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Saturday 11 November 2017

Remembrance 2017

Four years ago today I started my blog. I began with the stories of friends and family related to the military, war and service. In the years since then, some of the people I wrote about have died. Today, I post an updated version of that first blog. 

Lest We Forget

We begin our journey in the colony of Newfoundland.

His name was Edgar Moulton and he was from Burgeo, a small fishing village on the southwest coast of the island. While today it is connected by road to the rest of the island, in Edgar's day, Burgeo was  accessible only by boat. Edgar's father was a fish merchant in Burgeo and while we don't know the exact details of his life, we do know that his family had money compared to many Newfoundlanders. It is likely that Edgar could have continued to work in the family business and never have gone to war. Why did he join the Newfoundland Regiment in the spring of 1916 to fight in Europe? Edgar was widowed and had a young daughter. He died from a battle injury one hundred years ago on November 22nd at the age of thirty-two. He was my husband's great great uncle. 



Edgar's daughter moved to mainland Canada and eventually married. Edgar's granddaughter and her family live in Florida today. They searched for information about Edgar so they could remember too.

When World War ll started, Newfoundland, on the far east coast of North America, became a hub of Allied activity. The Newfoundland government allowed Canadian troops into St. John's where a naval base was also established. Gander became the center for military flights. If Newfoundland was taken by the Germans, the east coast of Canada would be vulnerable. Then in 1941, the United States established air, naval and army bases on the island, with the Army base in St. John's. Consequently there were many military personnel stationed in St. John's or in port for various reasons. Thankfully for their future families, many Newfoundland women met their spouses at that time.

My two Aunt's, Muriel and Angela Pretty, married service men from the Second World War.  Muriel married Wilfred Sauriol, from Ontario.  He served in the Canadian Navy 



and met Muriel when he was in port in St. John's, where she grew up. Wilfred, called Babe by his family and friends, was prone to extreme sea sickness and spent time in sick bay as his ship traversed the North Atlantic. Having experienced one extreme though brief bout of sea sickness myself, I can't imagine what it would be like to be sea sick day after day while worrying if you would be torpedoed.   

My Aunt Angela married Alex Woodford, a young man from St. John's, who served overseas. He and Angela raised their two sons, Donald and Ian, in St. John's. My cousin, Donald, wrote about his dad's service.

"He went overseas with the Royal Navy when he was 17. He tried to go when he was 16 but (of course) my grandfather (who had experienced war in WW1) would not give his permission. He was over there for the entire war and came home in 1945. Among other things he was on HMS Ramilies (an old WW1 battleship) when it was torpedoed in Madagascar harbour. The torpedo punched a hole on the ship but (luckily) did not explode.  She was towed to Cape Town, South Africa where the RN had a dry dock. I think he really enjoyed his stay (about a month..I think) in Cape Town. While he was very homesick (at times) he always spoke fondly of his time in the Navy."

My grandfather's brother, Fred and his wife, Jessie Pretty, also lived in St. John's at this time. They had twin girls, Olive and Jennie and a boy, Fred. The girls met military men as well.

Olive married American, John Atfield, an army man, the same day as her sister, Jennie, married a Canadian navy man, Larry Gabel. John was an anti-aircraft gunner with Battery D, 24 Artillery.  John and Olive had one daughter, Patti. They eventually moved to Australia with Patti and her husband Chris. John and Olive are both gone now, but their spirits live on through their cherished daughter.



At the same time, in England, my son-in-law's great grand grandmother was working in a munitions factory while her husband fought in Europe. He died in the war. The great grandmother, Elizabeth, died recently at 99 years old.

While Elizabeth was working in England, our friends, Hiltrud and Carlo were children in Germany.  They were crouched in cellars in Berlin as bombs dropped around them. One of Hiltrud's earliest memories is of one such cellar in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, when she was six years old, near the end of the war. The row houses were made of stone and each had a cellar. She was in one of them with her parents and brother while the bombs fell all around them. When they exited in the morning, the other houses had been destroyed. There were still cracking sounds and bursts of light, all that her child's senses could take in at the time.

While the Pretty girls were growing up in St. John's, a great nephew to Edgar Moulton was born in Port aux Basques and raised in Corner Brook. His name was Richard Mercer. 



He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1950. By 1952, when he was twenty-two, Dick, as he was known to his friends and family, was fighting in Korea. He lost some of his friends during the year he was there but he survived and made the military his career. Dick spent six months as a United Nations Peacekeeper in Cypress as well. 

Dick retired as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1984 after having received:

The Korean Volunteer Medal
The Korean Medal
The United Nations Service Medal
The United Nations Cypress Medal
The Long Service Medal

More recently he received the Queen Elizabeth ll Jubilee Medal. 

Dick and his first wife, Marie, had three children, Lori, Richard and David. They had two grandchildren.

Dick and his wife Doris lived in Osgoode, Ontario.  They had three children, Sylvia, Trevor and Keith, and five grandchildren. Dick died last year.



It is interesting that now, living in Prince Edward Island, we have met another Korean veteran who is originally from Grand Falls, Newfoundland where my husband and I lived for many years.

The last story has a more recent connection but is based in the Second World War. Several years before my father, Samuel Pretty, died in 1986, he responded to a Letter to the Editor in a local paper.  The letter was from a man who had served in the British Navy. His ship was torpedoed and he was rescued from a lifeboat and taken to port in St. John's. This man, Al Manning, had been in the Knights of Columbus Hall at a dance in December 1942 when the building caught fire. Ninety-nine people died and the last one saved was Al. He was on fire and got to the door where one of the fireman extinguished the blaze. He survived against all odds. Al had moved to New Zealand, married and had his family there, two girls and their families.

After Dad's death, Mom kept in touch with Al. She eventually saw another article about that fire and the fireman who may have saved Al. His name was Spike Arnott. Mom helped the two find each other again. They wrote letters and eventually talked on the phone. It was an emotional experience for the two men, now long since deceased.

This article by Rob Antle is from The Express, a St. John's newspaper. I cannot find a reference to the year. It showed my mother who reunited the firefighter with the man he saved.



This was the fireman, Spike Arnott, who saved Al Manning from the Knights of Columbus fire.



In more recent times, Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan ended in 2011. We lost many good people there including our first female combat officer, Nicola Goddard. Many of those who returned suffer from the trauma of battle. We can never repay them for the service and the sacrifice they made. However, we must provide support, services and funds to support them with dignity and respect. 

It is impossible for those of us who haven't been there to understand the experience of war. However it is possible to know what was risked by those who were there. The possibilities that they wouldn't come home, or would be maimed, were a constant threat. They risked the opportunity to marry, raise a family and see grandchildren. Some of the best years of their youth were spent in the worst conditions in the various branches of the Service, on the sea, in the air or dug into fox holes in the sides of hills or in fields. Many paid the ultimate price. 

This doesn't include the civilian cost.

There is a song called "The Dutchman" by Michael Peter Smith that captures a bit of the cost of war.  I like the rendition by Makem and Clancy. 


We are Margaret.



49 comments:

DJan said...

Thank you for this beautiful and poignant remembrance, Marie. I am mesmerized by the picture of Dick Mercer. What a handsome man, with eyes filled with compassion. And thank you for the remembrance of all the other members of your family, near and far. I am very moved. Lest we forget, indeed.

Catarina said...

Beautiful and moving post, Marie.
This is a day to remember and to embrace peace.

Anvilcloud said...

You have a very thorough record, and you tie all of the strands together very well.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Very moving remembrances, the tragedy being that almost every family suffered some losses; you only have to travel around England to see that even the smallest most remote hamlet will have a list of several dead on the war memorial. Incidentally there never was any central government planning to erect all these memorials; every village and town in the land felt compelled to remember the dead and organised the memorials themselves.

Joanne Noragon said...

I read, fascinated by your compilation of history. Then Tommy and Liam brought a flood. They sang so many anti-war songs, and threaded danger themselves, taking their concerts and message around Ireland.
My husband's family goes back to the Revolutionary War. My last name is the current spelling of one of George's Hessian soldiers who didn't go home. My father's grandfather and several brothers fought in the Civil War here. Only my great grandfather survived. My father was Army, between the Great Wars. My Uncle served in WWII. My brother in Vietnam.The names of many classmates are on the Wall in DC. War must end. I hope we can be the ones.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Great post. Lest We Forget.

Elephant's Child said...

Lest we forget.
A beautiful, poignant post.

Mage said...

Thank you so very much for these portraits. A wonderful history.

Rick (Ratty) said...

Very interesting stuff. I love studying history, especially my family's place in it. I recently traced parts of my family back several hundred years.

Barbara said...

Lovey story. My Dad was a marine at Iwo Jima. He loved his service days even though he was shot and pulled to safety by a man who was shot dead doing so.

Ginnie said...

Doesn't the time just whip by? I think I found you, or you found me, thru AC's blog. I am so happy because I love to read your interesting posts and this catches me up. I think I told you that a niece of mine lived for 3 or 4 years in Newfoundland back around 1970. She could relate to a lot of what you wrote.

Tomoko said...

It is a beautiful family. They worked so hard, leaving many feelings behind.
As your blog friend, Elephant's child, writes here, this is beautiful and poignant.
My sister’s husband passed away in July, and now my husband’s younger brother succumbs to bedridden because of his stroke in September. I have been feeling empty.I had to tears.
Wonderful day to you and your family.

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

What a beautifully powerful group of stories you have woven together here Marie. Such incredible stories and great unselfishness by so many. How wonderful that you have researched your family history and presented it here. Such a wonderful thing your mother did for those two men too! Such a price has been paid for our freedom, thank you for sharing your heartfelt words in memorial today :)

Bill said...

A very moving post Marie. Thank you for sharing these stories.

Silver in AZ said...

Great stories, Marie! Thanks for sharing!

Rhodesia said...

Very moving post. A date that will not be forgotten ever in France either. Diane

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Hi Marie, gosh what a wonderful post. It breaks my heart every time I think of all those brave young men, and women too, who went off to fight and never came back.. if only we really had learnt something from it 😑

Marie Smith said...

We all appear to have someone who served, Jan. As I know you did too. We owe them so much.

Marie Smith said...

Peace indeed, Catarina.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, AC.

Marie Smith said...

It is the same across Canada, John. Every little community has a memorial.

Marie Smith said...

Your family has such a proud military history, Joanne. Service was important to them. No wonder you have such a drive to resolve issues for yourself and others. It is genetic with you. You take action rather than ignore a problem.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, EC.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, Mage.

Marie Smith said...

I find it exciting to discover ancestors. Such a great find for you, Ratty.

Marie Smith said...

I wonder was it hard for your father to come to terms with his own survival when his rescurer died, Barbara. How fortunate your dad was! And his family too.

Marie Smith said...

We connected several years ago, Ginnie. I forget how exactly. Timeflies!

Marie Smith said...

Oh Tomoko. Your family has had a difficult second part of this year. I hope your husband’s brother responds well to treatment and that your sister is doing a bit better now. Life presents so many challenges! Take care!

Marie Smith said...

The two men mom reunited both needed that talk they had, Marilyn. The firefighter didn’t know if the man with the terrible burns survived. The burn victim wanted to thank the other for his life, family etc. such a simple thing to enable but so powerful and important.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, Bill.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, SW.

Marie Smith said...

I imagine there are millions of such stories in France, Diane.

Marie Smith said...

I know PDP. Imagine what good could be done in the world if people weren’t in conflict all the time.

jenny_o said...

Very interesting set of stories of your family and others. I think about all the lives that were indelibly changed by wars and conflicts. Amazing stories of bravery and stoicism and luck both good and bad. And it's always good to hear stories of those separated by years and circumstance finding each other again, to the benefit of both.

Stewart M said...

Great set of stories - and for that we promise not to forget, we keep sending young people into harms way for reasons that are not always clear or honourable. The young people remain some of the best we have - but are leaders are cut from a different cloth.

Stewart M - Melbourne

Marie Smith said...

So much suffering from war, Jenny. When will we ever learn?

Marie Smith said...

I saw a report to the U.N. which said world hunger can’t be solved until we stop the global conflict. Such a sad realization!

Debbie said...

i am so glad that we have special days to remember these extraordinary veterans!! nice stories!!

Down by the sea said...

A wonderful post, it is amazing that so many joined up despite living so far away from the troubles. The music was lovely too thanks for sharing and congratulations on your 4th Anniversary. It is always wonderful to visit you and find out so much about where you live. Sarah x

Shammickite said...

A grand tale of family, and you tell it so well. And these tales need to be told. We have to remember. It's so important.

Marie Smith said...

Such days give us a chance to show our appreciation and with a prayer for peace, Debbie.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, Sarah. Fighting for King and country was important to Newfoundlanders.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, Shammi. There are so many stories which need to be told.

Jenn said...

Such amazing history we all have if we look. Great stories and photos, memories and stories will continue to live on.

Marie Smith said...

We have to keep our stories alive, Jenn!

baili said...

wow these stories were so touching dear Marie!
thank you for sharing them.

it seems that your great grand uncles were greatly attracted by army.
Your family's patriotic feelings made them join army and serve the nation as i think Edgar had strong family ground and he had no need to risk his life in hard circumstances still he loved to joined the force.

I know less about sea sickness though i know throw readings that people who sail lot face such illnesses.
Richard sounded Wonderful army officer who have won so many medals and awards!

your dear mom did amazing job by reuniting two men who were had connection of same emotions through horrible yet touching experience .
i am glad i did not miss this wonderful post my friend!

Marie Smith said...

Thank you for visiting, Baili.

Patriotism is a shared human feeling! It brings our young people into harm’s way sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Hi Marie
You have some very interesting family history on Dick Mercer. however, it is incomplete. I would like to e-mail you personally, but I can not find a way to contact you, with the exception of commenting.

Marie Smith said...

Hi,

If you write me as you did before, I am the only one who sees it unless I chose to publish it here. You can send me your email address that way and I will write you back. I won’t publish your email address here.