Robert's Grandfather's POW Diary Record from WWI
Robert is from Sabden, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Rick de GruylAs all of you are aware I have this site set up in a way that can be
friendly to everyone, and that anyone has a choice to read or move on to something that works for them personally. What I believe in are stories that have worked for people, and with that what they hold truly to their hearts. It does not matter to me personally what race, religion, sexual orientation or disability you or someone else may have. As long as there is something healthy happening to keep you at peace, and helps you to live a fulfilling, enjoyable life, this is what I would like hear about. The following is a story submitted to me that is passionate and close to home for this man. If you are not comfortable with reading about spirituality you can stop here and look for something else that may work for you from my site. If you would like a great and powerful read, please continue to see about this man's experience and his faiths that enrich his life: "Hello, I am a former Canadian Forces Military Policeman and then Cabinet Maker/ Volunteer Firefighter. In 2008 I became partially disabled whilst fighting a fire. I had been in/ going to church since I was 18 years old, (37 years), and thought I was saved. I had never experienced a new soft fleshy heart until Oct 2012 during a revival meetings, where I was convicted of my sins and the fact I was not saved. I then became sorry for my many sins and felt ashamed for things I had done in my life to date, things that were an offense to GOD, who had saved my physical life on several weapons calls in the MPs and then in a flash over fire of 2200 degrees which burned and melted my helmet, bunker gear and scba, (self contained breathing apparatus), beyond the point of functioning. The regulator warped and took in super heated gases to my lungs, firefighters outside the house tried several times to take my gear off while it was melting off my body. But it was so hot they couldn't touch it or me for several minutes, when they stripped it off they said by body was as red as a fire truck, they tried to touch me but the body was so hot it took a little time before they could. Long story short, the only burn I had was on my ear. Fire Chiefs and the Fire Marshalls Office examined the gear and said there was no way I should have walked out of that fire. They said my lungs should have been fried/ burned. The tic, (thermal image camera), shut off at 1200 degrees. Bunker gear is made to take 600 degrees of heat and then only for a few minutes before it fails. I heard a voice throughout the incident saying "every- thing will be all right, do not fear". I will never forget that. It was only by the grace of GOD that I survived the flashover. I really started searching scripture and listening to the preaching in church, with hearing ears. Also 2012 was the fourth year of my firefighting disability, from a different fire then the 2006 flash over one. I was the recipient of a ton of stress and dis-respect from work safe nb as well as the ever increasing pain from trying to do things. To the point where I seriously considered ending it 3 different times, one of which loading the shot gun and aiming it at my head. Again God kept me from harm and caused me to think about what this would have done to my wife, family and grand sons. If that was not enough, back in 2006 I ended up in Cardiac Care Unit for 3 weeks and under went a lot of tests to see why I was blacking out and having had 24 mini strokes, tias since 2004. The doctor said usually after 2 or 3 mini strokes a person normally has a full and permanent stroke. They also saw a brain tumor during a cat scan. Family and Church sent up prayers and a day later when they did a MRI they found nothing and could not explain that the tumor from the day before was not showing up. Again saved by God, not only my physical life but by giving me the time to have HIM save my Soul as HE knew I was not saved. It took a long time to realize I was on the road to hell all the while thinking I was saved. Praise GOD it finally became a reality. I had some "head knowledge" but not the true conversion thru conviction. My wife of 33 years and our 4 children have commented on the change the past couple months since being saved. Yes I stumble daily but now I confess my sins to the LORD and ask for forgiveness. I have spoken to some people whom have hurt me and I them and told them this story and asked them to forgive me for past wrongs as I have forgiven them. I now have a desire to reach the hurting and lost in Jesus, especially in the police and fire service. Yes I stumble and struggle daily, but I now have an Intercessor and Caring Lord and Saviour whom I can take it to in prayer. Well that's about it, waiting on the LORD to see where he will lead me and thanking him daily." -Rick de Gruyl, Former Canadian Forces Military Policeman, Volunteer Firefighter & Director of Operations/ Police Liaison for V.E.T.S. Canada NB, (veterans emergency transition services). |
Don Norris
Hi Natalie
I interviewed sixteen WWII veterans for my book "Comrades". They tell their personal stories of war;each story different. It sells for $22.50 plus 3.50 postage within Canada by contacting me by e-mail.Thanks for you support! Don Norris Author "Riding With Attitude" and"Comrades" http://www.operationhusky2013.ca/ Operation Husky 2013 On July 10, 1943 more than twenty-five thousand Canadian troops as part of a force of 160,000 American and British landed in Sicily to rid the land of occupying German forces. Combined German and Italian forces numbered 262,000 and were later reinforced with another 70,000 German troops. This is what our allied forces were counting on to weaken the European coast for an invasion in a year’s time. The British went up the east coast to Catania. The Americans marched up the west coast and the Canadians moved up the middle with the aid of very few vehicles. Three ships bearing equipment were sunk by torpedoes in the Mediterranean. Local donkeys were conscripted to carry equipment. A month long campaign resulted in the enemy retreating to Italy leaving 562 Canadian soldiers dead and over 1600 wounded. This year is the seventieth anniversary of that conflict.(numbers of troops are taken from the book “The Canadian Battlefields in Sicily” ISBN 978-0-9783441-5-3) By the time I arrived in Catania, Sicily July 26, the marchers had already visited fifteen towns and villages escorted by pipes and drums. Ceremonies were held with town mayors and dignitaries. It was emotional for both Sicilians and Canadians. We would join the marchers for six more ceremonies in the coming days. Some were here to see the spot where relatives fell and were buried. Others were here to honour our troops by marching the 120 mile route and learn a little about the battle conditions. I was only eighteen months old at the time, but I wanted to honour those who fought for my freedom that I continue to enjoy today. Saturday, July 27 we bused to Leonforte and joined the marchers as they were piped into town by the Seaforth Highlanders from Vancouver. The usual speeches were spoken in three languages. Padre Don Aitchison of the 48th Highlanders kept his prayer short. It was a beautiful day and about thirty-five degrees. Every day was sunny and Mt Etna was still smoking. We then bused to Monte Assoro and the village of Assoro. The view from atop these mountain villages is breathtaking. I could see for what seemed like a hundred miles. We had lunch of pizza, beer and wine on the lower square. The locals couldn’t do enough for us. A ceremony took place in City Hall where the 48th Highlanders plaque was unveiled. The local church is beautiful inside and ancient on the outside. I hitched a ride with a camera crew to the top where the Norman castle ruins are. This is where the Hasty P scaled up over a thousand metre, almost vertical, rock wall on July 20 in 1943 to take three German guards out in the just before dawn. They passed their equipment man to man up the cliff. The castle was on the high ground and the village of Assoro just below the crest. They were discovered in the morning and pinned down all that day and running low on ammunition. The RCR brought ammunition, food and water to the bottom of the cliff the next night July 21, and the Hasty P brought it up just as they had their equipment the night before. The 48th Highlanders scaled the switch back road out front, one forty foot terrace at a time by standing on each other’s shoulders under cover of darkness that night. On the morning of July 22, the 48th overran a German outpost. There were three days of fighting according to the record, and The Germans slipped away on the third night. They obviously had an escape route that didn’t include the only road up. A couple of ceremonies were held at the top for the fallen and a speech made on behalf of the Canadian Gunners that took out the German artillery that was harassing the Hasty P seventy years ago. Success was achieved when Major Bert Kennedy of The Hasty P remembered previous training as an artillery spotter and with a captured, state of the art German range finder was able to direct the artillery in knocking out the enemy’s position on a massif east of Leonforte. He used a powerful radio that had been transported to the base of the cliff on the back of a donkey. I watched as half a dozen climbers reached the top repeating the climb of 1943. Down on the upper square the official ceremony in three languages played out, then we boarded our busses. Back in Catania we had supper served at 10:00 p.m. Some of us were housed at the President Park Hotel on the mountain top with a terrific view of the harbour. Others were at the Marina Palace, a short walk from the beach. Others yet were at the air force base and other locations. Sunday, July 28 we marched into Catenanuova. This ceremony was for the 22nd Battalion (Vandoos). I first heard Brig Gen James Ferron, Commander of the 1st Canadian Division speak here. We were then bused to Pachino to see the Operation Husky Monument that had been unveiled in previous weeks. Everyone commented on how beautiful the monument is. Then it was off to the landing zone of our troops of the 1st Brigade in 1943, code named Sugar Beach and Roger Beach. Flags fly and markers are there for those who fell on landing. The area abounds with swimmers clad in bikinis or Speedos. Some of the older women of our tour found this interesting. We then went on to Syracusa to see the ruins of the Apollo Temple, Fountain of Arethusa and a walk along the harbour as well as a 2,000 year old church. From 8,000 BC when the Greeks occupied Sicily to 1860 the island was captured by war or marriage by Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans not to mention Aragon and Spain. Italy gave it special autonomy in 1946. Our guide told us that one morning the people of Syracusa woke to find the harbour full of their own ships. I’m not sure which period this may have been in, but each civilization added to the richness of architecture and culture. Grecian aqueducts can still be seen today and still transport water. Monday, July 29 we were off to Adrano and a ceremony for the Three Rivers Tank Regiment currently named 12e RBC and now an infantry regiment. It was a steep winding, switchback road to the top and WOW! What a view. Each of the mountains seem to stand alone; not a part of a range. It was here that I first saw HCol John Newman and Jim Cassie of the 48th. The valley of the interior is brown and arid; a very inhospitable looking land with some wheat farms and stone ruins. The freeways that were not there seventy years ago are lined with colourful flowers. The southern part of the country is greener with lemon groves and almond trees. The cities are colourful with beautiful bougainvillea in full bloom in various shades of magenta. It’s hard to imagine the troops living in slit trenches or sleeping on the ground. The mountaintop villages have a charm all their own. Stone buildings, attached to one another cling precariously to the very top of their mountain retreat and the streets are paved with cut stone. Everything is so neat and clean in fairytale fashion. John and Jim returned to Assoro while our buses took us to Taormina about half way between Catania and Messina. This was a tourist destination with an amazing view of coastal villages. Up, up we went on a switchback road to a point on the mountain at the edge of the village of Taormina. A large underground garage dug into the side of the rock was as far as theses buses could go. Here we transferred to smaller buses for the rest of the journey to near the top. Pedestrian traffic was busy with lots of shops to browse through. Here we went our separate ways to seek out a lunch stop with shade. Patios abound! We had a few hours to spend before it was back to the buses for the return to Catania. Supper was at 8:30. I met many very nice people on this trip, which extended the meals into several hours of social exchange and conversation. For a trip I previously viewed with trepidation, I now wanted it to last another week. Tuesday July 30 we were up at 6:00 a.m. as usual, breakfast was at 7:00 and the bus left at 8:00 for Agira Cemetery arriving around 10:00. This is the largest Canadian-only war cemetery in the world. It is located on a promontory adjacent to the village of Agira, but you still have to look way up to the town of Agira. The wind was blowing the flags level with the horizon and helped to keep the heat at bay. HCol Newman invited me to sit on the VIP stage and I was very appreciative as it was nicely shaded by a canopy and my legs were killing me. A large concrete cross sits at the top of the hill in the center of the 484 grave stones. Following the speeches, we each stood in front of a grave stone as roll call was conducted. I called out “HERE” for W.P.R. Garvin, a 48th Highlander. After the wreath laying ceremonies we headed back to our buses for the two hour trip back to our hotels at 2:00. We could swim, eat or sleep until the bus picked us up again at 5:00. Those staying at the President Park Hotel joined the others at Marina Palace Hotel for supper. We had pasta as usual and breaded swordfish. Then it was back to the town of Agira for the official ceremonies and a concert by the Seaforth Highlanders as they had done so in 1943 to celebrate the victory in Sicily. Jean Miso sang for the crowd and a Canadian soldier sang Ave Maria bringing tears to everyone’s eyes. We boarded our buses once again and arrived at our hotel at 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, July 31 and the bus left at 9:30 for shopping in Catania and lunch. Two hours was perfect, and then we walked to the war museum. Here we unveiled the Canadian display of four mannequins wearing period uniforms. Gathering these authentic uniforms over several years was code named “Operation Blue Putties, which Jim Cassie, Tommy Thompson and John Newman put a lot of effort into. It was hot in there so we left for a reception held by a local winery in an adjacent building. Pastries, pizza and wine were delicious. We had an early 7:30 supper at our hotel and it was my intent to be in bed at 9:00 because of the 4:00 a.m. start in the morning, but after a lengthy social conversation at supper, I packed until midnight. This was one of the most amazing tours that I have taken. Steve Gregory is to be commended for embarking on this project. I understand that he spent seven years and tons of his own money to bring Operation Husky 2013 to fruition. This will be very educational for Canadian students. There were several camera crews filming every day. The documentaries should be spectacular. National Geographic Canada was also there. By Don Norris |