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Write Soon and Often: The Life of a Bomber Pilot Through His Letters Home
Travelling through Europe in the summer of 1939, 17-year-old Donald Plaunt witnessed preparations for war in every country he visited. After he completed high school in 1941, Donald became part of that war when he enlisted in the RCAF and became a Lancaster pilot. After training for 20 months, he flew in operations for five weeks before his death on his 11th mission in 1943.
There are many compelling stories written by veterans about Bomber Command. What makes this pilot's story unique is that it is told in his youthful voice selected from 150 letters he wrote home. Peppered with his amusing sense of humour, his letters convey a very personal and colourful narrative ranging from tales of his Air Force training, the events of the war, the people he cared about, and the issues that bothered him. It is a story about youth and hope as we follow his journey from a carefree and somewhat entitled rookie pilot to the generous and proud captain of a Lancaster crew. It is also a story of sorrow that explores the heartbreaking impact of his death on his family when he, like so many other young men, did not return home.
There are many compelling stories written by veterans about Bomber Command. What makes this pilot's story unique is that it is told in his youthful voice selected from 150 letters he wrote home. Peppered with his amusing sense of humour, his letters convey a very personal and colourful narrative ranging from tales of his Air Force training, the events of the war, the people he cared about, and the issues that bothered him. It is a story about youth and hope as we follow his journey from a carefree and somewhat entitled rookie pilot to the generous and proud captain of a Lancaster crew. It is also a story of sorrow that explores the heartbreaking impact of his death on his family when he, like so many other young men, did not return home.
234 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 2, 2017
the stories of a soldier , from Sudbury, that send letters home.
very interesting book i like it a look in the life f a young man away from home to war .
very interesting book i like it a look in the life f a young man away from home to war .
April 14, 2023
Write Soon and Often
Andy Thomson
A nephew writes of an uncle who died before he came of age to remember him. A life of privilege was no guarantee of safety over the skies of war torn WW#2 Europe. That nephew seeks to discover an uncle who did not live to reach 21. A story too often told, here in the pilot’s letters home.
Donald Cameron Plaunt variously nicknamed Buggs or Porky. An easy going gregarious, mischievous lad who sought and found adventure on earth and in the skies.
In the military it’s always hurry up and wait. Being bored and unemployed costs money.
No Mon
No Fun
Your Son
How Sad
Too Bad
Your Dad
A very old exchanged ditty.
A child of privilege one wonders what kind of adult he would have grown into had he lived. Although he shared his largess requesting cigarettes he did not smoke to share he certainly had a sense of entitlement. Self-assured he would have been the kind of bloke I’d have detested.
A reader experiences a sense of loss when he finishes a book and that sense of loss is that much greater given the subject’s demise. In the end one must accept the mother’s analysis. Life is never more precious as when there is the imminent possibility of losing it. This lad lived it to the fullest.
Andy Thomson
A nephew writes of an uncle who died before he came of age to remember him. A life of privilege was no guarantee of safety over the skies of war torn WW#2 Europe. That nephew seeks to discover an uncle who did not live to reach 21. A story too often told, here in the pilot’s letters home.
Donald Cameron Plaunt variously nicknamed Buggs or Porky. An easy going gregarious, mischievous lad who sought and found adventure on earth and in the skies.
In the military it’s always hurry up and wait. Being bored and unemployed costs money.
No Mon
No Fun
Your Son
How Sad
Too Bad
Your Dad
A very old exchanged ditty.
A child of privilege one wonders what kind of adult he would have grown into had he lived. Although he shared his largess requesting cigarettes he did not smoke to share he certainly had a sense of entitlement. Self-assured he would have been the kind of bloke I’d have detested.
A reader experiences a sense of loss when he finishes a book and that sense of loss is that much greater given the subject’s demise. In the end one must accept the mother’s analysis. Life is never more precious as when there is the imminent possibility of losing it. This lad lived it to the fullest.
July 19, 2025
I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those books that "stays" with me for a while.
The combination of facts and memories make for an interesting read, but it's the actual letters home that make this story special. You really get to know Donald and his family, and despite knowing how it all ends before you even start reading, the ending still guts you. It's also a really fascinating look into the experience these pilots had in WWII.
I highly recommend it to anyone.
Andy, we connected at your Pogamasing book signing in Sudbury (I'm of the Mullola/Keskinen/Wendler camp on Pog), and I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this one as well.
The combination of facts and memories make for an interesting read, but it's the actual letters home that make this story special. You really get to know Donald and his family, and despite knowing how it all ends before you even start reading, the ending still guts you. It's also a really fascinating look into the experience these pilots had in WWII.
I highly recommend it to anyone.
Andy, we connected at your Pogamasing book signing in Sudbury (I'm of the Mullola/Keskinen/Wendler camp on Pog), and I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this one as well.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews