听 听 听 听 听 听 The Canora Courier has always made it a priority to bring coverage of local veterans during the time leading up to Remembrance Day, but that priority is one that is becoming more difficult to accomplish. Though in the past, reporters have interviewed veterans of the two World Wars, as the decades go by, fewer and fewer veterans remain to share stories of war.
听听听听听听听听听听听 To continue to acknowledge the heroic individuals that once lived in the community and surrounding areas, and to pay tribute to their sacrifices during this solemn day in which we must remember the now thankfully long-passed time in which the world was gripped by war, the profiles of several veterans once interviewed for this paper are included.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Remembrance Day is a day to remember the service of many, but here are just a few brave souls to be acknowledged.
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Lloyd Elderkin was trained to kill or be killed
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听听听听听听听听听听听 Lloyd Elderkin was a young man in 1939 torn between a desire to be a patriotic citizen and a need to find a job in order to support his wife and child. He was able to fulfill both obligations by voluntarily joining the army and fighting for his country while 小蓝视频 paid $1 per day (and then $1.25 once he completed further training in Scotland) to send back home to his family.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The veteran from Canora fought overseas from 1943 to 1945, and though he was wounded twice, he always returned to action.
听听听听听听听听听听听 When interviewed in 1990, Elderkin said he was still struggling with the way the horror of what he went through was rationalized. Though a young man with a family should be looking towards the future, soldiers could only look to the present. He did not drink or smoke at the time he enlisted, but he learned quickly in order to self-medicate and suppress reality. Usual concerns for a rational person were laughed off as a soldier.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In one story, Elderkin described 小蓝视频 a No. 1 gunner in charge of a Vicker鈥檚 machine gun with the Saskatoon Light Infantry. When one of the two men he was with heard gunshots, he dismissed it as paranoia and ran into the open to show his Allied colours. Seconds later, they were struck by a 4.2 鈥渟tove pipe鈥� bomb, and Elderkin received wounds from shrapnel digging into his back and legs. Unfortunately, before passing out, he saw his other friends. One had been impaled in the chest while the other was decapitated.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Within two weeks, Elderkin was back on the front lines, stating that fighting for his country was hard, 鈥渂ut someone had to do it or we wouldn鈥檛 have a free country.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Elderkin stated his first taste of battle was overwhelming and filled with the sounds of gunfire, grenades, bombs and fighter planes. Fighting in the Pachino, Italy area, 562 Canadians were killed and Elderkin was among the 664 wounded. Shrapnel cut his chest, but he was treated on the field and continued fighting.
听听听听听听听听听听听 On the Adriatic coast, in the town of Ortona, Elderkin provided cover fire as the Canadian troops used the 鈥渕ouse-holing鈥� technique to push Germans back.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he idea was to capture a building, then blow a hole in the common wall between the basement of the captured building and the basement of the next鈥� clear out the enemy from the bottom to the top floor, then blow a hole through the common wall into the top floor of the next building and clear the enemy out from the top floor to the basement. The mouse-holing went on building by building, block by block, in ferocious fighting.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The soldier continually went back and forth between two weeks of battle and two weeks of rest, which led to an interesting life. He would often take part in bloody and gruesome battles, and then would be allowed to enjoy movies, go on tours, and attend social functions. Elderkin, like most of his comrades, had a reputation for living 鈥渉ard and fast鈥� because, Elderkin said, 鈥渢omorrow, your name could be on a little cross.鈥�
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War reminded Albert Cote that people who don鈥檛 get along with one another get hurt
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听听听听听听听听听听听 Albert Cote, a Cote band member and veteran of the Second World War, stated in his interview that the memories of the war still come back, and that the entire experience left a 鈥渟car in the mind that you can鈥檛 erase.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Originally reluctant to be interviewed on his time fighting in the war when asked in 1993, Cote begrudgingly agreed once informed that, according to Ovide Mercredi, a chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous veterans are often forgotten.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Cote had trouble explaining all that happened in the war due to his failing memory, but realized sharing his message would give readers an important message.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he war made me realize that we鈥檙e on the earth to try to get along. People who don鈥檛 get along with one another get hurt.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Cote was only 16 when he signed up as a soldier in the Canadian Army with Jim, his older brother. His father and step-father had served during the First World War, so he felt an obligation to give what he could to the cause. When talking about the 40 to 50 people from the Cote, Keeseekoose, and Key reserves who volunteered to serve, he said 鈥渢here were none better than the Canadian Indians.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Cote鈥檚 underage status was undetected as he passed his medical examination and was sent off to Dundurn, Ont. with the 1622nd Saskatchewan Light Horse detachment. In August 1943, after three years of training, he boarded a troop-carrier and spent the first winter in Scotland before 小蓝视频 transferred south to England.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In July 1944, a month after D-Day, his troop was ordered to land, and it was then that Cote saw combat for the first time. He was purposely vague with descriptions, unable to describe the battle as more than 鈥渁 terrible fight.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he first person I saw die was my sergeant. He had been sitting right next to me. He was blown in half. His last words were: 鈥楬ope you make it. Good luck.鈥� He said them to me.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 From then on until the end of the war, Cote fought on the front lines towards Paris, into Belgium, through Holland to Germany. He eventually went into what he supposes was shell-shock when two friends were killed and he was sent 20 miles from the front for a few days of rest.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here are many stories, but I鈥檇 like to let those sleep. They鈥檙e always with me, but I try to block them out. They still come back. I wouldn鈥檛 want to go through that again.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Cote attributes the war to 小蓝视频 what made him realize the value of human life, and that it was the fact that he prayed that he made it through without physical injuries. After returning home, he married and had 12 children, and his great-granddaughter kept him busy. In the 1960s he was elected chief, and held term for four years.
听听听听听听听听听听听 His message to all who take part in Remembrance Day was 鈥淩emember to love one another and pray this never happens again. People must get along, regardless of colour, religion or race. We must do the best we can. After all, we only come around once.鈥�
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World War tears many apart, but brings Ina and John Samuels together
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听听听听听听听听听听听 It took a world war to bring together a young rural Saskatchewan farm boy and a Scottish woman with a passion for dancing.
听听听听听听听听听听听 John Samuels was only 19 when he left Canora to join the army in 1942. He didn鈥檛 seem to have a specific reason to enlist, and simply said that everyone seemed to be doing it. He originally was determined to join the Navy, but when he found that there were only positions for cooks open, he began basic training in Vernon to join the infantry. He was then sent to Chilliwack to become an engineer. He learned how to build temporary bridges known as 鈥淏ailey鈥� and 鈥渂arrel鈥� bridges before leaving Halifax aboard the Queen Elizabeth with about 1,000 others in December of 1942.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Living in a war was still new to Samuels, who was still in training when he arrived in Scotland. He was on leave from some of his schooling in Glasgow when he decided to go to the Green鈥檚 Playhouse Cinema and Dance Hall, and it was there that he met Hughina (Ina) McKeller Anderson.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Anderson was a young teenager when war was declared in 1939, and had already settled into the reality. She was used to taking part in blackouts where electricity wasn鈥檛 to be used, 小蓝视频 issued gas masks, and following a curfew. She worked a variety of jobs geared towards the war, such as a waitress in a tearoom, an assembly line worker riveting airplane wings, and sewing waterproof garments for the Navy, but she had a love for ballroom dancing, and in her spare time would often go out to dance, which brought her to meet Samuels.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Samuels initially stole her table at the playhouse, and though initially offended, she was flattered when he asked her to dance. She quickly took him to meet her family, and her parents immediately approved, while her siblings were won over with candies. Within a week, they were engaged to be married.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Future plans were unfortunately put on hold as the 12th Field Company was ordered to support the forces in Italy. It was then that Samuels experienced his first real battles as he was shipped to Casino, Italy. He said he was initially awe-struck at the intense flashes from the artillery and explosions, which were so bright in the darkness that he could read a newspaper by them. Building his first bridge, however, Samuels saw the impact of battle and the bodies of dead soldiers on the battlefield, and the image still haunted him during the interview.
听听听听听听听听听听听 There was fighting almost every day, and the constant bullets whizzing by were 鈥渄emoralizing as hell鈥� to Samuels. Still, he completed his duties, including fixing roads, constructing signs, and even sweeping areas for land mines. Samuels was often instructed to carry a metal detector, and would find anything from shells to horseshoes, but while listening through the headphones, he couldn鈥檛 hear anything, including warnings from his unit members. Some incidents involved him turning to tell his coworkers that he鈥檇 found a bomb, only to see them under cover and ducking to join them before he could end up punctured by shrapnel.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Though Samuels was fortunate enough not to suffer any injuries, he saw many of his friends killed, and he finds it hard to think of Italy as a beautiful country when his memories are of cities devastated by heavy shelling. The distressed Italians often accused him of stealing from them, though he recalls other soldiers were stealing livestock or Italian wine.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The last bridge that Samuels took part in constructing was at the 鈥淏attle of the Bulge鈥� in Ardennes, Belgium in January 1945. He built the bridge over three days with no sleep and ended up hiding in a collapsible boat to sleep, only to wake up and find that a fist-sized piece of shrapnel had missed his head by inches.
听听听听听听听听听听听 For more than 18 months, Samuels kept in touch with Anderson through letters. She kept every letter she ever received from the Canadian soldier until Samuel got permission to take leave from the army and marry Anderson in April of 1945. Five days after returning from marriage leave, the war was over. In November, Samuels returned to Canora, and he was so happy to be home he milked six cows that evening.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The red tape of Canadian immigration wasn鈥檛 cleared for Anderson until March of 1946, when she was brought to Canora and experienced all kinds of culture shock. Being introduced to Saskatchewan was an experience her husband couldn鈥檛 have prepared her for.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 thought they spoke English over here.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Samuels continued farming for two years before beginning a construction company, while Anderson became the librarian at the Canora branch of the Parkland Regional Library. The two had a son, Charles Samuels, and a daughter, Glennis Stirling.
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David Dean flies 30 successful missions over Europe while never setting foot on European soil
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听听听听听听听听听听听 Part of a bomber鈥檚 crew that inflicted a grave punishment on Hitler鈥檚 armies, David Dean never set foot on the European mainland.
听听听听听听听听听听听 During his tour of duty in the Second World War, the Canora Beach resident was stationed in England. He was part of a seven-member crew that flew 30 bombing missions over France, Holland and Germany. Unlike their comrades on the ground, they were not exposed to death and devestation. Dean still clings to the sentiment that his crew was not out to kill, but to destroy munition dumps, factories, airfields and the artillery guns.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Growing up on a farm south of Rama, Dean was 25 years old when he received his draft notice in 1941. That particular draft was cancelled, but rather than wait for another one, he decided he would rather serve in the airforce than the army. Being the eldest member of the bombing crew when he began training in Brandon, he was affectionately known as 鈥楶appy.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 When Dean was sent overseas in 1942, he was stationed in Leeming, Yorkshire. Recalling when he first landed in England, he wondered why anyone ever left such a beautiful country. It wasn鈥檛 until he spent some time in England that he saw any of the damage of war.
听听听听听听听听听听听 His exposure to the bombing raids was so gradual that he can鈥檛 recall the first time. When the air raid sirens sounded and the men gathered in the bunkers, it was part of the mentality to make light of the situation.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e were young and it didn鈥檛 seem to bother us much,鈥� Dean said.
听听听听听听听听听听听 As many as 1,000 bombers left the bases and flew in loose formation for three or four hours. Initially, they were sent on a raid to Breast Penninsula, but en route, they were diverted to Husbands Bosworth in Germany. Each bomber carried about a dozen 1,000-pound bombs. As a target was picked out, the plane swooped below the rest, dropped its payload and then regained its place in the loose formation.
听听听听听听听听听听听 As the communication officer, Dean鈥檚 job was to maintain contact with the command post until the crew was assured the raid was a 鈥済o.鈥� Once in the area of the target, total radio silence was necessary. Dean often dropped balls of tinfoil through tubes to the exterior to confuse enemy radar.
听听听听听听听听听听听 By that stage in the war, the Allied forces owned the skies, he said. Very seldom were enemy fighter planes encountered and skilled fighter pilots avoided ground fire. Still, Dean recalls many times he reached for his parachute when enemies were on the plane鈥檚 tail, and as communications officer, he sometimes had to help cover a mission when another plane went down.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Whenever the bomber dropped a payload, cameras on the plane recorded the devastation below. When the chain of command considered a bombing mission very successful, each member of the crew received a 鈥渢arget token.鈥� These could be best compared to a certificate of merit.
听听听听听听听听听听听 During his 30 missions, Dean received three such certificates: one for hitting a factory in La Havre, France, one for planting bombs in the Oslow Fjord, and one for a direct hit on Calais, a seaport across the English Channel from Dover.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Life in the airforce was relatively good, Dean recalls. Unlike the ground forces, at the end of each mission, they returned to familiar surroundings.
听听听听听听听听听听听 His social life was hectic, and it was common to travel freely to neighbouring cities. Dean usually found himself riding a bicycle into the city. He liked to attend dances and visited quite a few according to the diary he kept at the time.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The pilot of his crew had a car and the pair often went sight-seeing or on social outings. They most often would visit movie theatres or pubs.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Having completed his 30th mission just prior to victory 小蓝视频 declared in Europe, he was allowed to go on a one-month leave and it was the first time that he returned home in almost three years. Arriving by train in Rama, he recalled the emotional reunion with his parents and younger brothers. He was the first of three brothers to return from the war, and within a few weeks, he was notified that with the war over in Europe, he would not have to return.
听听听听听听听听听听听 He worked briefly at the railroad station in Rama before buying a half section of land. In 1950, he married Doreen Story of Invermay and they farmed until 1987. They had five children, one of whom took over the family farm when the two retired and moved into a cabin at Canora Beach.
