Remembering Rationing

(Major Rey Hypolito T.) UGH the food! What is there to even say about the food?! Navy food was … well… less than desirable, would be the nicest way to describe what they fed us. Our dried consisted with mostly dehydrated food. Though I know we should be one of the last people to be complaining because things could have been much worse. At least we did not ….But these things if it had not been for the tin cans that Marie [Anderson's wife] and Mother sent me, I might not have made it…along with so many others. We treated food that people sent us like pieces of gold. Normally our meals consisted of powdered eggs at breakfast which were best when doused with ketchup — ugh. Our Engineering Officer was about 5' 6" and weighed about 135 pounds. He could eat a half dozen of those powdered items — and squirt half a bottle of ketchup on them. No one else at the Wardroom table could stand to watch him! The dehydrated potatoes were in the shape of diced cubes. After soaking, to take on water again, they were barely edible as mashed potatoes. Our milk was powdered too, so creamed potatoes were less than desirable. Once in a rare while we'd have powdered ice cream. The best thing about it was being cold.

Remembering Hospital Conditions

(Major Rey Hypolito T.) Do you men remember the hospital condition in on the boats? Though I know few outside the Naval Services knew that the Marine Corps does not have its own medical branch. All medical, dental and religious care to Marines was provided by members of the US Navy assigned to the Marine Corps.
During World War II, Corpsmen were a wonderful group of men. They knew first aid, minor surgery, nursing care, dietetics, hygiene and sanitation, pharmacy, chemistry, nursing care, and anatomy and physiology. These people knew how to bandage and splint, and treat shock. In one Marine division there were about 1,000 sailors. Support units typically had a small medical cadre of 1-2 Corpsmen per each company-sized unit. In the infantry, each platoon was SUPPOSED to have one attached Corpsman… but there were never enough to go around. The infantry battalion consisted of a doctor and a small medical staff. But in combat, there were often not enough Docs to go around.
I remember it like it was yesterday…in combat, when Marines were wounded, the call for "Corpsman!" would sound like trumpets. No matter the location of the wounded Marine, Docs and stretcher bearers would race to the scene to stabilize and evacuate their comrade. I think if anyone deserves recognition for being patriotic in WW2 it should have been the Corpsmen whom thousands of Marines owed their lives to.

Remembering Battle

(Major Rey Hypolito T.) Men, do you remember the days of battle? … Do you even want to remember those days? It all started on Sunday, December 10th, 1939. Canada formally declared war on Germany. The Royal Canadian Navy was such a proud navy of Canada--I believe they lasted from 1911 to 1968. Our contribution to WWII was mind-blowing. We were a part of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. What were you all apart of?

The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign, of World War II, lasted from 1939 through to the defeat of Nazi Germany all the way to 1945. The Battle of the Atlantic was of the U-boats of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) against Allied convoys. We were able to provide protection, for the most part, for convoys of merchant ships, coming mainly from North America and the South Atlantic and going to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.
Good old Winston Churchill. He was a good and honest man. He joined in 1941. A fight that began on the first day of the European war involved thousands of ships and stretched over hundreds of miles of the vast ocean and seas in a chain of more than 100 convoy battles and perhaps 1,000 single-ship encounters. The British and their allies gradually gained the upper hand, driving the German surface raiders from the ocean by the end of 1942 and decisively defeating the U-boats in a series of convoy battles between March and May of 1943. We lost many grate men in those times but thanks to those men Canada is what it is today. New German tried to fight back by sending submarines in 1945, but they were too late to affect the course of the war. I personally don’t know what the Germans were thinking when they fried their blockade. All they did was waist 3500 merchant ships and 175 warships as well as 783 u-boats.

Remembering the People I Helped

I remember Back during the middle of the war, in 1942, I was sent on a mission to deliver much needed supplies to people out along the west coast of Great Britain. Little did I know that there was a fleet of German U-boats waiting for me as I left the St. Lawrence harbour. It was extremely difficult to out-maneuver those U-boats and I was almost sunk when I was hit on my starboard side right next to the engine room. Luckily, A fleet of naval ships went and saved my ship from further harm and the U-boats fought the new enemy. This gave me and my crew enough time to put on a temporary patch and pierce through the German forces and was able to make it to the open ocean. We were able to deliver our cargo and saved the people of Wales from . Do any of you guys have special memories about people that you have helped?

Remembering the Homefront

Wow, was it really 70 years ago that I signed up as a naval merchant? Back then, my family was just emerging out of the Great Depression. At the time, my family was just barely getting by: Dad had applied for welfare, Mom was in a working camp, or was it the other way around? I'm losing my memory. Anyway, we were starting to get better with what we had and were even picking up. Then, the call came out for war and Dad could leave the camp he was in and worked in a factory. I was able-bodied and thought I was ready to serve the country. As a side bonus, my family would get a few extra dollars to help them get by. When I got there, was I in for a surprise . It was all danger and bombs, bu I wouldn't change a thing. The action and adventure and the possibility of death at every turn, simply exhilarating. Did any of you have any nice stories from home or did you have the same grim reality as I had?

Operation Neptune, June 6, 1944: D-Day

“Today’s the day. Today, Germany will receive a bit of her own medicine.” Our troops knew that this invasion of Normandy would have a heavy blow upon the Nazi soldiers. All surviving veterans should be proud of having participated in playing a major role in any Great War. D-Day, however marks the first time Canadian soldiers were considered equal to British soldiers (they were not being ordered to do dirty work, and were not sent on a suicide mission). Our navy, our infantry, and our air force would play a part in conquering Juno Beach, while the American army had to take care of Utah and Omaha Beach, and the British army secured Gold and Sword Beach. My troops and I were all leading troops from the Queen’s Own Rifles, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and Regina Rifles, after having been promoted after somehow surviving the failed mission at Dieppe two years ago. When I think about D-Day, I just remember about how amazing it is that my troops and I, and half of the soldiers we were leading, survived in one piece after that day. The first day of our assault began on Juno beach, and we were to work our way several miles inward. In addition, it was just our luck to be forced onto the shore without covering fire from our DD Tanks. The Germans were more than prepared to destroy us, but our combat tactics saved quite a few lives from certain death by Nebelwerfer, and earn ourselves a good blow to the Germans, even with only our Bren light machine guns. We were able advance when reinforcements finally arrived. As we moved onward, we had eventually rallied with the British troops at Gold Beach. In light of having lost around 1000 soldiers, we had made a decisive victory, along with the American and British troops. Two months later, every single one of my Third Class Master Gunners were promoted to Second Class, in recognition for their skill and tact (resembling my own) demonstrated in D-Day. A week later, I was promoted to Master Gunner, First Class, at last. Veterans, what were your D-Day stories?

Enlisting for the War

I remember the day Canada had declared war on September 9th, 1939. I wasn't really motivated at first to join the war. For one, we had just been through a slow, severe, Great Depression! However, as a young adult, I did wanted to do something else other than stay in my home country. Also, it seemed that Canada was tired and mentally did not want to fight in the war. As a result, our country made a mass number of propaganda and every single block in my city was filled with propaganda to join the war. One day, I found a poster that intrigued me to join the Air Force. Although I was a bit frightened, I wanted to try something new. Due to my love for freedom and the sky, I joined the RCAF, or Royal Canadian Air Force. After 72 hours of ground training and 50 hours practicing in flight, I was ready to go to war. Happily, I was placed in the No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group. In 1940, I was the lowest rank in the RCAF, a flight officer. As the years went by however, I became a squadron leader by 1941 and a group captain in 1944, 4 ranks up a flight officer. By the end of the war, I was an air commodore. You can call me a bit naive at the time because I was not that worried about dying. However, I had a different perspective of the war by the time it was over. Have you veterans joined the war motivated by boredom at home or were you forced to enlist? Was there another motive for you to enlist in the war?

The Bren's light machine gun vs. the FLAK: The weapons I used and faced

My troops and I were continuously on the attack, although it is definitely no surprise, as we WERE experienced gunners. Some of us were even master gunners, like me. Soldiers under me were armed with Thompson .45’s before the war, and then we received the handy-dandy Bren light machine guns from the British. In my opinion, the Bren was the most useful weapon us, as it was so fast, at an amazing 500 rounds per minute, while staying accurate. All of my troops were impressed by the design and usefulness. Most of all, it could last for a much longer time before breaking down. We brought down full foot battalions with the Bren’s (with strategy, of course). We also had a frightening firsthand experience of the power of the Germans. Everyone knew that Hitler had broken every single point of the Treaty of Versailles, but we did not expect to see a sea of green uniforms, armed with MP40 submachine guns (“Schmeissers”), and new inventions like the MP44, one of the world’s pioneer assault rifles (and a dangerous one at that, having less recoil, with a speed of 500-600 rounds per minute). The worst, however, was the 88mm FLAK, the anti-tank AND anti-air powerhouse of a weapon. Operated by six men, it may have had a speed of eight rounds per minute, but it could shoot 10 600 metres in front of itself, or up to 14 680 metres high. My team and I watched with our gaping mouths as tanks were quickly blown up, and aircrafts were shot down in no time at all. Had we not found cover, we would have ended up just like the heaps of metal that once used to fight the Germans. Veterans, what kinds of weapons did you use? Do you remember any weapons you faced?

9.9.1939: Canada declares war against Germany

The memories of the 9^th day of September, 1939, stay fresh in my head to this day. It was fairly easy for me to rise through the ranks of the Royal Regiment of Canada. I was promoted to Master Gunner, Third Class, after recently turning 24. A couple of weeks later, CanadaGermany, and I would be thrown into battle as a Second Class Warrant Officer. Interestingly enough, however, my troops and I were not sent overseas until early April, 1940 (due to the phony war, Sitzkrieg). When the time finally came, I marched through the streets with my comrades. My entire family from Ontario came to see me off. My father, a former Troop Sergeant-Major from World War One, happily shook my hand firmly, and said, “If I could survive, so can you. Make me proud.” My mother was smiling, too, but I knew she was holding a fountain of tears back. She waited in anxiety for her husband to come home from the previous war while I was a newborn. Now, I was about to leave to fight, too. I was worried about the well-being of my troops, how long the war would last, and if the Germans would advance far enough to attack Canada. Nevertheless, I saluted my father with a smile, and marched onward. Veterans, what comes to your minds when you think back to September 9, 71 years ago? declared war on Germany?

Life in a Prison Camp

I remember getting captured by Germans sometime during 1942. My plane had slowly crashed into the ground in one of the ambushes, but I had survived the crash. I was captive for a year or two when my allies captured the prison camp. The camp was named Stalag Luft, short for Stammlager Luftwaffe. This camp was specified for airforce prisoners, like me. They also had a prison camp for naval servicemen and they were called Marlags. I hoped my friend Matthew wasn't captured on his Merchant ship. Luckily, he didn't! The conditions here were horrible. When I was captured, I first had to pass through a Dulag or a transit camp. This camp was for interrogation and background details of prisoners. We would then be transported to a war camp using a train. I had no food for several hours on top of the train being hot and stuffy. When I arrived, I stayed at a one-storey wooden barrack with bunk beds and a charcoal burning stove in the middle of the room. We were given 2 meals a day of thin soup, and black stale bread. I had to work long hours for at least once a day for a roll-call. German soldiers were all around us so we had no chance of escape, and it we did, we would get shot on the spot. By the end of the day, I was so weak and tired. Those days in the prison camp were the slowest days of my life. My fellow veterans, have you ever been captured by the Germans? If not, have you had a friend that got captured? Do you know what happened to them?

Remembering the Locals I Met

Throughout the entire war, I have set foot in six different countries (Great Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany) and fought the Axis in two. Perhaps it is ironic that I spent more time training in England than actually fighting in Italy and Holland. In Italy, I was a tank commander and so had easy contact with many of the locals. I had expected the locals to despise us as invaders, but they were ecstatic to finally have the Canadians liberate them. They were happy to be freed from the tyrannical regime of Mussolini, who had dragged them into another world war and failed to give back to Italy the glory days of the Roman Empire. In the short periods of peace as I toured the small Italian villages, the locals would often come out and cheer us on against the retreating Germans. Once, in the town of Aquino, I was even given a free cup of coffee and flowers by a grateful family. Fellow veterans, coming from different branches of the army, what were your experiences of the locals?

Remembering those Difficult Missions

It is now May and it was at this time, exactly 66 years ago in Italy, that me and my tank crew, along with the rest of the Lord Strathcona's Horse were preparing to cross the Melfa River. Supported by the Royal Westminster Regiment, this daring crossing would exploit a hole in the Hitler Line and a victory would mean striking at Rome itself but boy, was it difficult. I led B Company of the Strathcona's and all throughout the battle, we were being fired at by enemy artillery from nearby Mount Cairo and the narrow roads leading to the Melfa were merely donkey paths through vineyards. To top it off, we would be facing against the battle-hardened 90th Panzergrenadier Division from the North Africa campaign. I saw to it that each tank in my company was outfitted with a pair of Bren guns, a PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank gun), and with a detailed map of the battle plan. A Company of the Strathcona's and the Royal Westminsters had already established a tiny bridgehead before us, but they were lightly-armed and being driven back by a German armoured counterattack. It was tricky, but by midnight, we managed to bring in our heavily-armed Shermans across to strengthen our lines and break the counter-attack. My tank crew personally took out two German Panzer IVs. The Germans fought back with their mortars and nebelwerfers but our tanks quickly routed them and I was rewarded the Distinguished Service Order. Fellow veterans, what difficult missions have you ever taken part in?

Remembering Conscription

I remember that in 1944, while I was still in Italy, there was a huge uproar back in Canada about conscription. There was a huge shortage of volunteers available for service in Europe after the Normandy and Italian campaigns, especially not enough to replace our casualties here. Many times, I have seen wounded men rushed for medical care, and then back to front line because of manpower shortages. In France, infantry and armour units like were at 50% strength. But back in Canada , an entire division of fresh reserve troops was sitting around. In the end, only 2463 conscripts made it to the front lines. Fellow war veterans, do you think that PM King should have allowed conscription?