New resource: 'A short life in the sky, 1915-16'

Scottish Archives for Schools are pleased to announce their latest resource 'A short life in the sky, 1915-16', based on the letters of a young WW1 Scottish pilot.

When war broke out in 1914, aeroplanes were still a relatively new invention. John Douglas Hume, known as Douglas by his family and friends, left his home in Fife at the age of 18 to join the Royal Naval Air Service. He trained in England and saw action in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and Turkey.

He was a prolific letter writer. His correspondence displays a range of style and feeling that cannot fail to stir the interest and emotions of the reader. Thanks to his family who kept his letters and photographs, we can experience his life as a pilot from May 1915 until his untimely death in December 1916.

This resource is designed to support the teaching of reading and writing skills at upper secondary school level in the framework of Curriculum for Excellence. Students can evaluate the content, style and use of language in Douglas Hume’s letters and in doing so, develop their own reading and writing skills.

Visit the resource 'A short life in the sky, 1915-16'.