My thoughts are dwelling this Remembrance Day weekend on relatives who fought in the last world war. In fact I am digging out articles, emails and pictures about my mother's brother, Dean Andrew, who served with the Royal Canadian Artillery as a Lance Bombadier. He was badly injured at Dunkirk when a grenade exploded under his truck seat, was captured by the Germans, and was lucky to be rescued and make it home alive. In 2005, less than a week before he died in Duncan BC, a Remembrance Day supplement was published in the Cowichan Valley Citizen which included Dean's WWII story (based on his daughter's transcripts of Deans own accounts of his war experiences) and photos provided by the family.
In 1940, four friends enlist together in St Eleanors, PEI. L to R: Wilf Mountain, Jack Squarebriggs, Dean Andrew and his cousin Ben Andrew.
In the article, Dean was described as "the serious one" based on this photo. His daughter sent me an email in 2006 in which she clarified: "I suspect Dad was the one who said whatever it was that made the others laugh, rather than being the serious one." In fact, Dean was known for his great storytelling talents and wonderful wit, which was usually accompanied by a delightful twinkle in his eye. He worked at crafting his storytelling art as an entertainment for himself and others. He was an expert at well-placed poignant pauses! His sense of personal dignity was also commented on by so many, including nurses who cared for him prior to his death.
Dean and George Andrew, PEI, c1941
Dean's oldest brother George also enlisted, perhaps at the same time as Dean, joining the Army Motorcycle Corp and attending Camp Borden in the Toronto area. As George and his family lived in Ontario after the war, and only visited their west coast relatives a very few times before George's death in 1976, I did not know him well at all. Unfortunately I know nothing else about his wartime experiences. What I do know, and what is evident from this picture taken on their parents' farm in North St Eleanors PEI before it was taken over for the air base, is that he was an outgoing people person, who loved to have fun and to occasionally play pranks on friends and family.
Another of Mom's brothers joined the Air Force, and although he was sidelined after a motorcycle accident on home turf and never made it overseas during the war, he later rejoined the Air Force and made it his career.
On a more general note, I am very glad to see an increasing number of military and war history programs and memoirs on the TV and on the internet, making previously unknown details and stories available. I am particularly taken by Canada's Memory Project site, with audio recordings sharing stories of WWII and the Korean War. There also seems to be a growing awareness in our community about the true nature of the sacrifices and contributions made by our soldiers, with displays and talks at our Provincial Museum this weekend as well as many Remembrance Day services at the various cenotaphs.
Another of Mom's brothers joined the Air Force, and although he was sidelined after a motorcycle accident on home turf and never made it overseas during the war, he later rejoined the Air Force and made it his career.
On a more general note, I am very glad to see an increasing number of military and war history programs and memoirs on the TV and on the internet, making previously unknown details and stories available. I am particularly taken by Canada's Memory Project site, with audio recordings sharing stories of WWII and the Korean War. There also seems to be a growing awareness in our community about the true nature of the sacrifices and contributions made by our soldiers, with displays and talks at our Provincial Museum this weekend as well as many Remembrance Day services at the various cenotaphs.
Two world wars coming only one generation apart not only irreversibly changed the world's balance of power, politics, economics, industry, technology and cultures, but they also had a profound impact on individuals, families, and friends in a very human way. Those who fought often had to tolerate almost inhuman conditions and atrocities, and if they weren't killed themselves, they likely witnessed senseless death and other horrors of war. Those who served in supporting capacities were also uprooted from their families, communities and jobs and experienced hardships as well. Even the folks back home had it hard, with food and supply shortages and the tole of missing or grieving loved ones. Some changed their careers to help fill vacancies. Social lives shifted, horizons spread geographically, and there was often less opportunity to meet a life partner with many away at war. The wars left trauma and massive change in their wake. We should not forget the sacrifices and the lessons learned.
I have almost finished reading a wonderful published war memoir entitled The Unwanted - Great War Letters from the Field by John McKendrick Hughes, and edited by his grandson John R Hughes. It offers first hand accounts of a Canadian Agricultural Officer stationed in France and Belgium in WWII. A copy was graciously sent to me by a cousin, who is distantly related to my Compton line through her father , and related to the author through her mother's family. This personal connection made me interested in reading it, then the content which recounted personal behind-the-scenes war experiences in context of the Canadian and Allied war effort made it an enjoyable and educational read. I recommend it!
I have almost finished reading a wonderful published war memoir entitled The Unwanted - Great War Letters from the Field by John McKendrick Hughes, and edited by his grandson John R Hughes. It offers first hand accounts of a Canadian Agricultural Officer stationed in France and Belgium in WWII. A copy was graciously sent to me by a cousin, who is distantly related to my Compton line through her father , and related to the author through her mother's family. This personal connection made me interested in reading it, then the content which recounted personal behind-the-scenes war experiences in context of the Canadian and Allied war effort made it an enjoyable and educational read. I recommend it!
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