Canadian Wendy 24 taking the summer off
“The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” Dwight D. Eisenhower - June 6, 1944, on the Normandy LandingsIframed MG_8881
We'll Meet Again - Vera Lynn- www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcunREYzNY
ODC theme - our parents war- www.flickr.com/groups/ourdailychallenge/discuss/721576325...
My Dad signed up when war broke out in Europe; he wanted to be a pilot along with his friend. My Dad took off his glasses & went down to the recruitment office to take the physical. They soon realized he couldn't see very well so his friend went on to be a pilot while my dad went on to be a Spitfire mechanic. I'm thankful, as pilot's didn`t last as long as the crew members, although he never lost a pilot. Before they went to Normandy DD1 they were asked who had driver's licenses only two put up their hands, one being my dad. At this point I asked "did those Canadian boys not drive much back then" he answered you learn never to volunteer anything in the air force, he just figured this must be a cushy job. So he was trained to drive submersible trucks off the landing boats. They had a terrible crossing with many sea sick, they all thought they were going to die & many did. He was driving his truck in the water to Juno beach, looked to his side & watched a truck go under. They never came back up, they had driven into a bomb crater. He was never knew if anyone in that truck had survived. They were given British ration packs before going which contained a bit of food & 2 squares of toilet paper!!! This was suppose to last a few weeks.
So from there they fought through France into Germany. Fought at Arnhem, many of you know it as the movie a bridge too far. Spent Christmas night 1944 pinned under the planes at the Battle of the Bulge. He went into Bergen-Belson concentration camp at the end of the war, that was something he could never forget.
I remember many of his stories he told over the years. I miss not hearing them now...he died a couple of years ago at the age of 87.
25/365: The 2013 Edition www.flickr.com/groups/3652013/
Thank you all so much for your visits, comments & favs, they are very much appreciated!!
“The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” Dwight D. Eisenhower - June 6, 1944, on the Normandy LandingsIframed MG_8881
We'll Meet Again - Vera Lynn- www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcunREYzNY
ODC theme - our parents war- www.flickr.com/groups/ourdailychallenge/discuss/721576325...
My Dad signed up when war broke out in Europe; he wanted to be a pilot along with his friend. My Dad took off his glasses & went down to the recruitment office to take the physical. They soon realized he couldn't see very well so his friend went on to be a pilot while my dad went on to be a Spitfire mechanic. I'm thankful, as pilot's didn`t last as long as the crew members, although he never lost a pilot. Before they went to Normandy DD1 they were asked who had driver's licenses only two put up their hands, one being my dad. At this point I asked "did those Canadian boys not drive much back then" he answered you learn never to volunteer anything in the air force, he just figured this must be a cushy job. So he was trained to drive submersible trucks off the landing boats. They had a terrible crossing with many sea sick, they all thought they were going to die & many did. He was driving his truck in the water to Juno beach, looked to his side & watched a truck go under. They never came back up, they had driven into a bomb crater. He was never knew if anyone in that truck had survived. They were given British ration packs before going which contained a bit of food & 2 squares of toilet paper!!! This was suppose to last a few weeks.
So from there they fought through France into Germany. Fought at Arnhem, many of you know it as the movie a bridge too far. Spent Christmas night 1944 pinned under the planes at the Battle of the Bulge. He went into Bergen-Belson concentration camp at the end of the war, that was something he could never forget.
I remember many of his stories he told over the years. I miss not hearing them now...he died a couple of years ago at the age of 87.
25/365: The 2013 Edition www.flickr.com/groups/3652013/
Thank you all so much for your visits, comments & favs, they are very much appreciated!!