By Thomas Lepper
Inside Tilley Hall, below the 1st floor, there is a place called the Gregg Centre. It is where some current and previous history masters students work on their theses and are even hired to conduct historical research for the University. One of these employees is a man named J. Brent Wilson.
Originally from Southern Ontario, Brent Wilson had studied European History at Brock University. After completing his undergraduate degree, Brent wished to pursue his masters here at UNB’s Fredericton campus, with the intent of later completing a doctorate. During his masters, Brent fell in love with New Brunswick’s military history and ended up staying in New Brunswick, thoroughly studying the province and its long military history.
During my interview with Brent Wilson, he said his mother used to joke and say that, “this is the longest two years in history.”
When asked why he chose New Brunswick military history, Brent explained that New Brunswick history and Atlantic Canada’s history gets overlooked. He noted that there is more of a focus on Western Canada.
Brent Wilson, alongside several former and current members of the Gregg Centre, have written 31 volumes documenting New Brunswick’s military history, beginning in the late 1600s and running up to 1949.
The most recent, and unfortunately last, volume is War Among Clouds, the 31st volume of the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series. War Among Clouds covers several fighter pilots’ lives from New Brunswick who fought in WWI.
This volume contains many personal stories from the fighter pilots who were pioneers in the age of flight. Much of the physical testimony has come from the families of these WWI soldiers, passed on from generation to generation as the last of WWI veterans died in 2012.
One amazing story revolved around a young man from New Brunswick whose military exploits led to him having tea with King George VI of Great Britain.
However, at the book launch of War Among Clouds, Executive Director of the Gregg Centre Dr. Cindy Brown stated due to Brent’s retirement, the Gregg Centre will cease the continuation of the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series. This has made War Among Clouds the final addition of the series.
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