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Preface

Four decades have passed, and yet for many who were present on the massive revolving stage of an all-out world war, memories of that time remain vivid and compelling.

These stories have been gathered together to illustrate how a varied cross-section of Canadians met the main challenge of their youth. Most of those featured were volunteers who enlisted in Canada; others were caught up in the struggle against Fascism elsewhere and chose to become Canadians shortly after hostilities ceased.

Death and its grim retinue of terror, suffering, and imprisonment lurked in all theatres of conflict and took their inestimable toll. Although not always centre stage in these brief sketches, the ugly and brutal face of war is glimpsed time and again among the routine and romance, the humour and hard times, and that special comradeship which flourished through interdependence.

I believe that these survivors have related their reminiscences with honesty, memories in many cases being reinforced by publications and documents of the day. Thus, I hope that contemporaries will read these accounts and think. “Yes, that was how it was.” Also I wish that other generations of Canadians may learn and understand more about their compatriots, young people who were the flesh and blood associated with place names and cold statistics of 1939-1945.

Joyce Hibbert, Drummondville, 1985