I never knew what war was like until this day. Many of my friends were sent out to assist the Canadian Navy vessels in Northern Ireland in the Battle of the Atlantic. I heard about it back when I was training on HMCS Conestoga in Galt, Ontario; after all, the battle had been going on for a couple of years until I was finally sent to serve in Newfoundland. As the Germans started to use U-boat wolf packs to attack convoys in the mid-Atlantic, it was evident that they would need to free shore-based sailors and that is where Wrens had their time to shine. Boy was it a whole different scene. Our ship, the HMCS Weyburn, was a corvette vessel and its job was to provide convoy escort between Newfoundland and Britain. It was a very difficult task. Captain James Sawyer praised me and a few other Wrens for our skills in communication and intelligence operators. Women were never permitted to serve on board of ships but I did get a chance to work in cooperation with Captain Sawyer. After the war ended, I remember him telling me that over 7000 women served in the Royal Canadian Navy, and their determination was inspiring and significant in the victory for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic. Do you remember important battles that happened during the war? How did you contribute to them and how has it impacted your life to this day?Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Remembering Battle
I never knew what war was like until this day. Many of my friends were sent out to assist the Canadian Navy vessels in Northern Ireland in the Battle of the Atlantic. I heard about it back when I was training on HMCS Conestoga in Galt, Ontario; after all, the battle had been going on for a couple of years until I was finally sent to serve in Newfoundland. As the Germans started to use U-boat wolf packs to attack convoys in the mid-Atlantic, it was evident that they would need to free shore-based sailors and that is where Wrens had their time to shine. Boy was it a whole different scene. Our ship, the HMCS Weyburn, was a corvette vessel and its job was to provide convoy escort between Newfoundland and Britain. It was a very difficult task. Captain James Sawyer praised me and a few other Wrens for our skills in communication and intelligence operators. Women were never permitted to serve on board of ships but I did get a chance to work in cooperation with Captain Sawyer. After the war ended, I remember him telling me that over 7000 women served in the Royal Canadian Navy, and their determination was inspiring and significant in the victory for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic. Do you remember important battles that happened during the war? How did you contribute to them and how has it impacted your life to this day?
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As a nursing sister, I could say that thankfully I never had to be on the battle field carrying heavy artillery and being scared for my life each second. Being a nursing sister might not have been so risky but the other risks we had to face were just as scary as any soldier’s. I remember serving in Cantainia, Sicily in the hospitals at the front lines of the battle field. I had to wear a battle dress, backpack and steel helmet. Strangers walking by would seriously not be able to distinguish me from another soldier unless they saw the red cross arm band or took the time to notice I wasn’t carrying weapons. As I was helping a wounded soldier in the hospital, suddenly a bomb fell right through the roof and I had to evacuate quickly for safety. My heart was pounding fast, at that time I finally understood how soldiers felt when guns were being fired at them. Luckily the steel helmet and battle dress actually protected me and I only received a broken leg for a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteBesides being under attack by weapons or bombs, I also consider saving people a “battle” for me. I remember when I was in Hong Kong with the Canadian troops who were defending the city from attack, the amount of men I had to perform surgery on each day was a battle right there. The pressure was great, these men were not very experienced in war and when they got hit by a gun for the first time, their bodies were not strong enough to cope with the pain. I also had to perform surgeries quickly under the stress of not having enough medical supplies! The men were also very young and I had to act like a mother and try to comfort them and calm them down when deep inside I was panicking and crying out for help too! Those few months at Hong Kong were a great battle for me. I am sure everyone that was part of this war had their own battles even though it might not have been on the actual battle field. The war was stressful and I am just glad it is over now!
Fortunately for me and for my family, we never had to experience the wreckage and devastation of battle. Each day, there would be news reported back to us of Canadian losses and progress. It was never a happy day on the home front when news that hundreds, even thousands, of soldiers at battle had lost their lives. Few women outwardly showed their sadness, but inside, we were all feeling the pain and sorrow that comes from loss.
ReplyDeleteI do commend all of those people who risked their lives to fight for the nation so that we could have better lives. Someone had to prevent the German bullies from taking over the world, and unlike many wars that are fought on behalf of imperialism and of a false sense of what is important, this war was fought for a just cause. Every soldier that died did so unforgotten and appreciated by the world.
I was never called into the front lines of battle, but the main responsibly I faced was training others that actually fought in battle. I was called overseas to Yorkshire, England thinking that I would be fighting but luckily I only helped to train men fight in battle. I was fortunate that I never went directly into battle, since I had a lot to live for. Being only 25 years of age, I left my loved ones at home and still had to find a husband to marry.
ReplyDeleteIt was difficult training fellow soldiers since I knew a majority of them would end up dying. This was the risk of going into battle though. Canadian citizens enlisted to be part of the war effort, knowing that at any time, your life could be taken away. To be honest, I was gracious that I never experienced battle, since hundreds, even thousands soldiers died daily. Dead soldiers will never be forgotten and all Canadians are appreciative for their contributions.
I was never part of that kind of a battle either. I was never in the front line, never on a ship, never in a combat situation.
ReplyDeleteI will never, ever forget the battles of the war - especially the Battle of Hong Kong, in which so many Canadian soldiers were killed. Sent to their deaths...Just like that.
I guess you could say I fought my own battles on a much smaller scale, but, in my opinion, of equal importance. There were battles against time as I raced in my ambulance to get a critically wounded man to hospital, or clearing the rubble off some poor family. There were battles with oneself - mentally, trying to stay focused and calm while under huge amounts of pressure.
But my sacrifices were nothing compared to those of the soldiers who gave their lives in battle for the war. RCAF G.Rossi is right - they shall never be forgotten, and all Canadians are thankful for what they have done.
I never contributed to an actual battle. I may have helped our forces from behind the scenes, but I was never in the fray myself.
ReplyDeleteI must say, hearing about your first experiences of war really did bring a smile to my face. It brought back memories of my greenhorn days. Life seemed so much more pleasant in those days...
I am glad though, that this is all you were forced to endure in the war. I am not at all trying to say it was any less terrifying, but some of us are still traumatized heavily by that which we had to go through and it was considerably worse than this.