Free Lecture at Champaign Aviation Museum

Thursday, December 19th, 2024 at 11am:

The Christmas Truce at the Western Front

Presented by Bill Albers, CAM Volunteer & Historian

World War I, the so-called Great War, was only 5 months old and there were already many casualties on both sides. The first Christmas at the front lines of the 4-year war became a Christmas celebration of a size that had never taken place before and most likely will never happen again. Many believed it was a miracle that thousands of soldiers put down their weapons and stopped killing to celebrate Christmas.

The lecture in the CAM Library will include the history of World War I and the events that led up to the Christmas Truce in 1914.  Complimentary hot tea and cookies/biscuits will be served. 

About our Speaker: Bill Albers was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Holland) where he grew up as a child during a 5-year occupation by the Germans during WWII. At age 18 he enlisted in the Royal Dutch Air Force where he served as a jet aircraft mechanic. After his tour of duty was complete, Bill earned a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from HTS Amsterdam. In 1965 he came to America as an Engineering intern, studying advanced manufacturing techniques for 18 months at Monarch Machine Tool in Sidney, Ohio. After completing his internship, Bill accepted a position with Sperry Rand and moved to Montreal, Canada. He returned to the US in 1972 and became a US citizen five years later.  Bill retired in 2008 and he volunteers at the Champaign Aviation Museum where he contributes to the construction of a B-17 Bomber.  He also volunteers at the WACO Aviation Museum as a coordinator of Lectures.

Champaign Aviation Museum

1652 N. Main St., Urbana, OH 43078

937-652-4710

ChampaignAviationMuseum.org 

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Champaign Aviation Museum is Site #13 on the Aviation Trail