11 Nov - Tell us about those you know who served.....

[1feral1]

You know with 11 Nov fast approaching, and with me being in the field for the next 3 wks, I won't be able to be on line unless I sneak into town.

I thought I'd start this thread as a memorial of those we know, or knew. My story is about one man, who's tragic loss affected so many, and who's loss inspired me to join the Militia back in 1976, and I joined up with a Unit, the Regina Rifles, who prepetuated the 28th Battalion of which Robert served and died with.

Who was he? Well he was my Great Uncle. His name was Robert Allen, and was known as Bob to all who knew him. He was born on 05 May 1895 in Marlbank, Ontario, and came out west to Saskatchewan with his family about 1910. They all settled in the Quill Lake district,and began to farm.

Bob had many interests, and had a passsion for fastball, and played on the local team throughout the spring and summers, competing against other towns such as Watson, and Wadena. He was also active socially within the community, and was overall well liked.

On 19th January 1916, he and others travelled about 30km by horse and cutter to nearby Wadena to enlist in the Army, as the local lads felt it was time to do their bit. Bob's Mum was heartbroken and truly reluctant in letting him go, but his Dad was proud that his son was off to do good for King and Empire, but like all parents was genuinely concerned about the fate of his son.

Bob had written to his cousin in Peel, Ontario, who was eager to join too, saying he'd be in before Bob. Both had actually enlisted a day apart. His name was Richard Marlin (775646 PTE, late of the 38th Ottawa Batt'n), who was later to be KIA at Vimy Ridge on 09 Apr 1917.

The local lads signed up with the 214th Batt'n Wadena Wildcats, and soon ended up at Camp Hughs, near where CFB Shilo now is. Bob made it home many times for leave before ending up in England in the spring of 1917, but when home, he charmed the local girls, and left for England a single 20 yr old man, with many of the locals he signed on with.

He left for the UK from Halifax, never to see his beloved Canada again. Before leaving he gave to his Mum, a few momentos, such as some hatbadges, and a .303 drill rd.

After enduring the boring training in England, 267104 PTE R.F. Allen was TOS'd by the 28th (Saskatchewan) Batt'n in Jul 1917, and ended up in France.

From 'somewhere in the field' Bob wrote many letters home, and sent postcards to many of his friends and family. Over the years, these momentos have been treasured and passed from one generation to the other. Bob was gutted to learn about the death of his close childhood friend and cousin, and mentioned this in a letter home.

Finally, the 28th Batt'n was to be involved in a big show in the Third Battle of Ypres, know as the battle of Passchendaele.The offensive began on Halloween, and the 28th Batt'n after rehursing were finally 'into the line' on the evening of the 5th, and advanced on the fringe of the village of Passchenadele before dawn on the morning of the 6th of Nov 1917.

The morning was cool and wet, but by mid day it was about 13C. Sometime early in the advance Bob was struck down by emeny fire (reports say SW and/or GSW), but either way he was hit badly in both legs and left arm. The septic soil of Belguim farmland had been forced into the wounds.

Bob was concious (I spoke to an old Vet in 1979 who was there with him when he was evac'd) as he layed on the stretcher, covered with mud soak bandages, and with MG08 and wizz bangs going off all around, he kept up his humour, joking about going home, and saying 'you can have your war lads, I am going home'. The enemy fire was fierce, and Bob was finally evac'd out of the line and ended up at No. 3 CCS, near Rouen, where he had both legs and left arm amputated, and was given morphia to settle him.

Bob sadly died of his wounds the next morning, and most likely succomed to an infection from the soil. He was buried near Poperinghe, at the Lijssenthoek Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Plot XXII, Grave IIA.

It should be known that Bob's Unit reached their objective before 0900, and HELD it until later releived.

His family soon heard the news, and was lost in grief as one would expect. So taken by the loss of his brother, my Grandfather, Alexander, named his first born son after him, and when my Uncle married, named his first born son after him also. Today Bob is remembered in stone at a memorial in front of the Quill Lake Legion, along with others who fell in both wars.

Bob was just 21 when he died. He never married, and had the chance to grow up, farm and have kids. He along with over 60,000 other Canadians were killed in the First World War, and out of that 60,000 men, over 11,000 have no known grave at all, and still rest where they fell.

Over 60,000 lives lost with over 60,000 individual stories,and grief striken families. Thats one helll of alot of lives and families, given the population of a very young Canada at the time. With losses so high, we cannot even phathom this, as look how we feel as a nation with recent losses of our soldiers in currrent conflicts. One life lost is to many.

Take the time to remember. Take the time to think about what ws going on, not so long ago.

Love your freedom? Thank at Vet, WW2 Vets are in their 80's now, and fought for something most of us take for granted. Its called Freedom. As of yesterday, Australia has only 5 survivors of the First World War.

Lest We Forget!


Wes

PS - About the pics: Here is Bob with his Mum and a local girl taken on leave from Camp Hughs, 1916.

The other is his CWGC grave, taken in 1987 on the 80th anniversary of his death. On his marker, the family, at his Mother's request had inscribed "He gave his life for others".

 

[Spr.Earl]

My Mother's father,my Grand Father was a Bosun and tried to go back to sea but was snaged by the Air Force and ended up in charge of Barrage Baloon's all because of his knowledge of winch's and steel wire rope.
Her died at the grand age of 95.

My Fathers father,my Grand Father was a Chief Engineer and survived the Atlantic and also the Murmansk Convoys.
He died after a blow back from a boiler and is buried in the Azores (in peace time).

 

[Shec]

A favorite family war story from WW2 recalls the time my Dad checked into an RCAF leave centre in London and discovered that,  coincidentally,  his brother was checked in there too.  Which was a nice surprise for both because Dad thought my Uncle was in Iceland and my Uncle thought my Dad was in Tunisia.

 

[Alex252]

Lt. Col LLoyd Cushing of the Royal Horse Canadian Artillery was in the Army ever since he was a boy. Around the age of 12, he joined the militia. He stayed with the militia untill war broke out in Europe, when his unit was activated for regular duty. As soon as Britain needed the Canadian gunners in the Battle of Britain he was rushed to England. For the next 4-5 years he shot at German bombers on the way to bomb London. A neat story happened one night while my grandfather was with fellow gunners. When ever the planes were out of the guns reach they would just take pot shots at the planes with their rifles/pistols. Well one night my grandfather hit the jackpot. He hit a plane using his pistol and actually maneged to bring it down. His name was mentioned in the local papers for this unusual experience. Around 44-45 my grandfather was sent to help out in Holland. He spent the last months of the war there near Appledorn I belive. After the war he stayed with the Army, rose to the rank of Lt. Col and went on to succesfully complete a few peacekeeping missions. He recieved many medals and had a few souvieneirs from the war/peacekeeping. Unfortunatelly I barley knew him, he died in 1993. 

 

[old soldier]

I must speak of my stepfather Ed (big Ed) Leahy, who served in Korea.
    He snuck away from home at age 16 to join the army but was caught lying and was sent home to my grandmother and a good whooping. The following year she could not hold him back and gave her blessing, with great anticipation.
    He spent two long years there and when he returned he did not talk much about his time there. It was not until I joined the reg force that he began to talk to me about his experiences. I feel real special because I was the only one in the family that he would talk to. You know "walk the walk...talk the talk" was something that he really believed in.
    A couple of the stories that he passed on to me.... the time he tried to shoot down an enemy plane from the top of his deuce and a half with a GPMG. The plane was chasing one of ours which was smoking from battle. He did not manage to shoot down the plane but only scared it off, good thing! The down side to this was the Canadian plane crashed just down the road and everyone was killed. He was sooo mad after all that they tried to do to help. He did say that it was funny afterwards when they thought about it....bouncing all over the canvas tarp of the truck trying to get aim at the plane, almost bounced off a couple of times. One guy shooting and two trying to hold him in place and on the truck. :threat:
    An other, this one really choked him and me up and that was his first kill. He was going over a hill and his unit met the enemy at the top, just a few yards apart. He told me that he came in line with a soldier and there was hestation by both but my stepfather realized as he put it "it was him or me and mom told to come home, so I shot him". The soldier that he shot was only a boy of 15 or 16.
    There were many other like shooting at sounds, shooting dogs thinking that they were soldiers but they were only trying to find food and burning a tanker full of fuel because it sank into the road going around a corner and the wrecker could not get out. The tanker fire and smoke drew artilary and air fire which almost got them killed by their own troops and they scattered for the hills leaving the packet sitting in the middle of the road for almost an hour and when they came back there was only three trucks left to carry 68 guys. Just a little tight for space.
    He has since passed away form cancer in 1992 but I will always cherish the time we had together and the long talks we had. In his will he left me his medals and other military para that he had collected and my mom had it all framed for me at his request. That has to be the greatest treasure besides the talks that he could have ever given me and I will always love him for that. ;D

 

[winchable]

Well the threads a bit old, but I am extremely proud of my family's service.

My two grandfathers, and my father all served for quite some time in their respective country's navys.

Firstly my grandfather on my mothers side, served in the 599 (?) Assault Squadron which landed at Normandy.
Unfortunately he's suffered over the years as a result of the service and does not talk a word about it so it's nearly impossible to find out his exact service, I am saddened by this because A)He's never really healed and worked things out and B)His stories will go untold and unrecorded. Though as near as I can figure out he was a landing craft operator and it does not take much to imagine that he would have seen firsthand some of the worst fighting in recent history.

My grandfather on my father's side served aboard the HMS Warspite in the Med and continued his career, eventually becoming an officer in the RN, long after the war.

My father enrolled at RMC in the 70's when the navy was wearing those lovely green things.
Served 25 years onboard ship teaching at the Engineering college in england, First Engineering Officer onboard the HMCS Halifax, the Patrol Frigate Detachment commander then upward until he'd had enough of...things.(Mostly being 'one of them' as he puts it)

No amazing stories, no heroics really, just men doing what they had to do.
Still quite proud though I have much research to do regarding specifics.

 

[Jonny Boy]

i have a couple of stories that i have been told.

the first story is about my great grandpa on my moms side. he was Pvt Chapman in the kings own Scottish borderer's. during the great war my great grandpas regiment was involved a large German offencive. it was reported that one of his Superior officers was panicing and freaking out yelling at all the soldiers to run away abandon your post, and surrender if necessary. he would not stop and my great grandpa went up to him and started to tell him that they needed to stay and hold their position because it was of strategical importance. his officer was still freaking out, so my great grandpa punched him in the face and knocked him out (i also think he took over but i am not certain) the regiment ended up staying and fighting off the advancing German army and they held the line all thanks to the heroic act of my great grandpa. my great grandpa was than put on charges of assaulting an officer but because of all the people that witnessed what had happend all the charges were dropped. After that battle Pvt Chapmans name was mentioned in dispatch papers. i still have the papers framed on display in my house. it is signed by sir winston Churchill himself. the papers have the date of the act as November 17 1917 i believe.   my mom was also told by 2 or 3 of her uncles that he was recommended for the victoria cross and was supposed to receive it. the only reason he did not get it was because at the end of the war he did not go sign his discharge papers, he just went strait home to be with his family. they considerd it AWOL i guess. he died some time in the 1970's in scotland  i have never seen his medals and i do not know what he was awarded.


the next story is of my papa on my moms side. He was a anti-aircraft gunner on merchant ships in the royal navy. i was also told that he was on one or two corvettes  my papa served all over the world during the war he has the africa, italy, 1939-45, and atlantic star. he fought germans anbd the japanese. i know that during his time in the navy when he was in the indian ocean he spotted a spy plane (i think it was japanese). my papa started to shoot at it and one of his seniors came running out and started yelling at him and saying that it was one of there planes and to stop shooting. the spy plane had than given the information to a submarine and the next day my papas ship was at the bottom of the indian ocean. that was 1 of the 2 ships that sunk that he had served on. i was also told that the life raft that he was one was at first filled with sailors but after 2 weeks of being lost at sea in the life raft he was the only survivor. all his best friends had died right beside him because they either went insane or drank the sea water.


i don't know to much about my great grandpa on my dads side from the 1st world war. i know he was a sgt when the war ended. he than moved to canada from scotland and joined the rcasc militia unit. he stayed in that till the end of the 2nd world wars and rose to the rank of chief warrant officer or RSM. When he retired he had several medals including the efficacy medal and the canadian centennial medal (1967) i have seen that fred topam has that medal as well.

i have one story of my grandpa on my dads side to. while my grandpa was training in england he had arived in a town that his dad (the RSM) was in. since he had not seen his dad in a couple of years he decided to go out and visit him one night. since my  grandpa didnt bother to tell anyone were he was going he was conciderd AWOL. when he arrived back to his base he was mached infront of his CO. the CO gave him 2 options a court martial or ED's for a long time. i think we all know what he took. becouse opf that incedent he never became a officer. he stayed a sgt. he was a flight engineer on halafaxes and lancasters.