Click Here To Go To Part One
Home
Click Here
To Go To
Part Two
Home
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| At Gordon Head we were interviewed, given a cursory medical examination, and declared fit to travel. I was amused a few years ago, when I received a copy of my documents from Ottawa, to learn that one of the interviewers had scribbled a note to the effect that I would not likely amount to anything.I would like to compare notes with him now! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Five days after arriving in Victoria, we were loaded aboard a special train and sent off east. Someone had painted the words, "Hong Kong Special" on the side of the cars. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After stopping to let ex-POWs off along the way, the Hong Kong Special terminated at Park Extension Station in Montreal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montreal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Park Extension Station was crowded with people who came to welcome us. On the platform I immediately spotted two friends who had been in the war in Europe and who had recently arrived back home. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The first night after I arrived, a group of us went to the Diana Grill on the corner of Peel and Ste. Catherine streets and raised a rumpus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What the war had done to us! Here we were, five young men from the New Richmond-Grand Cascapedia area, three who had served in England and Europe, who had seen the terror and devastation of the war on the continent, and the bombing and destruction of cities in England, one who had been in the Merchant Marine, ferrying supplies and men to England, while dodging German torpedoes, and myself, just back from Japanese prison camps, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It has caused me to wonder what may have happened to us five and other thousands of young men and women, if the war had not come along. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For myself, I think that I may not had the inspiration to go back to school and earn something of a formal education. I may not have had the opportunity to lead a full and satisfying life as an educator, instead of pursuing some mundane and dead-end job, a destiny I was otherwise headed for. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 41 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| So, did the war help me? In that sense it did. In spite of the horrors and deprivation, the endless days of languishing behind barbed wire, the hunger, the disease, the insurmountable hopelessness, the waiting and longing; the outcome for me was a change of direction in my life and a chance to do something better. For that I am grateful. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 44 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 45 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carousing in Montreal while waiting on bureaucracy was enough to make me anxious to see the folks at home, the ones I had left so abruptly just before Christmas in 1940 after my sick leave. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 48 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 49 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arnold Ross and I had overstayed our time in Montreal, and thus had missed the free ride home.We somehow got to Quebec City with all our gear. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Photo Gallery | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I had my "liberated" Samurai sword strapped to my belt and what was left of a sixty-carton case of Camel cigarettes, purchased on the Hugh Rodney, slung over my shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Click Here To Go To Part One Home |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not knowing that the Quebec Army Headquarters had been moved from the Citadel in Quebec City, we headed up the hill to get a railway pass for the trip home. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By that time it was evening, and not much was stirring at the Citadel. We found an officer, God bless him, who scurried around, telephoned, and searched, and finally got authorization to write passes for us to board the train at Levis at midnight. Arnold offered him a drink from a bottle of rye that he was carrying under his tunic! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Click Here To Go To Part Two Home |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arnold, John St.Onge, and I got off the train in Campbellton the next morning to be met by my father and my brother, and an old friend from boyhood days. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home at last! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When we arrived at our house, Mother was standing in the doorway, sixty years old, looking pink and healthy. A tearful reunion!. Strangely, I don't remember very much about it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Links | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On reflection, I don't think I exhibited much emotion of any kind. Had I become hard and unfeeling? What had prison camp done to me? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At any rate, I had come home. It was October 16, 1945, four years less four days since I had been home on embarcation leave. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Now what to do? There were parties a-plenty, almost every night, everyone celebrating the end of the war, and each day welcoming late homecomers from Europe and elsewhere. The rest of the 1945 autumn passed in a haze. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please mail me | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please View My Guestbook | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||