BS: Vimy.... 90 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:05 PM

Hughie: I remember, I said Allan, I hear you're going to join the army?

Allan: And I said, It's no army for me, boy - it's the Cape Breton Highlanders I'm joining!

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:53 PM

In WW1 the 185th batallion Cape Breton Highlanders was broken up in England to re-enforce other units. Many joined or re-joined the 85th forming D company.
In WW2 the Cape Breton Highlanders served with distinction, especially in Italy. I think that the duo of Hughie and Allen was born back then between two friends. After the war they continued their act of homespun comedy.

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: skipy
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 06:02 PM

Through my grand fathers eyes!
If you have not heard it, DO SO!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: bubblyrat
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 06:11 PM

Some years ago, I saw a documentary on TV, that dealt with the supposedly true story of thousands of Canadian troops who were kept hanging around for up to two YEARS after WW1 ended, in Wales, waiting for a ship to take them home . Apparently, there was some sort of "mutiny " , and some of these troops were shot . Any comments ??

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 06:20 PM

I know nothing about this but British military justice had no qualms with shooting their own and Comonwealth troops. The Aussies refused them permission to do this but Canada, to it's shame did not.

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: Phot
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 07:14 PM

After twenty one years in the mob, I still can't work out what the hell we're doing. Why can't we just all be nice to each other? After all, we're only human.

But for all those lads who gave their all, not just in the WW1, but everywhere since, you are remembered.

Chris.

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: GUEST,tony geen
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 07:42 AM

I hope I'm not unduly highjacking this thread, but I feel so happy I've just got to do it anyway.

I've always vaguely known that I had a great-uncle who emigrated to Canada then joined up and was soon killed in WW1, but not knowing his regiment or other details and with only a common name Harry Hunt to go on I never really knew how to track him down.

By following the links in the posts above, it took me just a few minutes to find him. I now know his date of enlistment and all sorts of details, his date of death and the location of his war grave (Maroc Cemetry, near Bethune, Northern France). Gotta go there.

There is also the facility to upload a photo onto the official Canadian website, which I will do as soon as I can digitise the old photo I've got in the attic.

I even found out he had a tattoo of clasped hands on his arm. I'm sure nobody else in our quiet, respectable upper-working to lower-middle class family ever had one of those. But then, nobody else had the get-up-and-go to start a new life in Canada. It's all a great shame, but at least he was the only one of five brothers to die young.

So, thanks Mudcat ! (Result, or what?)

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: bubblyrat
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 12:33 PM

Brilliant !! So happy for you !! I only started on the internet 8 monthd ago, and it"s given me two sisters, a brother, and their children !!

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: bobad
Date: 09 May 07 - 06:41 PM

Percy Dwight Wilson, one of two surviving Canadian veterans of the First World War, has died at age 106.

Story here.

Subject: RE: BS: Vimy.... 90 years.
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 09 May 07 - 11:53 PM

bubblyrat - I've been told that that story about those Canadians being shot after the war is true, but I can't add anything more ... I remember watching that same movie ...

tony - I'm really glad that link proved so useful. I found out that my grandfather had three tattoos by the way, and, according to the records, his brothers had tattoos as well. There might be more tattoos in your family background than you suspect!