HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-09-23, Page 10.w
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ODERICH SIGNAL sTAR,`TBUR:elAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1976
postal
Ic drip with 3,000': airmen
BY MARGARET McHOLM August, 1941 he collided with
• •an, ._
enemy aircraft, and was a
A dec sioh to _attend a ':Q, ,..for three and one half,
reunion of wartime :.pilots and years. While. still in: hospital
aircrew can onlybe ap- after his capture he was in
proached •with a :measure of °'vited to lunch by' General:
excitement, but also a certain Adolphe Galland, In Sep -
amount of trepidation and tember 1945 he led the first
skeptism. So it .was as we. post-war Battle- Britain fly
journeyed •to Winnipeg. past. •
Would we recognize, Germany was also'
anybody? If so, how could yip represented"' by one • of the
possiblyremember names? most famous airmen of World
Worse 'still, would anyone War Two; a friend now of
recognize us? • Gro- W Captain Si'r Doggies
The ',reunion: began Thtir- R.S. Bader. He is General.
sday, September ..9 at. Win- . Luetrnant . Adolph Galland,
nipeg's-beautiful Convention Knights Cross 'Of: -the •Iron
Centre, so vast a. place, that' --•Gross with Diamonds, Oak•
there is never a crowd. it Leaves and Swords, Cross of
ended September 12, with a . Honour. His book The First.
Church ' Parade to the.. and The. Last -is regarded as
Cenotaph, then_ back to 9 an authoritative account of
Holiday Inn . for- .the the air w,ar,. His now wile
• Hospitality Rodin Farewell, reply to Goering who asked
the final get-together., quite a him what was needed to help
stretch of celebrating for old Germany's air war effort
A airmen to say the -least. was, "A . squadron of Spit=
The first few hours were fires.
spent trying to remember, This is by . no means the
and. to . recognize vaguely entire list of the distinguished
familiar but changed faces. guests at the reunion, but we
Also the one sure factor of the • must mention one more, a
passing years; that of. not tiny dynamo of a man, ahere:
being able -to read the name .• of both world wars, whose
tags with ouF bi-focals, being achievements _ , are too
forced to admit - te having fro numerous to mention: From
Peer .ups and under. However,• New Zealand, Group Captain
as the hours went` by, the °Tiny' T,W, White, C:B.E., •
years fell away, and by • E.D., J.P.
evening the hall. was On Friday; September 10th,
resounding . with cries of the • ladies were taken on a
"`Harry, you old... !" and : leisurely cruise down the Red
the glib,hes being told -- "You River in old Paddle- Wheelers,
haven't ,changed a bit, .I d"` with a. witty and charming
have known you anywhere narrator on board to titivate
While silently, we mused, and 'amuse the ladies:
bald ,of course, heavier, do'. Meanwhile there was 'a Stag
you suppose we look as old. Luncheon at the Convention
The Winnipeg. organization ' Centl'e for the airmen, where
did a magnificent job of they had a rchance to listen to
planning. Events followed in speeches from the
orderly sequence, with still distinguished guests, : and
enough.: time for everyone to Water tomeet and• chat with
leisurely renew old and then'.
.vag:ue4y remem ..bered : Thatnight was' a _gala
friendships •at the watering banquet; with nearly 4,000
hole of their choice. There airmen and their. .wives
was a, registration by . the • seated. The guest speaker
Saturdy of over .'3,000 air- Was ' Group - Captain Sir
men, some 80 percent with • Douglas Bade , who charmed
their Wives.. thea ••audience with his
Every •
country•. in : the sparkling• wit; and charming
COM. neon- wealth was ` personality.
represented. Over.. 30 came The next °morning, buses
took the Airmen to Portage la.
Prairie', where every type of
wartime : aircraft • was on
display from the tiny . Tiger
Moth to the sophisticated
fighter plane, the . F5. An
airshow gave a1i the fellows• a
especially to the reunion from
-New Zealand. Aswell, many
. ' Americans. who had served
with : our armed forces :had
converged from every corner
• of • the U.S .A. and . every
province in Canada was
represented. journey into nostalgic
The distinguished list of remembrance:
wartime heroesead like 'a One chap, • a paraplegic -
military ."Who's Who", and since his crash in '1944, .had
included . from Canada • the never flown since in anything
Commander of 617 (dam- other than ''a ' commercial
buster) • squadron Air aircraft, kept approaching
Commodore J;E, Fraquier, pilots in vain for a .flight.
D.S.O. Croix de Giierre (Fraj' Finally with the intervention
Chevalier of the Legion of.of Group Captain Sir Douglas
Honour (F 1. _.__.. . Bader, lie finally w":as"liftecl-'.
• From the United •States, into a helicopter, and had hisT,
Colonel `Gabby' Francis S. "'light.
• Gabreski, U.S,A'.F., That night, the nightrof the
D.S.M., •D.F.C., D.S.C., Silver Gala Ball, manyneuer did get
Star, Air Medal, Bronze Star, to bed, the ballroom; gay with
D.F.C. (Br), : Legion of • colours, the men proud as
honour, Cro%s de Guerre ..peacocks• wearing their
(Bel): .'' miniature medals, a fitting
Also from the United .decoration . on- their . dinner
States, that 'great• general jackets. The .music: was
•who organized and led the played by the Air Command
Tokyo Bombing Mission in .Orchestra, the music of the
.April ] 942, Lieutenant 20's`; 30'sand;40:s.
General James H. Doolittle, We might all have looked
U.SA F ; `Medal "of Honour, middle aged to any onlookers,
• D.S,M., Silver Star, D:F.C:, but for a few brief hours' we
Bronze • $tar, Air Medal, were young again as we
K.C.B. (Br);' Order of Yung danced.and sang our music,
Jui (China) Legion of Honour„: A . sing -song, led by a
Croix de Guerre (Fr), Order volunteer group of our own
of. the Crown, Croix de Guerre airmen had the place
BeFj-- swinging, •as_ _ all _the_old
From Britain, the man who wartime songs from 'twa.:
Was instrumental in''Winning world •• wars, sentimental,
theyBattle of Britain, after he . noble or obscene, took us all.
rejoined,. the A.A.F. when he back in time: '
`had lost both his .legs -in. a • Despite late hours, tired-
` flying accident, Group' ness, or hang -overs; at 10'.00
Captain Sir Do'uglas R. ,hours found most of the
Bader, • C•B,E•,F. D,S.O., ' Airmen into 15 flights,
D I':C Legion of 'Honour, ' weighed down with, : their'.
Croiit de-- Guerre (Fr.) In . medals • and gongs, for a
•
•
•
•a:
march to .the Cenotaph for dear, I'm .trying ,, to find
Wreath . Laying, and to someone from Winnipeg,'I do.
commemorate; the Battle of so want •a picture of my
Britain. husband and I'm out:of
It was ,a restless, group, So we ran along the
parade
tired frorilines, found her•liusb-, , -
finally all was ready„,; and in:due course, I hope, she will
when the Winnipeg Pipe Band receive her picture.
began the stirring music, the • The c service at the
1• lines formed' and Cenotaph, the: Wreath Laying
straightened, bent shoulders by the Heroes of two World._.
squared up, and, with heads Wars, including a wreath Iaid
held high, for nearly 2,000.. for lost German Airmen by •.
airmen thirty years of more _ General Luetrnant Adolph
-fell away; as with firm sturdy.. :Galland, the two minutes
strides, they marched as they silence, then the thunderous
had done so long ago. - • Fly Past by Air Command, et
The first flight to follow the Fighter Aircraft, the ,haun
Winnipeg Pipe Band was ting :Last Post, the forlorn -
wheel -chair airmen, pushed . Lament, then the hopeful
by young Air Cadets, and ' Reveille, made us all realize
when we realized that when.: and renew our pledge, '• that
they were maimed or crip- surely these must'.be wars to
pled they were not -Th much . end all wars. •
older khan the young -m -en ----The three-Pipe-Bands=ih
pushing them, there was nota returned the flights Mack to
Holiday ' Inn, .'for , the.
Hospitality Room Farewells,
and for one last -bash' of:
nostalgia. As it drew to a
close, all agreed it had ex-
ceeded our • remotest • ex-
pectations, and enriched our
lives•immeasurably.
Old and. often: forgotten
friendships were renewed,
and new ones made. 'It was
truly a great emotional binge,
exhausting, but all un-
forgettable exxperience.,
"We few, we happy few, we
band of brothers." i
Shakespeare.
MAPLE LEAF
dry eye in the crowd.
Wives and - families
followed the parade, snap-
ping pictures' of their
husbands or fathers. Manyor
the men had never had oc-
casion to wear their medals,
and it wasa. proud Moment
_for all, '
' As I was running along, one,
woman gasped beside me,
"Neverthought' I'd become a
camp follower, but there's a
first time 'for everything."
• Another huffed, up to me,
"Are you from Winnipeg?"
When I replied that I was
from Ontario, she. said, "Oh•
hio Masons visit
oderich on weekend:
The Masonic Lodge of. ' Huron Historic Jail, the
Goderich, Maitland • Lodge , Huron County, MVfuseum and
No, 33; played host over -the the conircunity -of Goderich ,--
weekend . to . a group of 51 ; on Saturday afternoon.
Masons from Dayton; Ohio. • The Dayton Masons were,
That group represented a then hosted at.: a dinner and
number of lodges. in Dayton- •dance at The Shillelagh at
and were under. the direction Vanastra. • •
•"of” Right Worshipful Brother On :Sunday.. morning: ,;the,
Poynter. and Worshipful • American Masons and'theiur
Brother Dixon. wives were . the ` individual '
In addition to' ' a lodge guests of various Goderich
,meeting at Maitland Lodge Masons for breakfast and
33; which included. •the cell-- attended worship service at •
ferring of a degree on' . Knox Presbyterian Church:
Goderich Mason L. B, 'The group left : on their ,..
Graham, the group toured the return trip Sunday afternoon.
in tari. •
o
ran �s to- -Huron
The-Ontario..'Lottery, •
Wintario, announced six
more ggraitit'S tri Hirrtttr o-u-nty
this week- 'totalling $20,042.
Amounts range from $11,666
to $317,',
The Village of Bayfield is
eligible for a grant of $11,666
to relocate and build . an ad-
dition to its library: • The •
Exeter Lions Club is eligible
for a grant . of $4,750 •to;
upgrade a: tennis court:
The Goderich Township
Recreation Board will
receive. soitoaii •equipment
valued at - $1,206from the
—Winta• rOTtree, and'
field - Township Recreation
Committee . will receive
similar equipment valued at •
$1;178.
The Recreation Committee :.
in • Howick Township • will
receive $925 to buy uniforms
for hockey and softball teams
and the. Wingham Ringettes
will receive • hockey equip-
: ment.valued•at $317,
True Precision 'n:Motion
Two door sedan, fuel infected, 4 cylinder engine, 4
- - ---speed .iransmission,, radiaL"ti e4, power disc brakes,
rear defrost, reclining seats, carpeting, etc., etc. Runs.
con regular fuel. e+
'You can own this 1976 VOLVO for less than you think..'
TRY US!
Serial Na. 24245E3086005. • ro
• 184 EAST ,S
•MOTORS
LIMITED
SALES S SERVICE
GOOERICH ' ' 524='7212
Sale Prices Effective From 'Thurs.,,Sept. 23rdSun. Sept. 26th
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIE'S
OPEN SUNDAYS II.AAA. TO 8 P.M. : M__ONDAY TO SATURDAY 9 A.M. TO 9 P:h
Canada Posts
Posi - . : Canada
On September 1, 1976,
major postal rate changes
came intoeffect. E3ut, when
you consider:all the facts, we
think you'll agree thatthe new
rates are still a first-class
bargain:
For one thing, these rates'
have :not .been increased in
over four years. for another,
current postal rates in most
Western countries exceed
Canada's.new•postal rates..
'Anyone using the Canadian
postal service will find many.
changes in rates. •
• 0 Letters or postcards,up to
1oz:,fordeliveryiritan:
ala, change from 8O to 104 _
as of September 1, 1976,
and to 1.2c -as of March 1,
19.77. travelled and the weight of
0
Greeting cards up to
2 oz for delivery in
Canada, change
from 6.to
9tasof°
Septem-
ber 1;
1976, and to 10& as of
March 1, 1977. Allgreet`
ing cards should be sealed..
0 Rates for special services -
such as Registered Mail,
C.O.D. and Special Deliv-
ery, Postal insurance and
Money Orders hpve also
changed.
Major., adjustments have
been made in parcel rates to
create amore equitable rate
structure by relating the rates
more closely to tre distance
�1h(fill I
❑• In some cases, -
parcel rates have
been reduced.
-.•0 First class
parcels
(over i lb.
and up to
66 Ws.) receive our best
service.
`Cl More than ever`, `Parcel
Post" -is the low-cost way
to reach any address in
Canada.
The new Canadian Postal^
• Rates deserve your attention.
When you post both letters
and parcels, check with your
Postmaster and be sure of the
proper rates.'_
Correct postage plus the
Postal Code will:give you
better service.
the parcel.
•
•