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My name is Robert Bradstock, and I was twelve years old when the war broke out. I went to sea in 1941 when I was fourteen and a half on the Estovan, which is a lighthouse and buoy tender off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Wasn’t considered a war time area at that time, until… during the ten months I was on the Estovan, they shelled Estavan Point lighthouse. And it was a submarine - they found the shells afterwards, and had identified it as a Japanese submarine. Actually, we were up in that night, and they sent us out to find the submarine. And thank God we didn’t find it, because we had a twelve inch deck gun, and half a dozen DEMS gunners. DEMS is Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships - they’re naval reserve gunners. And so it became a war zone then, and I joined a ship from the manning pool - the Mount Douglas Park. And the second trip out our coal hole caught fire, and we burned for the week or a week and a half or so, I forget now exactly - it’s a long time ago. But the coal just smoldered, as slack coal will, because that’s what we burned. And we had a heck of a time putting it out because it just smoldered, and there was ammunition in the holes forward, boiler room was aft of the bunkers. So it was a pretty hot time there for a little while.

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My name is Pat Hearns, and I live in London, Ontario. I belong to the Alderville - Mississaugas of Alderville Indian reserve. My status and my band membership came from my husband Sam, whom I married in England in 1953.

I served in the Women’s Royal Air Force Provost Police. Most of our work consisted of patrolling the London streets, making sure that our people were dressed properly, and were not rowdy and drunk and whatever, and charging them if they were.

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My name is Master Warrant Officer Chris Young. I’m Detachment Commander in Petawawa for Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment. My area of responsibility is Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut for all first, second and limited third line cable maintenance for the Canadian Forces and the Federal Government. I joined the Canadian Forces on the 24th of March 1976 in Little Current, Ontario. My mother is full Ojibway. My father is also full Ojibway, and they are from the Birch Island Reserve.

Being involved with the Communications/Electronics Branch I’m a Lineman, which is responsible for telephone, cable and antennas for the Canadian Forces. Throughout my career I’ve enjoyed various facets. I’ve traveled many places. Did UN tours in Egypt, a year in Cyprus, a year in the Golan Heights, four months in Lebanon, a tour with 4 Brigade in Germany, and put in various secure systems in embassies and high commissions around the world.

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My name is Daniel Rivers, and I’m from Manitoulin Island, and I want to talk about my Dad. My Dad’s name was Joseph Andrew Rivers. He was with the Manitoba Dragoons, and he enlisted in 1943, discharged in ‘46.

The stories that I know about my dad was… another Veteran told me about him, and he was a buddy of my dad. This man, Frank is still alive. He’s somewhere down south. And he told me about when he and my dad used to guard this bridge. One evening, there was a full moon, and my dad told Frank, “Well, we’d better move.” Frank said, “Why?” “There’s a full moon and they can see the bridge.” So my dad and Frank moved about a half a mile. Not long after that, the Germans blew the bridge.

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My name is Dasia Nebeoniquit. My regimental number was B102626. I enlisted in Sudbury. I joined up with the old Sudbury Regiment. Sault-Ste. Marie Sudbury Regiment - that’s what the regiment was called at that time. When I got to Camp Borden in 1940 I didn’t know much about anything to tell you the truth. I didn’t go to school - I went to school for a few years, that’s about all

I went overseas in 1940, and I came back in 1946. Most of the time was in England, and here and there. I stayed for army of occupation force for about a year after the war was over. I volunteered to stay there. They were friendly after the war was over. They didn’t like to mention their war or anything like that. I got talking to the people, and they told me - they said that if there was another war, we wouldn’t fight against each other anymore. We’ll fight side by side together. We didn’t want to die either, so we had to do what we were told.

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My name is Samuel Hearns. I was born on the Alderville reservation, southeast of Toronto.

When the Korean War broke out, I decided that was the time for me to leave. I joined the army in Kingston, Ontario, on May the 28th, 1951, and everything was all filled up so they asked me if I would like to join the 1st Infantry Brigade that was going to Germany in 1951.

In those three years that I was in Germany, I used to go on holidays, or leave, and go to England, and I met my wife in England. In the fall of ‘52 we got married in England. I came back to Canada and she came behind me. Within a few months, she joined me in Canada.

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My name is June Barron and it was June Clarke. I was in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps for 23
years and retired with the rank of Major. I had service all across Canada in our various hospitals, big and small. And my one overseas service was in Korea.

I had a six-month posting in Korea to Number 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station. And we called it the FDS which formed part of the United Nations Forces. The FDS was situated 20 miles north of the capitol city of Seoul near the small village of Tokchong - T - O- K- C- H - O - N - G. It was on the main supply route for the Armed Forces and only 15 miles south of the front lines. The hospital treated servicemen with fractures, multi-burns, appendicitis, circumcisions, facial repairs, amputees and chest sucking wounds.

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