Witnesses to History Ep. 2: A Thousand Shall Fall
What was the experience like for the many members of the air operations leading up to D-Day? Today’s episode tells just part of the story of Flight Lieutenant David Murray Peden, who recounts his role as an RCAF bomber pilot preceding D-Day in the early hours of June 6th, 1944.
We are excited that Witnesses to History will be continuing this summer, sharing the stories and experiences of World War 2 Veterans in their own words. Today’s featured story is told in Chapter 17 of the book A Thousand Shall Fall.
Timestamps
0:00 | Introduction to the series
3:46 | A biographical account of Murray Peden
8:30 | Murray Peden’s VE Day Interview, 1980’s
11:34 | Chapter 17: The Invasion
24:50 | A “Strange Fellow”?
28:07 | The Legacy
Biography
David Murray Peden DFC QC LLB, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1923 but grew up in Portage la Prairie for most of his youth. On the day after his 18th birthday, Murray enlisted in the RCAF, and went on to serve as a bomber pilot for the majority of the war until its end in 1945, predominantly serving with No. 214 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command. Peden would pen A Thousand Shall Fall in 1979- an autobiography of his role in the Second World War.
Flight Lieutenant David Murray Peden DFC QC
A Thousand Shall Fall by Murray Peden
The Great Canadian Giving Challenge
Throughout the month of June, the Juno Beach Centre is fundraising towards the goal of winning an additional $20,000 towards commemorating and honouring the legacy of our veterans.
All donations directly support the Juno Beach Centre, Canada’s Second World War Museum in Normandy, France and allow us to continue to offer educational content such as the Witnesses to History podcast for free! Consider donating here: https://www.junobeach.org/the-great-canadian-giving-challenge-2022/
Notes
Want to learn more about some of the topics in this episode? Click on the links below!
Podcast Episodes
The Fight for History with Tim Cook
Missing Airmen with Sean Summerfield
SPROG: Rookie Aircrew with Malcolm Kelly
The Typhoon Project with Annie Gafiuk and Harry Hardy
The Roseland Spitfire with Tom Hennessey
Online Resources
Our “Legacy of Honour” interview series with World War II Veterans
Canadian Army Units in the Normandy Landings
“In The Air”: Canadian Arms & Weapons in the Second World War
RCAF Bomber Squadrons Overseas
Books
A Thousand Shall Fall by Murray Peden
Fall of an Arrow by Murray Peden
Credits
This episode of Witnesses to History presented by the Juno Beach Centre is hosted and edited by Keegan Gingrich, Digital Projects Assistant at the Juno Beach Centre Association.
“V.E. Day Anniversary radio interview in Winnipeg Manitoba in the 1980’s with Flt. Lt. Murray Peden” Courtesy of Hugh Peden on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csciXNgrWmE
Interview with James “Stocky” Edwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfuYQDTl5tU
Interview with Peter Chance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p3bGsgkTQA
Interview with Jaye “Pete” Edwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzavWg2fgyE
Interview with Alex Polowin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_YAdHRIuYA
Race the Sun by Scott Buckley: https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/library/race-the-sun/
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Dispatches from Juno shares all the news, events, and stories from the Juno Beach Centre in France and Canada. Interested in contributing a story to the blog? Email the editor at jbca@junobeach.org.
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