Jan Davis

When lifelong artist and World War II (WWII) B-17 pilot Ben Smotherman was shot down over Holland in July 1943, he was soon captured and interrogated by the Luftwaffe at Dulag Luft. Upon being transferred to Luftwaffe camp Stalag Luft III, he found himself a prisoner of war (POW), held captive with countless other men who ached for a connection to home and freedom. During his time in captivity, Ben kept his Wartime Log to chronicle his daily life--with the unique inclusion of beautiful watercolor paintings and pencil drawings. In addition, he applied his talents to create PENNY, an engaging and well-loved comic strip following a female war correspondent of the same name. This comic strip not only entertained and enthralled his audience with each new issue--it gave them hope. Ben Smotherman's experiences and artistic renderings are masterfully captured in Jan Davis's Air Born: Artistic Musings of a WWII Pilot and POW. In this companion piece to Air Born: Two Generations in Flight, readers will get an inside look at what it felt like to be a POW during WWII. Although Ben couldn't freely describe what he and his fellow POWs endured while in captivity due to censoring, this book paints a comprehensive picture with his Wartime Log paired with Jan's contextual explanations. Further, it depicts each of the ninety-seven PENNY comic strips that Ben developed and illustrated himself. Without a doubt, this second Air Born volume is a don't-miss read for anyone interested in the history of WWII.

Two aviators making history. Two Americans serving their country. One incredible story spanning fifty years and two generations. Ben Smotherman, a B-17 pilot in World War II, valiantly fought in the European Theater of Operations before being shot down over Holland in July 1943. After enduring twenty-one months as a prisoner of war, he was finally reunited with his loved ones and was able to start a family. Years later, after perusing his Wartime Log, his daughter Jan made discoveries about her father's experiences that shed light on her own life path. As a Space Shuttle astronaut, Jan Davis went through intensive training, flew NASA jets, and completed three spaceflights, spending over 673 hours on orbit. Her experiences and emotions during her launches and space travel echoed those of her father during his combat missions, highlighting the unshakable bond between father and daughter. With Air Born, you can join in on a flight through history as Jan Davis relates her father's heroic service and draws connections between his combat missions and her own spaceflights. Discover the ins and outs of pilot training in the 1940s alongside Ben Smotherman and bear witness to his harrowing capture, interrogation, and imprisonment at Stalag Luft III. Rejoice with the POWs as World War II finally ends and the prisoners are returned home to continue pursuing their life's goals. Shadow Jan Davis as she expertly navigates a career characterized by space exploration, scientific experimentation, and phenomenal feats of engineering. And draw inspiration from the intersection of two completely different yet uniquely connected worlds brought together by a common link of family and flying.

Based on direct field experience and using short case studies, this book discusses the issues and stages in the development of water supplies, from the initiation of a programme through to the community management of a supply system. The importance of involving all the members of a community in decisions about water provision is emphasised, as is the need to incorporate hygiene education from the outset.