A Bolt From the Blue

By Robert James Bridge

The year is 1917 on a cold snowbound scenario in Halifax ,Nova Scotia, Canada.The time is 9am and many folks were either getting ready for another working day or still in bed.The snowbound scenery was soon to become blood begrimed as tow ammunition ships collided in the Harbour of Halifax and Dartmouth . Almost two thousand lives were lost on that fateful day and thousands were blinded by flying glass as they ran to office windows wondering if the war had come to them.This is the story of a young man aged only fifteen who goes from a boy to man almost in a day as he struggles to save many lives the consisted of many schoolchildren who had just began the day. Unknown. to John all of his family perish in the explosion.As dirt mingled with blood his hands dug continually as he listened for voices crying out for help.Tirelessly he could be seen dragging bodies towards the every growing pile along with others. This story is of course fiction woven around the true story using fictional characters throughout so as to avoid reviving memories for living relatives.This is essentially Johns story, a story of heroism and courage we can only admire. A red letter day it was called in the local papers,and without help from their local neighbours in Boston who supplied medicine and doctors as the injured piled up along with the dead., Short story you may say?, but a story that should never be forgotten maybe?.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert James Bridge
• Release date: Feb 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463497814

Robert James Bridge

The Black and White House has been reviewed by [e-mail] and a small section is attached to this intro!. Just been informed A Bolt From The Blue-The Halifax Explosion is to be published alongside Sealed With A Loving Kiss and The Black and White House at penitpublications.com or https://www.smashwords.com/ I am a prolific author of many books, books that may never see the light of day or indeed get published, but I love what I do and that gives me the hope that one day I see one of books in the stores. I do not write one specific area, infact my books are mostly diverse for instance. A Bolt From The Blue is historical fiction woven around a true story.A story that has mostly been erased through the sands of time . Un coup de bleu L'explosion de Halifax Available at penitpublications.com A Bolt From The Blue-The Halifax Explosion . The bells ring out in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada each and every year on December 6th at 9am to remind folks of the tragedy that happened in 1917 when two ammunition ships collided in the Harbour of Halifax and Dartmouth. A tragedy that took almost 2,000 lives. Kinmel Revisited is another of historical fiction woven once again around the fascinating story of the Kinmel Camp Riot in 1919 in North Wales. This book is also available at penitpublications or blazingheartpublishing.com The Black and White House is a on the edge nail biting thriller that will leave readers maybe thirsting for more of the same as Joshua Jenks a poor coloured boy from Memphis goes on to defy the odds by becoming a Senator and this is where his troubles begin!. At this stage I would like to introduce adult readers to my series of adult fictional crime. I say adult simply because each book contains explicit references suitable for adults. I have four books in the series and the first is now on Smashwords entitled Hell Bent on Murder,followed by Hell Bent on Revenge and if this has wetted your appetite then to come shortly is Hell Bent on Corruption followed by Hell Bent on Blackmail, all featuring ex met cop turned private eye Jim Bent. It is my hope one day to continue with Hell Bent on Collaboration, but at this juncture please by all means read of Jim Bent and his adventures when he leaves the met after fifteen years and takes on the role of a private eye.If you have enjoyed the first two in my series then Hell Bent on Corruption and Hell Bent on Blackmail will leave you thirsting for mor...

Book preview

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE

By

ROBERT JAMES BRIDGE.

No less a tragedy than the sinking of the Titanic some years earlier, this is a fictional account of The Halifax Explosion which happened on a cold December morning in the year of 1917.I hope my story has not relived the tragedy for those remaining relatives, if so I sincerely apologise.

All of the characters in my book are fictional.

Synopsis.

The following story was inspired by a true event, a tragedy that nobody could have foretold. Whilst writing this book I have to say it is for the most part fiction set around a true story using fictional characters to avoid and protect any living relatives reliving the tragedy of that cold December morning in 1917. The protagonist of my book is a young man called John Smithers, a young man who had only just began work in the steelworks of his home town of Halifax Nova Scotia Canada when the tragedy came about as two ammunition ships collided in what is known as the narrows or harbour.!

Narrated in the first person giving a sense of immediacy to the developing action which follows, characterisation is very strong and it encourages its readers to identify with John and the tragedy. However having said this story place i.e. Dec 6th 1917 a day that would remain in the hearts and minds of each and every Canadian. Starting like any other day in Halifax John pulled the blanket around his head to ward off the cold, the snowbound scenery which awaited him reminded him that Christmas was on the horizon and the problem of money was once more about to rear its ugly head in the Smithers household.

The balance I have tried to achieve between personal detail and the wider implications of the actual explosion. This is of course John’s story, a story of courage and bravery we can only imagine. Although a fictional character John Smithers was to all intents a hero of his time. I have used fictional characters throughout my book to avoid conflict with any living relatives.

CHAPTER 1

The war in Europe seemed to go on forever and many Canadian men were leaving for distant shores as well as those returning with wounds that might never heal. As I silently slipped out of bed so as not to disturb my brother Jack I glanced out at the snowbound countryside and footprints were clearly visible revealing that Andy Collins friend and paperboy had called earlier. My Mother and Father were still asleep and my brother Jack was curled up in a ball to ward off the cold wind that echoed around our house.

Monday, December 6th 1917 was to be a day that would live in my mind forever Even though it began like any other day. My name is John Smithers and I am fifteen years old, whilst Jack my brother is older than me and is infact seventeen, although we fought like cat and dog we both loved each other very much infact we could be seen each morning heading towards the local steelworks where we both worked. The time is seven thirty and whilst my mother was preparing breakfast pop was busy yelling for us boys to get the hell ready for work, a chore he had to do daily. George my mother would say, those boys will be the death of me? little did she realise how much those words were going to affect her at a later date.

Our dad was somewhat of a hero to us boys because he not only worked in the flour mill he was also a part time fireman who had to be available for every emergency. Jack and I made a race out of who was to leave the table first and he always won and would grab the morning paper from dad and say, Looks like that damb war is going On forever pop?. This did not impress my folks because they knew Jack wanted to enlist even though I myself felt he was somewhat mad Jack had his mind set on a career as a soldier.

As we sat eating on that cold frosty morning little did we realise that this was to be a red-letter day in the history of our hometown of Halifax, infact until that day our lives had been pretty mundane. The day was to inspire courage beyond belief." A BOLT