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4 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR. July 21, 1111$S
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Wednesday. July 21. 1999
editorial and Besioess flees - 100 MON Sheet.,Sea4ertlt
9eispir000 (519) 527-0240 Fox (519) S27.2858
Mollies Address • P.O. Lox 69,
Seetforfh, Ontario, NOK 1 WO
Mersver 3; As
esss.scosY Z '�sT.: �J-1�•J •.,�`-'i:•S•"s—SS`'1:
Publication Moa Registration PJ0. 07605
Editorial
Extracare needed
around carefree kids
Situations have been turning around for the
Avon Maitland District School .Board in the past
-few weeks
• in fact, insteod of having to watch their backs
from angry parents, board: members have taken
a few pats on the back
',Jost recently.was o report from the Education
_°mprovement Commission that had 'very
satisfying' comments and found 'no less than .
eight..school board -practices it could recommend
to other school boards ,
0.espite hard feelings and complaints
expressed by the community,. the commission
found little of major concern with the newly
orpolgamated board -he commission has been
visiting boards to see how smoothly the
provincially mandated amalgamations have
been taking place
This, coupled with a recent. Expositor tour -of the
new school board offices, hos helped polish up
on image that was tarnishea.by -some tough
-s ituations_s.uch as having to look at closing
schools while moving staff and losing a .director
of education -
But the commission noted the absence of
quality communication between the board and
community; something that -can only help the
board and staff if they realize not everything has
to be done quietly. The commission strongly
recommended the - board improve its
communication with the public
:Too often, public requests ore'presentgtionS at
board meetings are met with no response from
the board or indication they,have been heard
ironically, while the_boord is taking steps to
improve its communications by hiring a
communcations officer, it's ignoring the
significant -e of the commission's
recommendation by being closed -mouthed
about it.
. The Expositor learned •the officer was being
hired but was faced with an unwillingness to
release that information to the public by board
chair Wendy Anderson '
And the media was told there' were only two
people they could. talk 10 about the commission's -
report One of them was away on vacation
It's dangerous to do this because something
simple and justified begins to look suspicious .
and rumours .start --like those that spread quickly
about luxuries in the new boord office.
It seems like being more open is still a hard
lesson for the people behind our educators to
learn,
STH
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Opinion
A tale of the Iron Cross
from the `great war'
Although my father fought in
a number of battles in the great
war. - and" was severely
. wounded...and worse: he left
his twin brother buried in
France. he disc not return home
. with a medal for braver'.
in any ranking of emotion
I'm sure the sorrow of being
so desperatel alone came ahead of fear.
For as. well as leaving. my .uncle-
Clarence
uncleClarence in the British cemetery near
the village of Anneaux• killed in the'
battle of Bourton Wood six weeks
before the Armistice was signed. he had
another reason to be sad. His two sisters
died in the influenza epidemic back
home in Seaforth. But there are no
medals for enef and an aching heart
So it was interestitt jor.me to read
about a soldier: on the Nher. side who
was a hero -and lived to return home
when the .w ar ended...with a top medal.
A 'decoration given only fot'braye deeds.
_ in,battle the iron Cross First Class. An
honour seldom given to an ordinary
• field soldier in the old German arnic.
This soldier had fought through much.
of the same -area in France and in the
same hanles as my dad.and his twin.
•There vas little difference in their age:
The German soldier was born in -April.
1889 in the town.of Braunau. Ms father
was born- in Seafonh in July. 1895 - six
Clare Westcott
years later.
When the .i ar. ended in 1918 Arnold
• Westcott was in an arm). hospital in
Surres recovering from 'shrapnel
.wounds in his head and' arm:.He was
senini• with Huron's 161st Battalion in
the Somme River fighting near Amien
and a as hit be ian.exploding shell in
Jul).
• .About the same time the soldier from
the Bavarian. 16th Reserve Infantry
Regiment as in a hospital in .the town
of Pasewalk. not tar from Berlin. he
suffered severe burns in the last battle
. of Ypres in October. There is no doubt
he was .either .a=brave soldier or,a
reckless,and daring fool. for no less
,person 'than famous writer and war
correspondent Wiliiam L. Shirer,
documented the deeds of this Simple
German soldier over' the four years of
the war -•information gathered mostly.
-from captured German records.
He arrived at ,)he front in October.
1914 with only a few weeks oetrainiifg.
Just in time.to take partin the first
Battle 'of Ypres. A bloody and costly
fight. The British had dug into
successfulll .block the German drive to
the English' Channel. In four days` of
fighting his regiment was reduced' from
3500 men to 600. 1n October. 1916 he
was severe!) wounded in the leg in the
Battle of the Somme. In the summer of
1917 he returned to his regiment and
fought in the Battle' of Arras and at
Ypres.; The .28 rear old soldier was a
dispatch rider through the thick of the
fighting' in -the last ditch German
offensive in the spring and summer of
'1918. He proudly wore his iron cross
first Mass to the end of his life.
But he was an .odd duck. _ as soldiers
go. He never received mail or .parcels
from honie:..or talked about his family:
He never asked for leave. lie never
: complained about the filth of war - the
lice and the mud and the cold...and the
stench of the dead at the' front. He was
cursed. by his fellow --soldiers_ for they. -
found him intolerably aloof...a cold and
impassioned reclusive warrior- a,l.oner.
in early 1919 my dadcame home 'to
Seaforth to apprentice as a watchmaker
with John F.-Dal'y....but still having to
'regularly have his wounds treated at
W'estminste'r Veterans Hospital in
London. He married my mother in.1922
and 1 was horn in 1924...Together they
ran the jewellery store on Main Street
for 40 years. `He died in 1961 in
Sunm brook Hospital. He was.66.
After the war the German soldier with
the Iron Cross First Class :..whose
interest. since-boyhood:w:as to bean
artist and possibly move ,into
architecture -found life difficult and
hard. He had little in the way of skills.
What knowledge he had carne from his
compulsion to read eventhing.he could '•
get his hands on. He did not complete
his high 'school. education so his -
application for college u as turned
down. His lack of marketable skills'
steered him 'into roan) dead end jobs
and he gravitated into the rough and
tumble politics of the street. He started
right at the bottom. •
-
He had no family connections. His
father was a drunkard. a minor customs
officer in the German 'civil service...and
an illegitimate child. His mother was a
..
simple. uneducated Ba' arian
girl and his Lather's second.
cousin. His rather'• name was
Alois Schicklgruber...which he
later -changed in an effort to
claim part of an inheritance.
He died of a lung hemorrhage.
in 1903.at the age of 65. His
mother's name was Klara
Poelzi. She was his father's third wife.
It was her fourth -and last child who
grew up to Win the Iron'Cross"First•
Class. 'Her fyst.three children died in
infancy. She died in 1908 of breast
cancer. N1). dad outlived her hiehls
decorated soldier son hs' 16 sears.
I still remember those cold November '
days in chelate 1920s and 30s when ins
dad marched to the cenotaph in Victoria
Park with his veteran buddies...with his
medals pinned proudly on his chest...but
none for bra%en.
The brave German soldier received
the Iron Cross First Class on the .
recommendation.ot First Lieutenant
Hugo Gutmann who ordered him to.
carr- dispatches through the battle area
to 'the artillery The citation. dated Ju .
3lst. 1918 tmy"dad's 23rd,birJul),
was
signed by Baron Von Godin and read...
As •a dispatch runner: he has shown
cold-blooded courage and,exemplari
boldness both in -positional warfare ani
in the war of movement. and he has
always volunteered to carry:messages in
the most difficult -of situations at the
risk of his life. Under condition. 1,1"great peril. when all communication
dines were cut. his untiring and tearless
activity made.. it possible for important
messages to go through.
Although the 'German soldier proud!),
wore his Iron Cross First Class for 27
years- right'up until the moment of his
death...when asked about his vitt-
experiences-he
;;r
experiences -he appeared strange!)
reticent. Talk about the award seemeddiscretely veiled as though some hidden
mystery` was attached to it:
Of course he didn't Want to talk about
it.:.for first .Lieutenant Hugo Gutmann. ,
who so highly praised him and
recommended him fdr the Iron Creis,. -
First Class was a Jew. .
....and the daring German soldier,' the
son of Alois Schickigruher. who toughs
in the same areas of France as my fatherw
and his twin brother Ciare....ould iter.
be known to thew oral as Adolph Hitler
Real medicine man -visits Egmondville
July 14, 1898
The raising of Mr.
.ticLella►i's fine large barn at
Didflur war Very successful -from -nn
point of view. -
,The site of the old Dufferin House
in EKmo» dville has been a lit.sly
place: .Night entertainments have
been held Under canvas and a real
►medicine pian ..dispensed the
'blessings of his. art. ' -
The children of St. James Church
,Sabhath School held their annual
picnic in Cases: grove when the
young people had on enjoyable time:
. fiss Florence Whitely . has
returned hone from Zurich for the
holidays.- -
Keith McLean ' sailed ' from
Montreal for Liverpool and hill Xi►
to London to fish brother Allen who
i.s located there.
James Gillespie of town is
dirideng his surrey an Main' -Street
into two compartments and has.
rented one to ,Hiss Kinsey far a
nulJi►ters store. -
• t!iss •,Nettie Wilsi,fiitar-rirturned
home from • Worcester,
Massachusetts, ss here . she was
taking`a course in dmntestic science.
W.H..Willis continues to do [Mile a
trade -in the leather legging
business.- - . - • -.
`Chas. Gies.of rhe Huron Road,
Hullerhas seven -lambs and jour
times Out of a flock of 175 killed h► •.
lightning.
L) C.. Campbell of Varna who sold
'hi.s--hlacksmith business here has
bought out Mr. Hari of Brucefield •
J.W. 'King of Constance has
resigned his position as public
school teacher here- and hat
purctfased a farm at Bluevale.
Briber: Armstrong of Hullett had a
ho, bee and*the following evening,
gave, a party. Excellent music was
furnished by Best, Allan and Staples.
July 11, 1924
Mr. .and Mrs. Henry•McGavin of
Tuc•kersmith celebrated their 60th
wedding anniversary.
Wm. Montgomery of Winthrop left
for Buffalo where he secured a
position.
•
in the Years Agone
11;.rd s,ns r_e_ceived at Manleythat
Jot Eckert of -Detroit lies the
neisl,,rru►te to, fall off a douse he was
shingling a distance Af 20-feet..Vo
• bones here broken..
Geo. Holland of Beechwood is
having; a rte•►+ .steel roof put (in -his
barn on. the Flannery farin.
Strawberries.- home grown at
Hibbert. ore plentiful at two boxes
for'25 cents.-
- The neighbours and friends of
lyn,. Staples of ,ticKillop assisted
hint )lith ci fertili:cr been and with
►nurture spreaders ,cleaned.up 95
loads. -They were entertained at
night to a dant-e.
• The golf links at- Bas,field were
opened when about 100 people ss•ere
pr"e.sent•and promoters, Dr Newton
Brads and. E. H. Johns. recei t•ed-
mans-ssords of praise. -
J: J. Brockerick of town did the
street (lei orations for the Lindsay
old /,uric ss eek and great credit is.
due ho„ for the exec,' work.
J. I- Ross and son Hugh of Guelph
spent the week ,with, friends in
Seaforth. -
James Stewart of to»n.sang a very'
pleasing soli in First Presbyterian
Church on Sundae morning. •
Miss Marc Gillespie, .Miss Bessie
Grieve and Miss Norman Hartry are
in Toronto this week examining
departmental examination papers. -
With fine weather. There promises
to he a record crowd at Ba►f eld for
the Ford picnic.
Dr. and Mrs. Simpkins have left
Dublin. Or. Trainer of London is
successor to Dr Simpkins. '
July 15, 1949
J. Miles McMillan of Seaforth
returns to South America where he is
spending .tow ,years on the staff of
the Tropical Oil Co.
Lorne .and Alvin Dale of Seaforth
captured first prize as Dowler's
Ment double bowling tournament in
Stratford. Their win brought each of
them a suit of clothes.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Dalrymple of
('r(,marts, calf ,'rale'ti !,,,'f -.
25th weddin.,'
They ►s -ere pi • 1 itith-a,,
occasional roekins; Mfr b< F_lnici,
DowR(' Russell. -
Robert Kirby of ttalton arteodcd
the .horse races in C/resles Iles ttir
horses- have won tut e'ntl.rat e'1 tins.
year.-
. -t hc,nt i0 neighhlu,rs and .friends
t•uthered 01 the /tame of ;I1 r'. M.
1l'iiliui►is r►t TucJl'ersntfth iii honour
of .tfiss :Shirley Uldhle ld. bride 'of
this month.. Mrs.,. Pau! Dole read an
addre..s.i and she.. re•c e, real an.
assortment' of.•red ane/ w bite kin lien
utensils.
-Sgt. Present. of the RCM.. (limon
rendered rw.o f i/,t'. violin se+Its i11
First - Preshs,er,etn Church on
Sunday evevtint'. .
July 1R, 1974
A left- handed man it ho plat v an
excellent richt hauled home of Veil!.
.Seaforth'.s.ots n Ken 1)„it is ;,oris
ranked amoas• the top c'o11ers ►►ir
-Ontario with h, f it .t1,;,,I i i of a -
place on Ontar,o•s ll•fllintd,n,
Team.
"tVil! lite dos care centre be open
in Seplemher:'” man% parents have
been asking senc•e Toss n Cu%uni•e1
passed ahs -law authori: int the
centre last week. "1'111 quite .sure it
won't be, 1 - think ,t Would' be
impossible, " .thnort rank Sills told -
The Expositor. •
The Red Cross blood donor (lime.
held: Monday• tit \urrh t rde Untied
Church was successful. tie (ordin.i ter
Mrs. Lillian Kerslake of .the Local
Red Cross. 142 donors gate blood.
Seaforth'.s 39th annual Lions'
Carnival wi!! wind up di midnight
Saturday after four action -packer!
•nights of entertainment and fun
including a two-mile open bicycle
race.- -
A suh.sta„rial iris reale tri
membership has reported at the July
meeting of she Chamber of
Commerce held in the Town Hal!.
Three hundred' dollars worth of
cigarettes and loose change were
taken from Sadler's General Store in
Staffa last week.