 1939 – 1945 were a time when ordinary people did extraordinary things. Some events and experiences are well documented; some told first hand by the people who were there. Many kept their own counsel, choosing, over the years, to disclose only fragments of those times.
Descendants become curious to know of their ancestors’ past – everyone has a story. Some will remain untold, some pieced together with the help of documents and archives recently released. The more I investigated, the more the snippets told to me by my father, corroborated and expanded upon by others, have fallen into place. I have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible, but this is a work of fiction based on his story, some characters, locations, and incidents have been fictionalized or modified for dramatic purposes.
My thoughts: POW Nearly Three Years
This is a remarkable story of a married British POW during WWII, based on what details the author learned from her father and others. So many POWs, especially ones imprisoned, marched, and a work camp in a coal mine, along with deprivations in spite of the Geneva Convention. Finally news that the Yanks were coming. They brought food and rides to Paris, eventually flights home. Labeled “one of the awkward ones” because he’d been a POW so long, his poignant reunion with his wife wasn’t what he’d hoped. He also came home to elderly parents but managed to hold a job and start a family.
Patricia Greasby
My working background is insurance and accountancy, now retired from the commercial world I remain, wife, mother, grandmother, writer–author of the Lavender Blue and the Bryce Family Mystery series.
The book is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
A Sky Never Forgotten by Maida Purdy
Imagine the terror of falling behind enemy lines…
In A Sky Never Forgotten, author Maida Purdy brings to life the powerful firsthand story of her father, Lieutenant Robert Purdy—a U.S. Army Air Corps B-24 bomber pilot who flew 17 dangerous missions over Europe during World War II..
Told through Purdy’s own words—his vivid personal reflections, wartime letters from a POW camp, and official military documents — this gripping memoir weaves history and humanity into one unforgettable narrative.
From the skies above Europe to the brutal conditions of Stalag Luft I, a POW camp, Purdy’s story reveals the harsh realities of war, captivity, and courage. It stands as a moving tribute to resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring legacy of the Greatest Generation.
A Sky Never Forgotten honors those who served in World War II—and all who have fought for freedom.
Join Robert Purdy’s journey and ask yourself: What does it truly mean to survive against all odds?
My thoughts: Inside Stalag Luft I
The author’s father was the copilot of a B-24 shot down in Italy and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Especially interesting are the chapters about how POWs were treated and his time in Stalag Luft I.
Also several of the Appendices, especially his interview with Skyler Graves, the MACR for his bomber and fates of crew members (Appendix C.1), the Military Intelligence Report on Stalag Luft I (D.1), and POW testimonies (D.2). The book includes the life history of Robert Purdy, before and after the war.
Maida Purdy
Maida is a bilingual storyteller born in Havana to an American World War II veteran and a Cuban mother of Spanish and Galician descent. She enjoys writing in her free time and is the author of “A Galicia No Olvido” (2022) and “Una Familia, Dos Patrias” (2024), both in Spanish. Her English memoir, “A Sky Never Forgotten: A WWII Pilot’s Journey Through War and Captivity” (2025), is now part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress for its historical significance.
She is currently working on two new projects: one in English about her father’s brother, Harry, a World War II pilot who went missing in action, and another in Spanish exploring her maternal family. In addition to her books, Maida contributes to “Diario de Santiago”, a newspaper in Galicia, Spain. When she’s not writing, Maida enjoys binge-watching Netflix, traveling, and spending time with family. She is the proud mother of two adult children and lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband, a playful dog, and three curious cats.
The book is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.uk
Sounds like two super reads, Joy. Thanks. Congratulations to Patrica and Maida.
Thanks, John. I was surprised to run across these two just recently. Had Dan Wilson survived the crash of his P-38, he would have likely become a POW.
The books by Patricia and Maida about their fathers as POWs in WWII sound fascinating, Joy, and it’s wonderful that you shared them with your thoughts about them. Have a great weekend.
Thanks, Tim. I’m thankful these stories from WWII are still coming out. If Dan Wilson had survived the crash of his P-38, he likely would have also become a POW.
Both of these books sound very compelling and a good reminder that POWs are also casualties of war who should be remembered and honored.
Thank you, Liz. These at least weren’t brutalized like the Japanese POWS, but they still suffered, even after they returned home.
You’re welcome, Joy.
These books by Patricia and Maida sound like fascinating stories, Joy. Congratulations to them and thanks for bringing them to our attention.
Thank you, Dan. I’d mostly read about Japanese POWS (since one of the Wilson brothers had been named as one by a Japanese shortwave broadcast) and how they were brutalized and just plain murdered. I came across these two most recently, both German POWS, not treated as harshly, but still suffered.
“A Sky Never Forgotten: A WWII Pilot’s Journey Through War and Captivity” should be required reading in high school since it has historical significance. Kids need to know the sacrifices made for the republic they live in. “A Sky Never Forgotten” sounds like another must read for students and a multitude of clueless adults. Thank you for your thoughts about these two books, Joy. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy.