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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-08-27, Page 5Mrs, 17th format Mrs, oycn I Mrs, d Mrs ondon Er, and family, Frank Ervin Ronald shawa, ler, St,' Secord [d Mrs, ghters,. faker; s. Karl tew'arr, [e Louis I eone to project, Lorne nteered squares vening versary Peale, Gordon Mrs, e the rd Mrs. er the Mrs. d Mrs. charge Knight`, ed that be set n the ers of ed to ffort, Lefor, It was Or our d be rather nts for x took of the "My e way by 10 and were PLAN YOUR WINTER VACATION NOW... Charters . . Flights Vacation Packages . Bus Tours FALL COLOUR TOURS Nashville New York Wheeling W.V. California Florida Brochures On gOoltJett GOOD TIMES TRAVEL AGENCY Box' 1844 tEAPORIN Phone 521,0050 Three new residents, Mr. and Mrs. William Westlake and Mr, Pascoe, were welcomed to Huronview at Monday afternoons activities, Marie Flynn and Norman Speir provided the old tyme music with, two step dance numbers and were aided by vocal solos by Debbie Flynn. Fifty residents along with their drivers took in the movie at Brownies Drive-In Theatre on Tuesday evening compliments of owner Lorne Brown. Sixteen cars were provided by members of the staff and volu nteers. The night out was appreciated by the residents especially those who were attending a drive-in theatre for the first time. The Goderich Township Womens Institute were hostS" for the August Birthday Party on Wednesday afternoon. The twenty celebrants were presented with gifts by the institute following the variety program. The. President, Mrs. Carol Penhale was emcee for the afternoon and introduced the following numbers. Scottish -dancing by Heather and Elise Lindsay, accordion solos by Kathy. Potter, Molly Cox led a sing-a-long, sang two solos and accoMpanied Mrs. Drivers with violin selections. Karen Bolger and - Laurie Alexander provided their own guitar accompaniment for vocal solos: Mrs. Hamilton celebrated her 101st birthday this month and had the honour of being the eldest celebrant. Mrs. McGratton who was celebrating her ninety-fifth birthday thanked the ladies on behalf of, the 'residents and birthday cake and tea was served to 150 residents and guests. Memorial - service was Ethel Dewar, formerly Huron Saturday, August 23 at the John County Librarian and a resident R. Bush Funeral Home, of Bayfield, died Thursday, Belleville. Cremation followed at- August 21 in Belleville General St. James Cemetery, Toronto. Hospital following a lengthy r — illness. She was 65. She was:born in Belleville, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Frederick Adams. She returned to Belleville upon her retirement frOm the Huron County Library last ye ar. She is survived by one brother, George Adams of Belleville; two sisters, Mtg. Kenneth (Elsie) Esford; Bancroft and Mrs. Blake (C.a rolyn) Moynes, Belleville. She was predeceased by one brother, James. Area Funeral. ETHEL DEWAR THE BRUSSELS' POST, AUdUtt 27, 1975 1 Residential, Commercial! Indtistrial prwasela, Ont. -"" 887-swel ',Prop. WAYNE GRUBS{ I Z 12 ELECTRIC CONTRACTING• fitirOtjview. Sugar and Spice by Bin Smiley A friend brought to my notice a. newS story the other day. He *anted my opinion of its contents. The story was headed: Farmer War Prisoners Hold Prairie Reunion. It stated that more than 500 former prisoners of war from Britain, the. United States and. Canada gathered at Moose Jaw recently for a 30th reunion. The rest, of the story was a little nauseating. The reunion was held in "an atmosphere not unlike the prison camps they survived in wartime. "There was barbed 'wire, a ' bazooka, two machine-guns, a German flag, people dressed up in German uniforms, and caricatures of war-time German officers. I gave my reaction to my friend: "A bunch of middle-aged boys clinging to the only real thing that ever happened to them." That sounds harsh, at first glance, if it's possible to glance at something and hear it. But it satisfied my friend. "It's incredible," he said. "I too would like to see some of my old friends from prison camp, but to talk, not to play games." I agreed. I would like to see some of my old friends from prison camp. For about half an hour. Not for a three-day reunion, with wives tagging along. And perhaps this is why I don't attend the annual reunion of former prisoners-of- war, though I am invited every year. And I guess I'm not the only one. There were 500 at this reunion, from three countries. Where are all the others? There were 10,000 airmen in the camp I was in, only one of many. A couple of other items emerged from the news story.Guess where ,the chaps were entertained? In the officeri' mess at Moose Jaw. Secondly, it was the first reunion of POWs in 30 years to be held outside Toronto. What does this suggest? To me, a little clique of Toronto-based ex-officers who have kept the thing going, for who knows what adolescent' satisfaction. Whatever you may have heard or' read elsewhere, prisoners of war who were officers didn't suffer all that much. I know. I was there. We were not required to work in factories or mines or on farms as were "other ranks". I know of no Canadian officer who starved to death, though grub, was mighty slim in the last few months. Perhaps one in 1,000 was beaten up for some misdemeanor. I was one of them, and it was my own fault. It was no bed of roses, and I don't minimize the skill and daring of those who tried to escape, but, looking back, it was all juvenile and Boy Scoutish: lookouts, secret passwords, disguises, caving-in tunnels, interminable planning, and end, results about as dramatic as one degree Celsius. There was suffering, of course, but it was not beatings and torture and starvation, not for Canadians. It was not physical, but psychological. On SAturday August 16 forty relatives gathered on the lawn of Mr, and rs. Russell Miller for the i annual Wallace family reunion and picnic. The day was warm as the guests enjoyed both lunch and supper and an afternoon of sports and games. The oldest family ineniber was Mrs' Moni Colwell and the Yonngesst Miss Kathy Stone. The closest birthday was Heather Wallace and the grandmother with the most grandchildren in attendance was Mrs. Grace! Lady with most buttons: Mrs. Lis 0 with most rings: Mfs. Sibyl Millet: Man with most keys: 11 ds 116e, with most change!' Web 6tone V IlAcest Under 6 Shelly 'tate, Michael Millet, Sherri Miller, 'Und er (8) Richy Orr, JeteMY Miller, Johnny Miller, As far as military discipline went, most of the bodies had far more-freedom than they had had on their units,But there was the simple fact that you were in jail, and somebody would shoot you if you tried to get out (quite the opposite to modern Canadian jails). And there was the great feeling of waste, of knowing that the best year of your life were gping down the drain, while other young men were kissing girls and drinking beer and staying up all night and doing all the other foolish things young men do. There was boredom and monotony and stagnation and frustration and a little lurking fear that the latrine rumors might be true — that Hitler had ordered the SS to eliminate all P.O.W.s when Germany faced ultimate defeat. - But there were compensations. There was a tremendous sense of oneness against the enemy. There was the fascinating meeting of different ideas and cultures, 'a great and almost immediate education in itself. Throw into one room the following: a young actor from the London stage, a kid from a prairie farm, a Glasgow toughie, a Dublin hooligan, anAustralian sheep farmer, a Welsh poet, a Rhodesian schoolboy, a Norwegian railworker. That' s a bare sample. Toss in an American from California and a West Indian singing calypsos and a Belgian bookmaker and a Polish count and a few other assorted odds and sods, and you had a typical group — at least in my camp. I wonder where they all are? Most of them, certainly, are a long way from Moose Jaw and a small group from Toronto whose members can 'afford to fly to a convention and try to recapture something that is gone forever. For the same reason, I have stopped ,going to reunions of old fighter pilots. I went to a couple. Enjoyed them. But there is a tendency to maudlinism, exaggeration and downright lying about long-gone days. These pot-bellied, bald, wife-ridden, right- leaning, class-conscious, middle-aged poops are my old comrades? No way. My memories of prison camp and fighter-piloting are far more fun than meeting some red-faced paunch who roars over the noise from the bar: "Hey, yeah! Aren't you-Jack? Jack Wiley? Yeah! We were at Sagan togehter. (I was at Barth). Wancha tameet the wife," All "the wife" wants is, not to meet me, but to be sure that George is on his feet for the final evening's ball, at which she will peer, with her sad, crumpled 50-year old face, at all the other sa'cl, crumped 50-year understood. He was a German officer with kids are up ,to while she's hoofing it up in- Moose Jaw. I told a little of this to my friend. he understood. He was a German officer with Rommel, badly wounded in North AFrica, spent three years in a U.S.Prison Camp, and is now a Canadian citizen. Where are the snows of yesteryear? Pauline Wallace. Ladies - Heather Wallace, Judy Ziler, Kathleen Miller, Men - Richard Wallace, Fred. MacDonald. Wheelbarrow Race - Any age - Heather Wallace and Fred MacDonald, Richard Wallace and Micheal Miller, Kathleen STone • and Steven Orr. Balloons filled with water John a ny nd Jeremy Miller, Kathleen ' and Shelly Stone, Heather Wallace and Marlene Miller. The person With the most letters in his name was Frederich William Ronald MacDonald and ajelly head guessing game was WW1 by Mrs. Joyce Wallace. The gairteS were otganized by Heather Wallace, Sib Miller and Donna Miller. A good time was had by all. Wallace family has picnic • Steven Orr: Under 12' - Pauline Wallace, Brenda Tendle. Ladies - Heather Wallace, Donna Miller, Barb Miller, Men's Fred MacDonald, Richar0 Wallace, Ken. Miller.' Kick the shoe - Under 8 Richy Orr, Jeremy Miller, Johnny Miller. Under 12 - Pauline Wallace, Brenda Tendle, Ladies: Donna Millet, Patty Miller, Marj Glandville. Mens - Fred MacDonald,Richard Wallace, Ken Miller. Squash the Balloon. Under - Johnny Miller, Steven Orr, Richy Orr. Under 12 Pauline Wallace, Brenda Teridle, Ladies Mari Glandville, Ruth Yendle, Pat Miller. Men - Doug Wallace, Web Stone, Wes Roe. Shoe Strainble Under Richy Orr, J eretiky Johnny' Miller, Under 12 Brenda Yetidle,