This past week I have spent much time thinking on Remembrance (or Armistice) Day as we old-timers will remember its former moniker and in particular its impact on me and my family over the years. It has been said that no family in this country was unaffected by any of the wars that our country has been involved in since confederation beginning with the Boer War 1899 - 1902 until this day and we should be extremely proud of our contributions in every one of those actions.
We "Parkers" ,especially, should be particularly proud of the officially unconfirmed title of having the greatest number of volunteers per capita of any community its size in the whole country for both WW 1 and WW11.
From my own perspective I had three uncles go overseas,two on my fathers side (his brothers, one who came home and one who did not) and one on my mothers side who returned safely. The uncle who did return was wounded at the battle for the Scheldt Estuary to open the waterway for the Allied supply ships to offload at the Port of Amsterdam and the uncle who did not return was killed only three months before the end of the war when the lead tank he was commanding was hit by a German 88 shell (one of the most deadly weapons of the war).
I understand that my father ,as the eldest in his family of 13 would have gone as well but was prevented by law from signing up as he was working for The Montreal Light, Heat and Power Company(later to become part of Hydro Quebec) because it was considered an essential service. In addition my mothers sister was a member of the womens auxiliary and my mothers father was a member of the home guard (WWII) and a WW1 survivor.My wife's family was in the same position ,having sent three members overseas with only two returning
I can also remember helping my Mom and Dad, although I was only a wee lad ,with the Victory Garden which they both operated in the empty lot next door to our house on Murray Ave for which they had to get permission from the GFPK town council) I also remember from back then the rationing on sugar and butter and gas to maintain supplies going over to support and feed the boys overseas. In addition, to maintain some control over the communications system people wishing to own a radio had to purchase a license which was renewable every year.I remember marching in the Armistice day parade in the "Park" during my years as a member of the local Cub Pack . I particularly remember almost getting run over by a military tank which was being off-loaded from a flatbed truck trailer to be part of a display for the Remembrance day ceremonies and it was only a shout from a nearby watcher who warned me just in time as the tank began to turn backwards in my direction.
I have attached a copy of an article from the Mtl Gazette of 2007 with a picture of my namesake Uncle John who did return to Holland to visit his brothers grave for the first time in 6o years even though they were fighting in different parts of Holland not too far apart. The uncle who did return ,the younger of the two(18 years old) stayed overseas for at least one year after the war ended as,in his words," he did not have the courage to face his mother as the only one who returned safely". His older brother who was killed was 23 years of age.
I have also attached a couple of articles which may be of interest to your readers. One in particular was a poem that was read at a ceremony at the Dutch cemetery that my Uncle John was attending by a young Dutch boy. John McConachie LEST WE FORGET PS just a little additional trivia for the column (1)George Lawrence Price of Falmouth NS is purportedly the last soldier of the British Empire to die during the first world War at 10: 58 0f Nov.11th,1918 (2) "Buzz" Beurling after whom Beurling Ave. in Verdun was named was the most successful Canadian Pilot of WW11 with 22 kills.(3) Billy Bishop of Owen Sound Ontario was the top allied war pilot of WW1 with 72 kills and (4)pilot Roy Brown of Carleton Place Ont. is credited with shooting down the Red Baron in 1916 ,all in addition to Guelph ON Col John McRae's "In Flanders Field"
Thanks John McC
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