HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-09-03, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2009. PAGE 9. Blyth man’s war stories on DVD seriesIt was eight years ago when Blythresident and Second World War
veteran Russell Cook first decided to
share his story with others. Now,
he’s on DVD.
Cook was featured in a DVD
series, produced by Kirk Scott of
Chesley, called Veterans Remember,
which will be in local museums
soon.
Cook says for years the memories
of what he saw during his time in
England, France, Belgium and
Holland were too painful to repeat. It
was, however, eight years ago, when
he was asked to speak to the students
of Blyth Public School.
Cook recalled when he was young
in Westfield and he was put into
contact with someone who was in
the First World War. That man never
spoke about his experiences, and
Cook always felt a lot could have
been learned from hearing him
speak. He thought that maybe he
could do that for a new generation of
children.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to miss
it,” he says. “I believe it was
necessary.”
Now, telling his story in a format
that will live on, he says, hopefully
his story will reach more people and
for a longer period of time.
Cook was wounded twice in the
line of duty, spent nearly four years
in a hospital and was part of a group
of soldiers who came in after the
soldiers who invaded France on D-
Day.
Cook, who just turned 85, was
interviewed by Scott about his
experiences during the Second
World War.
Scott has now interviewed over
100 veterans throughout the process
of filming for his Veterans
Remember collection.
In 1943, Cook worked on a farm
and when work came to an end, he
enlisted in the army in London.
He was soon sent to basic training
in Chatham and then went on to
advanced training in Ipperwash.
Basic training was something that
Cook stresses. He says it was one of
the most important, if not, the most
important aspect of his time with the
Canadian military.
“That was where we learned
obedience. If we hadn’t learned
obedience, a lot of us would have
turned and ran,” Cook says. “But we
learned obedience and there was no
such thing as turning to run.”
In May of 1944, Cook was sent to
France. He spent one month
stationed in Aldershot, England
before being sent to France with the
Highland Light Infantry just four
days after the D Day invasion.
Travelling from Nova Scotia to
England, Cook says he didn’t feel
sick, although many soldiers did. It
was, however, when they were
travelling across the English
Channel, and the large ship could
take them no further, that he began
to feel sick. Soldiers were dropped
down into boats that could holdabout 10 soldiers, and with howchoppy the English Channel is, itwas a rough trip, Cook says.Upon entering France, Cook met
up with Wally Bowen, another
soldier stationed in France who was
also from Blyth.
Cook’s time in France was quiet
for approximately one month until
they were told bombing would occur
on July 8. They moved out and this
is where Cook was hit, once in the
left leg.
Cook wrapped his leg with a field
dressing and saw a German tank
moving towards him.
This would prove to be a life-
changing moment in Cook’s life for
more than one reason. Not only did
the tank explode just short of
reaching him, but just beforehand,
he looked to the heavens and prayed
to a God he didn’t believe in for
protection.
The tank blew up and he then
crawled over 500 metres where he
was picked up and taken to a house
full of wounded soldiers.
“After I came back, I became a
Christian,” Cook says. “Now I see
where God protected me all the way
through the war.”
Cook was sent back to England,
where he was on his back for three
weeks healing from his wound.
Upon arriving at the hospital,
however, Cook was denied food
because of his impending operation.
However, because his wound was
seen as less severe than those of
other soldiers coming in, Cook
waited for several days for surgery.
It wasn’t until a soldier who was
originally from Benmiller
discovered Cook, who had been
without food and in pain for days,
that Cook saw an operating table.
After healing for approximately
three weeks, Cook was sent back to
France.
“I told them not to send me. I
really didn’t want to go, but they
were terribly short on men,” Cook
said.
When back in France, Cook met
up with Bowen again at the frontlines of the battle. Bowen, however,was later killed in action.Cook said that while he wasn’tnecessarily scared on his boat trip
over to Europe the first time, going
to the front lines in France the
second time was a bit scarier.
“It was dark going up to the front
lines. All you could see were flashes
of bullets or guns,” he said. “It was
scary.”
Cook then found himself in
Holland after advancing through
Belgium in October of 1944, facing
heavy enemy fire again. He was
wounded for the second time, this
time in the thigh, but says that
because of a quick change of
position, going from sitting to
standing, the bullet hit him in the
thigh as opposed to the chest.
It was his second wound that
proved to be the most devastating.
Cook said that he lost a lot of blood
the second time around and while
surrounded by his fellow soldiers
and three German prisoners, he
began to shake and go into shock.
It was October at the time and it
had began to turn cold. Cook says
his corporal made the German
prisoners give up their coats to warm
Cook, while soldiers gave him some
liquor to help with the pain.
He made the trip back through
Holland, where they had no hospital,
through to Belgium, where he
received basic treatment and was
told he would be sent home.
Once he was back in Canada, he
received medical attention and
eventually several surgeries in
Toronto.
To this day, while Cook is quite
mobile for his age, choosing not to
walk with a cane, he still cannot
move any of the toes on his right
foot.
Cook stayed in the hospital until
1947. He was married in August of
1947 and he and his wife Marion
eventually moved to Blyth, raising
three sons and four daughters.
Marion passed away suddenly in
2005 and Russell still lives in Blyth.
Telling his story
Blyth resident and veteran of the Second World War,
Russell Cook decided to tell his story for the first time just
under 10 years ago and has been doing so ever since.
Cook is featured in a new DVD series that should be
available soon in local museums called Veterans
Remember, produced by Kirk Scott. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
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By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Huron East stands by the interim
control bylaw it passed earlier this
year.
An appeal was filed by wind
project developers CASA
Engineering and Construction after
the municipality’s bylaw stopped its
project near St. Columban dead in its
tracks.
Once an appeal is filed to the
Ontario Municipal Board, council
has to acknowledge and receive the
appeal and reconfirm its actions that
resulted in the appeal.
The appeal says the bylaw
attempts to “thwart the CASA
proposal on lands which are already
properly zoned and specifically to
respond to pressure from one
citizens’group against this particular
project.”
The appeal lists several points as
grounds for the appeal, including
that the bylaw is “not consistent with
the provincial policy statement and
does not conform to the Huron East
official plan,” also stating that the
bylaw was “not passed for a valid
planning purpose, was passed in bad
faith and with elements of secrecy,
and is directed at a specific project
and is discriminatory.”
Members of the citizen group
Huron East Against Turbines
(HEAT) were also in attendance at
the meeting.
In addition to reaffirming the
bylaw and receiving the appeal,
Huron East, because changes had
been made, had to re-establish the
terms of reference for the study of
setbacks the municipality is
undertaking.
Reforestation
Assistance Service
(Seedlings)
Roadside and
Windbreak
Tree Service
This service provides
assistance to landowners
who are reforesting
marginal lands or
planting field
windbreaks. Our staff
will assist you in
choosing appropriate
species and creating
a planting plan.
Plant your own
seedlings or have
us do the
planting for you.
This service offers larger
trees for planting along
roadsides and in
windbreaks. A variety
of tree species are
available from the
MVCA based on a
50 tree minimum
order. Call us at
(519) 335-3557 for
information about
the application
deadlines for
these services.
Put down some roots!
2010 Tree Planting Services
Call us at 519 335-3557
for information and
application forms.
Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority
Working for a Healthy Environment!
Huron East council stands
by its interim control bylaw