HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-11-11, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11,1992.
Brussels reeve was only 16 when
he enlisted to fight in World War II
By Bonnie Gropp
While we all understand the sig
nificance of Remembrance Day, for
a decreasing number of men and
women the memorial has tremen
dous impact. What does it really
mean to the young people of today?
With World War II now some 50
years past, the memories and the
true meaning belongs to those who
were there.
Brussels reeve Gord Workman
was just a youth of 16 when he
enlisted in the army at the begin
ning of the war.
Mr. Workman remembers he was
living with his sister in Leaming
ton, having moved there from his
family's Brussels area farm two
years earlier. When war broke out,
he knew that being involved was
something he really wanted, but
young men were to be 18 years of
age to enlist. So like many others
he boldly lied about his birthdate
saying he was born June 13, 1919
instead of 1922. The fact that he
might die because of his actions
meant little at that time. "When
you're 16 danger was never a
thought. Dying happened to some
one else," he said.
Mr. Workman served first with
the Essex Scottish, but a minor foot
ailment made him unsuitable for
the rugged army life. While this
was disappointing then, Mr. Work
man sees it as a blessing now, for
the men of the Essex Scottish were
among those in the devastating
Dieppe raid.
Transferring to the navy, the
young man trained first in Windsor
then eventually wound up in Hali
fax on the Prince Henry in 1942.
He serve for a brief time on the
HMCS Buxton, a training ship,
before going into active duty
aboard the Prince Henry. It was an
exciting time for a naive lad, a
chance to see the world. The ship
went on convoy from Newfound
land to Londonderry Island and
made many trips to the British
West Indies. The ship also escorted
food ships through the Panama
Canal to Victoria.
When the Germans devised their
acoustic torpedo, which was drawn
by the sound of a ship's propeller,
Mr. Workman was part of the crew
which rigged cables behind the ship
to counteract the enemy weapon.
It was an everyday
thing to see ships
blown apart right
next to you,” says
Gordon Workman.
Though there was never any
direct combat for the Prince Henry
and its crew, there was danger
nonetheless. "It was an everyday
thing to see ships blown apart right
next to you," he said. Many of his
friends lost their lives during a tor
pedo attack in the Halifax harbour.
He recalls another story involv
ing a German submarine which lay
hidden under the harbour's gate
vessel for some time before being
detected. Its mission had been to
destroy the Queen Elizabeth which
was transporting troops. "When
they finally discovered it, the men
aboard had Halifax subway tokens
and many other things in their
pockets, showing that they had
somehow managed to infiltrate the
city," he said.
After the war, Mr. Workman
returned home to Brussels and his
wife, Isobel, whom he married in
1941. The couple had four children,
Bonnie, Brian, Donna and Jacquie.
Life went on, but for Mr. Work
man and the other war veterans
those years are never forgotten.
"Remembrance Day is very
important in my life. I can never
forget there were people who gave
their lives fighting for this country
and freedom."
Today there are few remaining
veterans of the first World War and
as time passes the number of World
War II veterans is gradually dimin-
shing. While no one wishes for
another war, those who were part
of the last one don't want what hap
pened to be forgotten. When they
can no longer carry the torch will
the legacy be strong enough to
carry on on its own?
Mr. Workman, who is a member
of the Brussels Legion and
Goderich's Navy Legion, says he
often gets together with wartime
friends at reunions and keeps in
close touch with a few others. It
keeps the value of the memories
they share fresh.
"I am disappointed that younger
people will maybe not develop the
full understanding of the impor
tance of winning that war. But it's a
changing world," said Mr. Work
man. "There aren't many of us left
to help people remember what it
really meant."
In memory
Brussels reeve Gord Workman, a veteran of World War II
places a wreath a the cenotaph during the annual
Remembrance Day service.
LEST WE FORGET
THE ROYAL CANADIAN
1925 LEGION 1992
The Royal Canadian
Legion acts as an advocacy
agency in support of all
active service people and
veterans, from the First
World War to the Gulf War.
THE ROYAL
CANADIAN
LEGION
Branch 218
Brussels, Ontario
In 1990 some of the Legion's community
support programs were:
...spent $5,509,907 on direct support to
needy veterans
...committed $5,990,497 to veterans and
seniors housing projects.
...spent $9,566,583 on direct support to youth
..contributed $43,605,208 and 980,658 hours
to community service activities.
THE ROYAL
CANADIAN
LEGION
Branch 420
Blyth, Ontario
A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS