T
timsandberg
Guest
My father, Martin Victor Sandberg was born near Coronation, Alberta on Sept 23, 1912. On Jan. 6, 1941, he enlisted in Edmonton as a Private in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. He trained at Camp Borden, Ontario, then got shipped overseas, where he seems to have spent about two years stationed at Brighton before being sent to Sicily and Italy. He served as a truck driver and mechanic with the First Canadian Armoured Brigade. According to one of his letters to his sister Verna Delvecchio, it sounds as though his main job was delivering fuel and ammunition to the front lines.
Martin spoke very little of his wartime experiences, and claimed not to remember 1943 and 1944, when he served in Sicily and Italy. He said he woke up in a Military Hospital in England in 1944 with little recollection of the previous two years. He met Gwen Whitten, and had two children, my half brother and sister, Mick and Val, by her during the years he spent overseas. Martin was discharged to return to civilian life on Sept. 26, 1945, and was decorated with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, the Italy Star, the France-Germany Star and the Defence Medal.
Martin and my mother met in about 1954 while they were both working as civilians at the former Jericho hangars in Vancouver. Martin spent the remainder of his life in Prince George and Vancouver, working as a carpenter, managing a ranch, or acting as watchman on logging operations. He died in Prince George on April 4, 1994. I would be very interested in making contact with anyone who knew my father during his wartime years.
Tim Sandberg
Calgary, Alberta
tsandberg@home.com
Martin spoke very little of his wartime experiences, and claimed not to remember 1943 and 1944, when he served in Sicily and Italy. He said he woke up in a Military Hospital in England in 1944 with little recollection of the previous two years. He met Gwen Whitten, and had two children, my half brother and sister, Mick and Val, by her during the years he spent overseas. Martin was discharged to return to civilian life on Sept. 26, 1945, and was decorated with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, the Italy Star, the France-Germany Star and the Defence Medal.
Martin and my mother met in about 1954 while they were both working as civilians at the former Jericho hangars in Vancouver. Martin spent the remainder of his life in Prince George and Vancouver, working as a carpenter, managing a ranch, or acting as watchman on logging operations. He died in Prince George on April 4, 1994. I would be very interested in making contact with anyone who knew my father during his wartime years.
Tim Sandberg
Calgary, Alberta
tsandberg@home.com
