Good morning, My name is Bob (Robert) Andrew Walker, and I’m calling from my sunroom at six o’clock on Thursday morning. You asked me for something about the end of World War II, V.E. Day, but to understand the end of the Second World War, I believe you have to go back to the beginning.
In 1933 Adolf Hitler took over power of a broken down economy in Germany, and he, with his goons, assumed the leadership of the country. He started building cars, Volkswagen, started the Autobahn, and built highways. He grew the economy, and all the time that he was doing this, he started to build his Mein Kampf plan that he wrote after World War I while in prison in Germany.
The economy of the country was broken, so he created jobs, and at the same time, he created factories to build airplanes, battleships,
Remember ‘Sink the Bismarck?’ (Sink the Bismarck was a 1960 film Based on the true story of the hunt for the Nazi super-battleship Bismark, the film follows the valiant attempts of the British as they gather intelligence and launch an offensive) the submarines, the cannons, and airplanes. All war machines.
He started to grow the country, he had the German people working, they were all at work, and he started to expand the country when he took over the Sudetenland in Germany.
Time for a drink of coffee.
Bob took a moment to wet his whistle before continuing.
Britain and Poland saw this happening, and they joined an alliance. They were bound to support one another if war ever happened with Germany. The Royal Family, seeing that the disturbance was going on in Europe, made a cross-country train trip with King George (vi), Queen Elizabeth (i) and daughters Margaret Rose, and Elizabeth, the current Queen. This was in June of 1939 that they made this trip cross country. They also cemented their relationship with Australia and New Zealand and India.
On the long weekend in August, at the end of summer, a battleship went into the harbour of Warsaw on a visit of friendship. It was there for four days on which every night the ship hosted the civic people of Warsaw. They had the city people, the business people all come to the ship and wined and dined them.
It was at this time Bob Reached the end of the capacity for a single voice mail. He called back right away and continued his very vivid, detailed story.
We were in Warsaw, Poland. At precisely one o’clock, on Monday afternoon, the worship raised its huge guns and started shelling from the inner harbour blasting the government buildings and all of the other areas of the city of Warsaw. At exactly the same moment, well-timed trucks towing cannons raced across the border into Poland and airplanes came in strafing the city of Warsaw, and the war had begun.
The Polish airplanes took off to counter the fight, and they made a gallant effort against heavy odds, and they fought in the air until their fuel supplies ran out. They flew their planes to Britain, landing on the airstrips there so that they saved their airforce, and they fought alongside Britain throughout the Second World War.
Two of these Polish pilots and freedom fighters were Steve Ruznisky, who owned the Prince Albert bus lines and the Mintos hockey team, and the other was the fellow that sold General Motors cars in Prince Albert.
So, onward.
The war continued with one million one hundred thousand Canadians enlisting in the war. Parliament was called and on September 10th and all Parliamentarians went to Ottawa and voted unanimously, except the C.C.F. leader J.S. Woodsworth. He was the only one that opposed war in any fashion.
So Canada was at war. It persisted for the 6 year with a loss, a heavy, heavy loss of the people. I think Canada lost...I havent got the numbers, but I think it’s about fifty five thousand Canadians died in Europe during the second World War.
People joined the air training program, where all across Canada we trained fighters from all over the Free World in bases across Canada.
My brother John Bradburn Walker, with his friends Gordon Lang enlisted in the Air Force but there was a 9 month waiting period. So together they went building hangers across western Canada they were in The Langham Saskatchewan Medicine hat Alberta, and in Lethbridge and Edmonton. The military was ready for them to start their training program. They started at the RCAF Station in Brandon Manitoba, which was the first six weeks of training. Then on to the barns in Toronto and Edmonton and Quebec where they trained. They shipped Overseas as a Seargent in 1941 to bomber training.
Bob took a break at this time to continue his morning routine. He called back shortly and picked up where he left off.
Good morning its Bob again at 615, I’ll continue with my story. My brother, he was in the air force, he was posted overseas to Bourne he was flying out of our barracks at Bournemouth on the western part of Britain. They would take off about 200 bombers in different areas of the country would form up like that, over York, until they had 1000 Bombers or more and lead by Pathfinders who would just be specialized, trained to lead the way for the night flights and towards their target.
John’s target, on November 19th, 1943, was a ball bearing Factory at Leverkusen in the western part of Germany. They were shot down mid-fight by anti-aircraft guns of the Germans. The flight engineer decapitated, the right engine on fire, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out, and he went down with the burning plain. He was Frank McCutcheon, the only other Canadian.
John landed safely but had lost his boots as he floated down to the German countryside. He walked for hours bare-foot until a farmer with a shotgun spotted him. He was turned over to the police and reunited with the rest of his crew at the jail. John was taken prisoner of war and served a year and a half in a prison camp. They were allowed to send one letter each month, and we were able to send them care packages every three months. We sent powdered milk, eggs, razors for shaving and paper and pencils to write letters. When the war was nearing the end, the guards all took off and left everyone behind. The prisoners were there for a couple of days until the Russians came. They controlled them for another six weeks, and it was almost worse than the Germans because the Russians had absolutely nothing. It was at this time that a crew of Black truck drivers, Americans from Louisiana, smoking big cigars, helped the P.O.W.’s vacate Russian occupied Germany. They travelled tarp-covered transport trucks to Brussels to the allied line. where they were able to make their way home.
Before heading back to Saskatchewan, John first went to England to find Anita, the girl he had been writing to while in prison they were engaged in 1945. Later, in June of 1947, she travelled to Canada and they were wed that October.
John, in his time in the prison camp, it was starvation and bad treatment. He came back, and his health was shot. He went to the tuberculosis sanitorium for some treatment and came home to the farm in Prince Albert. He never really regained his health.
Gordon, the fighter Pilot, survived the war had returned to Prince Albert for a visit after 25 missions. He and other veterans had joined the railway. My brother tried to join the railway, but his health did not permit him to become a railwayman. Canada played a major, major part of the war. When it ended there was such a celebration all across the country and people were welcoming their men and women back to Canada. Those that had joined the forces were able to return to their jobs. By law, their jobs were protected. The government of Canada, because there was so much rebuilding required in every area, hired many. There were many veterans they came working, and that’s when the Saskatchewan govt under T.C. Douglas was implementing government insurance.
Celebrations across Canada with the end of World War II and, my dad and I, with the holiday from school, went to the city of Prince Albert to see The Earl of Athlone, who was Canada’s Governor General. I, at ten years of age, was very, very, impressed by this.
That’s all for now, perhaps I can give you more for Remembrance Day 2020. Stay healthy, I’m staying healthy. My wife and I are on our acreages with our dog, and all is well. Bye for now. Bless you.
This article was updated/corrected May 11, 2020
- Provided by Bob Walker
Opinions express are those of the author
