Wartime Memories

You were born in...

Nineteen-twelve.  I can remember the first World War.  I remember when it ended, and I can remember some of the men that were enlisted, that came back home with their khaki outfit....and in fact my brother...an uncle of mine was working in New Glasgow, and he came home on a trip, and he brought him a whole outfit--a cap, and the puttees, and all the outfit.

I'll bet he was pleased with that...

Oh, was he ever!  He thought he was somebody.

So, some of the local men here went off to the war...

Oh, yes.  Some went to Aldershot, up here in the valley, for training, but they didn't get called overseas...they were fortunate.  And some more of them did get overseas, but they got back.

Now, the last war, the second World War, my two brothers were in it.  One was in the air force, and one was in the navy.  But they both got through, too.  One fellow got to Holland--the air force fellow--and the other fellow...he was on the boats, and they moved around that way, I guess, looking for submarines.  And I lost a cousin.  He was, the boat was, nearly into Halifax, and he was on his way home to get married.  And they were torpedoed.  He was lost.

Who was that?

Huntley Fanning.  And he had bought a pearl necklace at Burkes' for his bride.  She came down to Halifax and got that necklace.

Like it was at the store, lay-away?

It was at the store.  Yes, that was hard on his parents.  That was Laurie...you knew Laurie, didn't you? …Laurie's brother.