In for a Penny, In for a Pound

The gripping story of the twentieth century’s greatest struggle in the modest voice of a Canadian teenager in the RAF.

In 1940, nineteen-year-old Howard Hewer dreamed of being the next Billy Bishop, of piloting Spitfires or Hurricanes over Europe. His dream was shattered when he was selected instead for a career as a wireless operator in Bomber Command.

But he got all the adventure he signed on for. Hewer and his crews of 218 and 148 Squadrons flew important night operations over Germany and North Africa, dropping their deadly payloads and dodging enemy flak.

And he was not always much safer on the ground. He survived the Blitz in London, a U-boat attack in the South Atlantic, a fire-fight with Italian troops near el-Alamien, as well as chaste love affairs, fistfights, and beers with Boer rebels.

Self-deprecating, bittersweet, and alive to both the horrors of war and the friendships and courage of the men and women who fight it, In for a Penny, In for a Pound is the unforgettable story of a young Canadian’s experience of history’s greatest war.

Wing Commander T.W.H. (Howard) Hewer, CD, RCAF (retired), flew operations in Bomber Command during the Second World War as a wireless operator in 148 and 218 Sqdns. He has received the Queen’s Coronation Medal, the Queen’s Golden Anniversary Medal, the Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal, and the Canadian Special Service Medal. Hewer lives in Toronto with his wife, Doris.