Yogi Yogi:
Dad was a 'Red Patch Devil.( so named by the Germans), Out of Edmonton. He joined up with a fellow that he went all the way through school with, 'Les McCairn', 42-44. He never talked much about those years. I do remember one story they told. " We had just landed . Hell, we were still wet from coming ashore. We were ordered to 'TAKE THAT HILL'! So 'we took that hill!' The only casualty was Les here, He got shot in the ass! Later we found out that 'The American Troops' had been trying to 'take that hill for almost 3 months. The casualties were high". ( Les attended Dad's funeral) and last I heard he is still alive.
I don't really have much history about Dad's experiences. Only 'a bit here and a bit there'. If this 'rings a bell' with anyone I would sure appreciate learning some back ground details.
Grandpa Mac was in 'the Black watch' in Scotland. The only stories I heard about that was 'aboot a wee dram of whiskey or two', and a few 'donny-brooks'!
Oh,but Grandpa played 'a mean set of pipes'. I do have fond memories of that.
My dad was also a member of the RDB, recruited from the Wpg Rifles! Mostly he was on "night patrol", when he wasn't in the brig for scoring a German rifle, that didn't jam at inopportune moments! He told me how they moved tanks past enemy lines after midnight, by running 500' of perforated hose, pumping air through the hose, then moving the tanks at low speed 500' and start again. In the early morning, the tanks would open fire from behind the enemy as the infantry fired from in front! He told me war stories like you'd tell a child bedtime stories! I fired his Lee Enfield 303, loud & kicked like a mule. He taught me how to shoot at 5 yrs old, about the same time he started downloading his war stories! I've never researched the RDB., until tonight. With all the Canadians dying on foreign soil, and the condition Canada finds itself in, for the first time, I thought I should know more about what my father fought for! Will/bassicwill
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