Special Features - Remembrance Day 2019

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SECTION Friday, November 8, 2019 campbellrivermirror.com

Remem�ance Day Lest We F�get

LEST WE FORGET

Proud to honour our veterans 1710 Island Highway • 250-286-6132

There are heroes

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November and we set aside time to remember the 115 thousand 9 hundred and 41 dead and 228,958 wounded sailors, soldiers and airman who have paid the price of service during Canadian overseas conflicts for the past 100 years.

For some the highway of heroes is often how they last touch their home.

We call them heroes, peacekeepers, peace makers, and send them off into harm’s way with parades and slogans, to stand between warring peoples or stop those who would subjugate mankind.

They may need an atlas to find out where they are going. France, Italy, Germany, Korea, Cyprus, Lebanon,

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We welcome them back with medals and parades and in many cases tell them “give your children a hug, re pack your kit and get ready to leave again.” Some we just bring back in a casket.

They call themselves fathers, sons, husbands, wives, mothers, daughters, brothers, friends, neighbours, coworkers, teammates and colleagues. But never heroes.

But there are heroes. They are all unknown except to a select few.

Most will never wear a uniform.

Imagine having a birthday party and not having your mom or dad

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Israel, Syria, Guiana, Sudan, Guatemala, Herzegovina, Egypt, Republic of Chad, Sierra Leon, and Cambodia we all knew. But who had heard of Eritrea, Burundi, Darfur, Azawadi and East Timor until they went there.

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Campbell River honours veterans for their service, commitment and sacrifice.

We are grateful for all you have done.

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there. Not just for one birthday but for many birthdays.

Imagine performing in the school play, playing on your sports team, being part of the science fair, or any number of other activities and your mom or dad not being there.

Not just for one activity or play or game but for many.

Imagine not having your mom or dad at your graduation or not sharing vacations not just one vacation but most vacations.

Imagine waking up in the morning and knowing your mom or dad are not there, not just that morning but for many mornings.

Imagine what it is like to be hurt and to cry and not have your mom or dad there to dry your eyes.

Imagine experiencing daily fear for your mom and dad, burying that fear somewhere deep inside so no one knows about it and carrying on with your life and waiting, waiting, waiting.

Imagine seeing your mom or dad’s commanding officer and the chaplain at the door and knowing the message they bring.

Imagine standing watching the flags fluttering, honour guards lined up, being surrounded by people in uniform you do not know. Seeing the transport aircraft arrive and knowing this is how your mom or dad is coming home.

Imagine not understanding why.

These children are heroes because no matter how many times those of us in uniform left, they put all their fears, sadness and hurts aside and carried on with life.

They stayed up late so when we called in the middle of the night from some faraway place, we were able to hear their voice and feel a little closer to home.

They wrote long letters knowing we may not have time or opportunity to write back but understood their letter is the most precious thing we could receive.

They are heroes because they understood service is about sacrifice and their sacrifice was no less than what their mom or dad made.

They are heroes because they never said, “don’t go” or “what about me”.

They are heroes because they forgave us for putting duty to our country before self and them.

They are heroes because they gave up all those things they were entitled to from their mom and dad so we could serve.

Even though they did not understand what we had to do these heroes let us go.

Of those who died in the two world wars 9648 were from British Columbia. They left behind heroes.

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Friday, November 8, 2019 B3

Schedule of Events

Thank-you for all those who defended our freedom.

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BRUCE CARRUTHERS 250-287-0151

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7:00 am

Happy Hour (Comradeship)

8:30 am

Breakfast

9:30 am

Parade Announcements

11:00 am

Ceremony at the Cenotaph

11:30 am

Return to the Legion for Comradeship and ongoing

Cenotaph in Campbell River

Monday, November 11, 2019 12:30 pm 1:00-5:00 pm

Remembering those who serve.

5:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm

Lunch prepared by the Ladies Auxiliary Kristy Watkins DJ - Hall Dinner by the Branch Volunteers Salisbury Steak Dinner $9.00 per person Dance: “PEANUT GALLERY� - Hall EVERYONE WELCOME

Honouring all those who have fallen in the service of their country.

Joanne Johnson and Barbara J Burns Notaries Public

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Submitted by Gerry Wright My father, George William Wright, (aka Bill Wright) who was born in Rock Bay, BC, joined the navy at the age of sixteen. He lied about his age. It was nineteen forty and he spent most of the war on convoy duty on a destroyer in the North Atlantic. He is 95 years old and I visited him on June 6th of this year - the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The meeting and the many conversations we had are a whole different story, but I did ask him where he was seventy-five years ago, and this is the story he told: “In May of 1944 I was in England with my ships company and they asked for an AA Gunner. I didn’t know why but I put up my hand.

I got transferred to Portsmouth and was assigned to an LLC (Light Landing Craft). A gun was mounted on the front and “Jonesy” and I were the gunners. The fellow I was

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George William Wright, (aka Bill Wright) joined the Navy replacing had broken his leg.

The landing craft had a crew of three plus the two gunners. We were supposed to land three tanks but when the first one tried to back on it couldn’t get into reverse, so we left it and loaded the other two leaving enough spare room for

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thirty-five soldiers. The crossing was rough with high seas and rain, so we most of spent the night trying to stay dry.

We landed on Juno Beach and I was busy loading the gun with sixtypound shells while Jonesy, who was strapped in, aimed and fired it.

The doors opened, the ramp went down and they unloaded the tanks and soldiers. On the way in to the beach they had dropped anchor so we could winch ourselves off the beach after unloading but, since the doors were open and the ramp was still down, a shell came through and blew up the wheelhouse killing all three that were trying to pull up the anchor. Jonesy and I realized we weren’t going to get off the beach on that vessel so went to find another vessel. Jonesy took off so I was walking along the beach pulling people out of the water checking to see if they were alive.

Not one of them was alive.

I noticed the water doing a strange dance and it dawned on me that I was being shot at, so I had better get out of there. Offshore, about three hundred feet, was a soldier on a large chunk of flotsam paddling with only one arm and I thought it would be safer out there than where I currently was, so I swam out. The soldier had been wounded in the shoulder. I took the bayonet attached to the rifle which he still had and jammed it as hard as I could into the wood so the soldier could hang on to that and kick

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“

Juno Beach on D-Day

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I noticed the water doing a strange dance and it dawned on me that I was being shot at, so I had better get out of there.

while I paddled. We made it to a destroyer that had nets over the side for to climb up on and a rope with a loop was lowered for the wounded soldier.

I found a place to sit down and someone thrust a cup of cocoa into my hands. There were over four hundred rescued on the ship and I don’t know why it didn’t tip over with all that extra weight. When we finally reached Portsmouth, I picked up an end of a stretcher and carried it out to the First Aid. For the next ten days I carried stretchers; if the person was deceased, they went to one side, if not, to the other.

The dead were searched for name tags and when they found them, they had to break them in half and jam one half up between the front teeth. After ten days I made my way back to London to go to Canada House for re-assignment.”

My father showed me his medals and there was pride in the service he had done. I am very proud of my father for his service and have a deeper understanding of the wounds he carries and how the trauma of those years at war affected him and all those around him. He doesn’t talk about the war much, but he never forgets just as we should never forget the sacrifices made and the wounds, seen and unseen that have an affect on us all. Lest we forget.

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On the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, we will remember them.

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Digital Poppy

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My Poppy.

Have you heard of the digital poppy?

Whether you chose Canada or were born here, we all get to enjoy values like freedom, democracy, and respect for others.

Veterans stood up for those rights, but it’s up to us to uphold them. This Remembrance Day, honour veterans by dedicating a Poppy in memory of their name.

You can go to www.mypoppy. ca and for a donation you can create your own poppy. The words “Remembrance Day 2019” run along the top, and you can customize to display the name of a veteran or someone in service. If you prefer not to personalize, the the words “We Remember” will appear.

Through your donations to the Legion Poppy Fund, the Legion provides financial assistance and support to Veterans, including Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, and their families who are in need.

RH 2x3 Submitted by David Coverdale This photo shows my Uncle, Corporal Jack Southward, 3rd from the right in the back row. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Signals Corp.

This photo is from the Italian Campaign.

I don’t know the exact location or date. The battle fatigue shows clearly on the faces of these brave men.

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Sacrifice & Legacy:

Two Amputees Share a Special Bond who realized their experiences of living with amputation could help others.

Sean Borle, 24, recalls meeting Second World War veteran Lloyd Brown, 96, for the first time six years ago at a Remembrance Day ceremony. “We had this magical moment where I reached out my right hand and he put out his left, to shake hands,” he says.

Through what they call “Operation Legacy,” Borle and his fellow members of CHAMP have now “taken up the torch” of remembrance to pay tribute to the veteran members of The War Amps, whose efforts have made a difference in the lives of thousands of amputees.

Borle was born missing his left hand, and Brown lost his right arm on October 18, 1944 while serving with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment in Italy. “I was staked at a farmhouse which had a children’s treehouse located behind it,” says Brown. “In the treehouse was a sniper who kept shooting at our boys. A tank then came which shot out shells, the shrapnel hitting my right arm.”

“I can’t overstate the impact that these programs have on young amputees and their futures,” says Borle. “Knowing that there are people like Lloyd who understand what it’s like to be missing a limb, makes you feel like you’re not alone.”

When Brown arrived at the hospital, the doctors had to amputate his arm. “Fortunately, I was in such shock that I didn’t feel a thing,” he recalls.

The ability to find the positive in a dark situation is one reason why Borle admires Brown. On Remembrance Day, the pair share a special tradition of laying a wreath on behalf of The War Amps, an Second World War amputee veteran Lloyd Brown shares a special bond and organization entering its second Remembrance Day tradition with Sean Borle. century of service this year.

The War Amps was started by war amputee veterans returning from the First World War to help each other adapt to their new reality as amputees. They then welcomed amputee veterans following the

CRES

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Second World War, sharing all that they had learned.

Borle grew up in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program, which provides financial assistance

for the cost of artificial limbs, emotional support and regional seminars to young amputees across Canada. It was started by War Amps Members, like Brown,

When Brown attends the Remembrance Day ceremonies, he reflects on all those in his regiment who never came home.

“It’s heartbreaking to think of all those who lost their lives and it’s important to remember them,” he says.

For Borle, it’s special to share Remembrance Day with Brown.

“I would not be the person I am today had it not been for that decision more than 100 years ago to begin The War Amps,” says Borle.

“It is our commitment as Champs that the legacy and sacrifices of Lloyd, and all the war amputee veterans, will be remembered and carried forward.”

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DIARY OF NEIL MOSHER STURGEON I was seventeen when I decided to join the army and did so because my brothers, Ray and Clayton had already joined. At that time, it was the thing to do, but in hindsight – not such a good idea...

I traveled to Longueil, Quebec and enlisted in artillery and was then sent to New Market, Ontario for basic training. I was informed that they did not need artillery, but did need tank corps, so basic was in tank for months.

Upon completion, it was decided that infantry personnel were needed and I completed advanced infantry in Hipperwash, Ontario. I spent two months there and then boarded the troop train to Halifax where we boarded the Aquatainia and headed out – destination...Scotland.

The second day at sea I developed severe sea sickness and couldn’t eat for two days. Reaching Scotland, we proceeded to Aldershoot, England to a Canadian holding camp. Orders were then given to proceed to Italy, so we boarded the Empress of Bermuda and headed out. The Empress did not prove to be a luxury cruise as well since I was quartered on the E deck.

“E” stood for engine, in which we swung from hammocks and sweltered in 105 degrees listening to the heavy sound of the engines for the entire voyage.

We also had to zigzag our way though the Mediterranean in order to avoid the barrage of torpedoes where we landed in Naples, Italy.

Avelia was the Canadian holding camp for infantry and I spent about a month or so there. Then replacements were needed for the Princess Louise Dragoon Sword Regiment, which was a light infantry unit.

I carried a rifle, grenades, a bayonet and a shovel. The shovel was critical as

Neil Mosher Sturgeon Trooper D-144618 1st Canadian Corps 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards POW #142564 we had to dig foxholes, which would serve as your place to sleep...you wanted to get the hole dug as soon as possible. I remember a big tall lanky kid; we used to call him Skinner. One night we were digging our foxholes when he decided to have a cigarette instead. A sniper spotted the light of his cigarette and shot him dead.

We had rations to eat, a canteen of water and every night, a ration of 150% rum was given out. I also carried needles of morphine for the wounded. There was a medic with our platoon, but if you had a crisis, like if your buddy lost an arm, you could shoot him up with morphine to kill the pain until help arrived. No fires were allowed at night and you could hear the sound of mortar shells during the night...moaning minnies.

They were German mortars that would wind up and produce an eerie sound like a moan. When you heard that moan, you got down fast.

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of December, Friday 13th, 1944, our platoon received orders to advance with other allied forces on each side of the river and secure this from German control. We advanced into waterlogged fields under artificial light (flares) as this was a surprise night attack to capture the canals.

But what we did not know was that the Germans had not withdrawn their forces across the Senio River, but were waiting for us with a German machine gun regiment. They dug in on the high ground of the canals with their fire power setup covering the open fields that we had to cross...As we advanced halfway across the field, my platoon was caught in tremendous machine gun fire from the Germans.

I remember as we continued to advance my comrades were falling down all around me.

After the damage was repaired from the bombing, it was another two days before we arrived at Stalag 7A Prison Camp in Moosburg, Germany.

We were then unloaded from the train and were given a prisoner of war number, mine was #142564.

Fighting with the Princess Louise Regiment as part of the 1st Canadian Corps, we were the allied forces that prevented the German army from withdrawing out of Italy to participate in the final battles for Germany.

My regiment crossed the Lamone River and captured Ravenna.

After this capture, we were ordered to advance over the Nauignio and Munio Canals to establish a bridgehead at the Senio River.

Allied intelligence had received information that the German Army had withdrawn their forces to the other side of the Senio River and we should only encounter rear guard action, such as sniper This is a picture of my platoon after the attack activity. on the Lamone River - I am in the front row, third from the left.

In the early evening

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This procedure was in compliance with the Geneva Convention. It was only at this time that I felt a little safer as I knew that prisoners were not shot for any reason, such as trying to escape! I would like to say that I have deep regards for the International Red Cross...if it was not for them registering me as a POW, my family would have not known what happened to me. Your family was then notified by telegram that you were missing in action. Below is the telegram that my family received, dated Dec. 26, 1944.

However, it did take quite some time before my family was notified by the Red Cross that you were captured and alive. Below is the telegram that was

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received, advising my family of this, dated Feb. 13, 1945.

Also, I would like to mention that during this time, your personal effects that were left behind, which were found in your fit bag are sent to your family at home. Below is the inventory list that was taken, dated March 15, 1945 (included is a copy of the German patch as stated; I cut this off a dead German soldier).

The International Red Cross saved us from starvation as it was through them that food packages were received in prison camps.

The packages were received from Switzerland, which was a neutral nation. As a rule, we received one

For your dedication, bravery, and commitment, we thank you.

package a week from different nations, including Canada, United States, Britain and Australia.

These packages included numerous items, such as powdered milk, chocolate, cigarettes, gum, jam, canned meat, bacon, spam, etc... with each country having their own specialty. Sometimes we would not receive a package as the guards would steal them for their own use.

The Red Cross was the only organization that was allowed to deliver food parcels and inquire about the condition of the POW inmates.

As per the Geneva Convention, they were also allowed to treat and

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care for the POW’s.

We had little food in the camp as you were only allowed a small portion of black bread and a cup of coffee in the morning. The coffee tasted awful as it was a substitute for real coffee and the black bread was said to have wood fiber in it. The second meal in the afternoon was soup – usually made with sauerkraut or sugar beets and sometimes a little meat was thrown in, which was believed to be horse meat. Also, once in a while, we were given boiled potatoes on the side. Needless to say, we were hungry

In memory of all our Veterans

We welcome community members to join us as we serve those who have served our country.

Call 250-286-6831 to inquire about a social membership.

Rachel Blaney

MP for North Island-Powell River Rachel.Blaney@parl.gc.ca 250-287-9388

Royal Canadian Legion #137 301-11 Avenue, Campbell River

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most of the time and often had hunger pains. But thanks to the Red Cross we were able to use some of the small amount of food we received to ease some of these pains.

We slept in bunk beds which had straw mattresses, which were hard and were full of lice, which infected our bodies with lice. Due to the straw, dirty clothes and blankets, you would receive very little seep because of the itching and the movement of the lice; they seemed to be more active during the night hours. We were deloused

with a hot shower and would have our body hair shaved off about once a month, but in a couple of days the lice would return as the bedding was infested.

In compliance with the Geneva Convention, the Germans separated the non-commissioned men from the officers, we were housed apart from each other with no communication between the two ranks. The officers did not have to work, but as I was not an officer I had to work. I remember digging graves (for the deceased prisoners) one day, it was cold and my right large toe started to freeze as my stockings had a hole in them. My toe was extremely sore for quite some time afterwards.

Two or three times a week we were taken by train (boxcars again) to Munich, which was about twenty miles from Moosburg Stalag 7A

(our concentration camp). We were split into work crews of about ten to fifteen prisoners. Our duties were to fill bomb craters by shovel and clean up debris that was left over after the Allied bombing raids on Munich. I remember one day cleaning up debris at the side of the Munich Beer Hall where the plot to kill Hitler occurred.

We had good days and bad days... depending on your guards, as some were worse than others. As a rule the younger guards were worse than the older guards, as the older guards would let you goof off on the side and barter with the civilians with cigarettes and chocolate for loaves of bread.

We would then place the bread under our uniforms and smuggle them back into camp upon our return.

However, sometimes the younger guards would search us and take the bread for themselves.

Every morning we would have to line up outside the hut and shout out our POW number so the Germans could get their body count. They were always checking to make sure every prisoner was accounted for.

Sometimes they would come into the hut at night with German police guard dogs (German Shepherds) and clear out the hut with the dogs just close enough to attack you. During this, the Germans would be yelling “rouse”, in which we run out of the hut.

They would then proceed to search everywhere for escape plans, maps, tunnels, etc. To this day, I hate the sight of a German Shepherd...

Not far from Stalag 7A the Dachau Death Camp and Crematoria was situated. I remember often seeing

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prisoners from Dachau being forced to do labor work. They were easy to identify as they wore white with black stripes; it was hard to see them as their guards were the S.S. camp guards. One day I saw a guard swing his rifle and hit a prisoner over the head...you would also, at times, hear gun shots.

I became sick and was admitted to the camp hospital with a very severe case of the mumps, which took a couple of weeks to recover from. After I left the hospital the food situation was grim and the Red Cross was unable to get the parcels into the prison camp. Due to this, they asked for a volunteer truck driver to go to Lake Constance, Switzerland under German guard to drive back trucks with the Red Cross parcels. I put my name in and was selected for this mission. We arrived in Switzerland, drove back with a Swiss Army officer as the co-driver of the truck and distributed the parcels of food throughout the camp. After I returned to the prison camp we had a shortwave radio hidden and were able to get the BBC news from England each night and follow how the war was going.

During the night time, we would see wave after wave of Allied bombers fly over, in which they would bomb

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Munich. We knew it was just a matter of time before we would be liberated.

We could see that the guards were becoming very agitated and we heard through our secret short-wave radio that the US Army was closing in on the camp.

On April 29, 1945 we could hear the shells and bombing, which lasted for only a few hours. Then General Patton’s 14th Armored and the 99th Infantry Division entered and secured the camp. I will never forget the sight of jubilation we all experienced.

In the afternoon, around 2 pm (14:00), a convoy of jeeps entered the camp with General Patton. He stood up in the back of a jeep and gave a short speech welcoming us back. He also stated he had the Germans on the run and was going to run them back as far as Russia. What a sight it was to see General Patton standing there with his two pearl handled revolvers as everyone cheered him on.

The American military police took over control of the camp and the next few days we were given food, but we had to go easy as starvation had shrunk our stomachs and found out it was hard to digest lots of food at one time.

We were interviewed as to what country and army we belonged to. As

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As we express our gratitude let us not forget – the highest appreciation is to do more than say the words… we must live by them.

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With gratitude and Thankful hearts We honour Our Veterans For all you have sacrificed For the Freedom We enjoy!

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Thank you to the veterans for their sacrifices.

I was part of the Canadian army, we were taken to a holding area outside of Munich in a German military barrack. Sometime later the US Air Force flew us back to Reims, France.

From France, we were flown to England as passengers on the British Lancaster bomber, which provided to be a thrill as we were allowed access to some parts of the plane. I remember sitting in the tail gunner’s position and looking down at the waters of the English Channel.

Upon our arrival to England, I was taken to a military hospital, which I spent about a month on a controlled diet with small amounts of food, so I could digest it properly and gain some weight back. After I was released I was assigned to a Canadian holding camp and was given a two week leave.

After my leave, when I returned to the camp I was selected with a group of twenty or so of former POW’s from other commonwealth countries to go to Buckingham Palace to a garden party. During this, we met King George, Queen Mary and the two princesses, Elizabeth and Mary.

This was an honor as we got to see the palace and talked with the King, Queen and Princesses. We were even served with ice cream, cookies and sweets!

I was then returned to Canada on the troop ship, Louis Pastor, landing in Halifax, ON. From here, we took the train to Montreal, QC and then returned home...

As a rule, former POW’s do not talk about their experiences. I am one of them and I have found it very stressful to go back and relate to this part of my life. I was one of the lucky ones and came out of this alive. I was asked two years ago by Commander Ellerton of the Royal Canadian Legion if I would write of my experiences during World War II and have done so as you’ve read.

I have written them as I remember

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and have finally put them out of my mind and to rest after all this time...

Remembering all those who fought for our freedom.

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Friday, November 8, 2019 B11

Garden of Remembrance

What better way is there to say thank you than with flowers?

Long a symbol of powerful emotions, flowers also play a role in reminding us of important moments in our history. Did you know, for example, that the daisy became a sign of resistance in the Netherlands during the Second World War? Or that Newfoundlanders wear forgetme-nots each July 1st in memory of those who fought and died at Beaumont-Hamel, France during the First World War’s Battle of the Somme?

What is a Garden of Remembrance, you ask? Whatever you want it to be! Virtual or real, at a local park or in your own backyard… let your imagination guide you!

And don’t forget to share links or post photos of your garden on the Facebook page - Canada Remembers!

Happy gardening!

We are asking Canadians to make remembrance more than something you feel. Make it something you do by planting a Garden of Remembrance!

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Plant a Garden of Remembrance in the shape of our Canada Remembers symbol.

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E - Cards

Show you remember all year and connect with your friends and family by sending an e-card. There are many themes to choose from.

To get started, go to www.veterans.gc.ca, select Remembrance, then Get Involved, then E-Cards, then select a theme below.

All Quality Foods stores are closed November 11, to allow all of our people the opportunity to observe Remembrance Day with their family, friends and neighbours.

www.campbellrivermirror.com