Join McMaster archivist Bridget Whittle and librarian Saman Goudarzi for an exploration of the Second World War-era service of Keith Patrick, a Canadian wireless operator/air gunner whose Halifax Bomber was shot down in France in June 1944. Seriously injured, Keith Patrick and his pilot, Don Fulton, were sheltered by members of the French resistance before being liberated by allied forces in September 1944.

Keith Patrick’s archive, housed in McMaster University Library’s department of Archives and Research Collections, reveals how Royal Canadian Air Force crews prepared for adverse outcomes through escape kits and evasion maps. The archive also provides insight into the tremendous efforts of the French resistance to shelter and care for allied troops, including the assignment of false French identity cards and the housing of soldiers with French families.

About the speakers:

Bridget Whittle
Bridget Whittle is the Digital Archives Library at McMaster University. The main focus of her work is developing strategies and workflows to ensure that archival computer files can be read now and long into the future. In addition, she specializes in the University’s extensive First and Second World War materials and the small collection of medieval manuscripts.

Saman Goudarzi
Saman’s work operates at the intersection of information science and critical geography. She’s particularly interested in the ways in which community-owned and -governed infrastructure can contribute to equitable knowledge systems. Currently, Saman takes care of McMaster’s Lloyd Reeds Map Collection, ensuring community members are able to access, understand, and use the collection for teaching and research.

Register for the event here!