It is a fact that war veterans are known to talk
frequently about their accomplishments and about
events that took place many years ago, while they were
in the military service in Canada or overseas.
No doubt, I am no exception and all the members
of my family have often heard me relate stories,
possibly the same story more than once, beginning
with words such as "When I was in India . . . ."
| In the summer of 1985 Jacqueline, Jocelyne, Pierre, and
I were touring in France. Because we had chosen the wrong highways we drove
through a section of France that was not in our original itinerary. Jacqueline
thought some of the names of the towns that we drove through were the ones
her father had mentioned when he talked about his days in France. Her father
had served in the American Army during World War I. On our return home,
it was very rewarding to be able to refer to a book, written by one of
his comrades, about the battery in which he had served and to confirm that
these towns were indeed some of the places where he had fought. This is
the incident which prompted me to attempt to put into writing my own experiences.
These notes were written solely for the benefit of my children and grandchildren.
I am sure that they will never win a prize for composition or subject matter.
A brief review of my limited educational background is perhaps appropriate at this point. I attended the local country school in Sluice Point, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. It had two classrooms, each one heated by a wood-burning stove in the middle of the room. There were about 30 pupils in each room and instruction was in both French and English. In June 1938 I successfully passed Grade XI provincial examinations. I would have liked to become a school teacher but my parents did not have the financial means to pay for my education at Teachers' College; furthermore, assistance through student loans was nonexistent. The great depression of the 1930s was still very present. At that time, Grade XII was only taught in the nearby town of Yarmouth, but in September 1938 a turn of events occurred which made it possible for me to study for Grade XII at the village school. The new teacher had the necessary qualifications and I was given special permission to continue my schooling in Sluice Point. |
While studying for Grade XII I applied for a job at the
Yarmouth branch of the Royal Bank of Canada. In April 1939 the bank called
me and I wrote and passed an entrance examination. I was immediately hired
as a junior clerk. I promptly left school and, although I felt fully prepared,
I did not write the Grade XII provincial examinations in June. Later on
I regretted having done this, but at the time the new job was too exciting;
also the bank did not require that I have a Grade XII certificate.
In September 1939, when war was declared, I was 19 years old and of "ripe" military age. Canada was fast mobilizing and it was evident that sooner or later I would be drafted for military service. A mobile recruiting unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force came to Yarmouth on a regular basis. Many young men of my age group were anxious to volunteer, but we were "all talk and no action." My parents were not necessarily in favour of my volunteering, nevertheless they gave their approval, perhaps reluctantly. The Royal Bank, along with all the major corporations in Canada, established a policy granting leave of absence to any of its employees who joined the military forces and promised "a job back" on their return. In November 1940 the manager of the bank gave me two days off. I travelled to Halifax by train (this was my first train ride) with all the necessary papers, letters of recommendation, and so on. I was interviewed, passed the medical examination, was accepted in the RCAF, and could have been sworn in the same day. I returned to Yarmouth on a Friday evening, went to work on Saturday morning, and announced the "big news," that I was leaving for Halifax the following Tuesday. The bank staff was somewhat flabbergasted since they had thought that I would not pass all the examinations and meet the requirements of the RCAF. However, the bank manager congratulated me, wished me all the luck in the world, and said that he would have done the same if he were my age. |
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