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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1946-02-21, Page 9THURS„ `FEBRUARY. alst . t946 Z�f,I ;•�. j•� ,iiV^r•J . '*1Mr• '.'A .r .j.'ll� • • • The Lneknow, Senti11e1p Lue'know, Ontario 1091007.4.W. } PAGE SEVEN, Germans Arnazed That Wi Play And Lis#en To Their Muse " December 25, 1945. At .the communion ;service in my office at 1830 Firs, there were nine officers and - it was finite a good. service, I thought, and the •colonel' came' up 'and .told me so � when `ht was finished, From there w I. went direct' .,to the mess' for Christknas dinner. The. 'office'rs, ha 'd. theirs••last night, because, to day , , . .'is'.oui day °to;serve-the men. , ;. n�'di'nner was over' I played. Whe. , y ••.ihe"pianoformcarol sin in . , TShen slipped ,away,andafter studying. a Tittle ;in `niy room I. went.over to 'see the 'two Ger- man ' ene,l'a1s=-took them some chocolate bars and cigarettes and -.--.-an-orange.each. I found them'.sit-_ ting before a.small evergreen tree. in front of which they hada caaiidle• (which I :took to. them) burning, .how=ha talking :Over 1?flY they had.: x� `_^-Cil---3+.•r"kk.�''E•r'�. Ci�{•b-�.%�.::.iidd.'t F.-�•! _..44'':@'G'iF.�: they;were able to be with their families. They'were very grateful for the stuff and `we had- a r fine ,long chat until .',it . was ' time `for. •me to Teave to.,go. to the mirth gift- •service in Aurich. The .Quarter.,: Master; of the Winnipeg- Rifles; re p aced al cou le sof. h m •' had � .p p a ers .P of tuff to.' be given_ to •Pastor Cramer and his family from the chaplains of :the `brigade=in' ap- preciatiori fEis 'co-operation the 'matter of'letting' :us: use his • church';". It was really -great 'to 'be 'able to walk into his, home; and, ;see how. happy he and his family, w,ere'td receive such gifts.. r can't help •feeling sorry 'for -so many. - of the' people here., Our service: was •very .well,, attended '= about 26o; Canadian- and; -Germans -and quite a few rernained, ,for coni munion. , We were a .little disap- • ,,pointed that no .Germans stayed. but--I-heard-- terwa -ds-they-were- a bit bashful about .pit. ` After, few hours' sleep,' I' got „,=up and; -di -ave trere tic lorddeich. for a` Christmas .service -and have: remained here all-ctay.-The ,ser - Vice' here \was splendidly attend= ed, probably because all: the `men were ready; for Chx.istmas ; din- nerFan as -many as `possible "were• rn-frnrr r gazar-cl1-porn-ts�.-I: help=- '. ed' serve •the 'dinner then arid' have remajnecj all afternoon' with: the men. Just now: I .have .spent ,,a very; pleasant :hour . with the landlord ands': his wrfe,;on and: daughter-in-law; ,'having tea: in the .part' of • the hotel they live, in, They . ac't'ually :own'• the place. •. ,December 26`, 1945. : Tomorrow; we ('all , the Chap- lains ,hap- Tains in the ,Div:) • are 'to: have Christmas ' dinner.' ' at the .Mc- "Naughton Club:rindeach one ;of. us is to entertain someone. who can' be'; included' under the head-' mg of "displaced personnel" .We• are not'` looking forward to it with any' great glee 'because :'some of these �'D.P.'s are Very' 'strange characters • However, it . means that they'll'each get a good meal' nd•theh-we'can: do`what We like With. 'our 'BOY Scout Buttons, • becernb r .27, 1945 We had .quite 'an interesting bine with bur " b,P " •guests , to=•. day at luncheon; The • lunch Was' horn a• : :great 'disappointment to all f �'ut• everyone . t Y Seemed .c 4 nJtiy 'the ;�tliff `spent. there. My partner could, not .speak any more'.`nglishµ- than 'I, speak Ger-, fnan--about ,twenty .words. I can hardly boast that. we • carried on a scintiiating conversation, brit it was interesting in spite of that, Just :before 'lunch' I had a r•half' 'hour of conversation .with a, Young woman who claims to have: come from Canada acid ,was caught`ove1>: here b i the war :She appa. English like 'a Canadian .'(so 1 think` she must be :one) and had soiree Very interesting •stories to Decernher 29, 1945, General E, is to leave torpor- row morning: ' for ' England -by planet When I saw iiim tonight he gave me one -of' his general's stars as, a souvenir (a -talisman he.all'edit''ri ,.. c ) a d he •a•utographed my. ,Cop of •• Ross .MVlunro's • "From Gauntlet to Over•ldrd". Doug` Gar- Tie•and 'I `are ',hoping.. to be; ,able to take some 'snaps (Whim in the xnornirig, This afternoon I spent two hours preparing a. rough draft f my 'impressionsof, and, fellings l; concerning the German service I attended; : on Christmas; Eve at: 1100his. e . i : That_ts_not the - service at- ch •Z ru cached but rat1 .44 4/444.400.4.4140.44444444.04,4144.44.4 1404.4 u,p here tonight because -tumor row I. plan ' to go td °Norderney • Islands•• 'where `we , have another. outpost to which' I haven't been as yet. I want. to have. a New' Year: ,, r -service with the.men °there and' one with these men. The boat. :only makes • one. trip. each `'.day, and: so that is why I: must..,stay overnight if• .I want to .get any work done. The best part of it is that: it will be new territory, a new;experience and 'will;.for.that reason,' be interesting. "January' 2,; .1946 ®T , -Norddercb is Very nice but: you .should see I. Norderriey. 'and the' quarters .,the 'men ''and: officers' have 'there `The °Royal Naval Of :ficer. s really .O.C: of'the island � Y; When When. I arrived. he and our .of ficer disccussed'. what room I should have, I. suggested that all Y was` concerned about was a' bed to sleep in: They, sent' the Jerry. steward .along with my kit•, to instal me iii a 'rooin. Weproceed- ed. to :'where' the men ' were 'sit •ting chatting' until :supper ,and t'he service .at ..whch. I. wase the ,only Canadian., .I '1want, also ,:to write 'about,.: the .midriiglit service and the "children's Deceniber 30,' 1945: --° I slept well and almost ' too long 'to.gettip`and see General E: :and,*his fellows leave .this morn- ing •but I; .didHsee-- thermoffs-and he was very pleased that I:had gotten: up ;in time: to'. do it, Per:-, haps it will" be_:soa:nething:w-of a.. relief for : you to 'know that you won't • be hearing so',much about my conversations with ail' f rona now \on:. He :was :sorry this Morn- ing that. I 'hadn't'`had .more time to explain;;to him aheorganiza tion o.f` our'. Presbyterian church:. Ike' asked about it . the nightbe- fore last and: , had on�lY° `_line• to make a•'start. Then his return ito- England came somewhat sooner than waIS'.expected •so •we hadn't time to: complete the picture.. er- tarnli they have ' been very, ap- preciative of,_aJUhe .R. C chap lain and 'I• have done, One of the officers from brigade told -me that,. a two-page :letter. had been sub mitted expressing a p ' 'g appreciation of the -treatment they had received. while among. us' and making special"`rhent'ion of the .work done" by --the ,chaplains-There- tain satisfaction inknowing that what: has been done has been:. ap- preciated in'such��a,concrete way. took...hoMe one of the. kiddies ;tram the ` children's' party '• the, other. afternoon 'and re•mained ' to' chat with his peoplefora; while.' They. are very, interesting and seem completely surprised by " tlie,: friendliness .of those •in;, the Bri tish..Zone, especially the Cana dians. Apparently.. more cruelty and ' very 'little sympathy •had been` anticipated. They are, per haps,':even more amazed: that 'they, may '•listen' .to'. the wireless 'and hear;' over British and American stations, the music '6f W.agnei•' and, other German composers." They, have... been under' the imp- . Pression' that we were °forbidden to: listen.'to -their- wont:-And-t'hey were quite'. amazed that they had' heard. the music of ' "Deutschland- uber.',Alles'.' over the' air, and to be: told that we • used it very fre-' quently as a tune, for our hymns; in. church, even during the. war,, was almost a staggering bit of news: it may 'be that they are 661riin ` -to' see""'f}iat"our w•:ay ti" g is perhaps • better than their sli, s been, I. ,hoe: , • ..Since: finch I have been to one of the outposts,to :have a service. When ,I `came back I.sat by The ire 'to "get. war'ni .for a minute: or two and then got. into a truck o drive'„ up to Norddeich . where am ` now, We have just.,, now watched' one of the' rribst glorious iehtl onsets ` I' have ever seen. Corn- y had a grim time: It 'pletely, •• indescribable ' beauty, <in, was f •� a 'srou of the great room but a Steinweg • concert .grand.. In spite of •riy mediocre ability at' a. piano I. sat down. arid started to play 'arid` was so delighted with the Ment' that I "doodled” `until the men went•to their supper. It was :something I had` been hoping to 'have-sbmetime over, here- wein-. ers and. sauerkraut, a real.master- Z l2r'ct rn :uric err ner un too:: because she: 'speaksreds, scarlets,. 'lavender. ,I ,'. carni:.„ i .... ,..,_ ., Piece. I. found out about that time that the place had .been used by sort • of marine"section" of the Luftwaffe. Again ' I say that the Germans appear to have spared -exp. - f` expense when'•it m- -i . no p n ., , ca a to g v ing their military people the best of all available things.. This morn-' ing I had an interesting time in specting two Dornier•fJying boats that . are still intact, housed . in a hangar very close to_ flip mss I . w,as . taken for a drive about the ,town and around the. island. We stopped at a cemetery and. visited the' graves of:Some Allied; fliers. •who 'had 'been:. shot', doWn and. were • burie there. ..The .; graves �t. J were very nicel_ kept and quite .Y. close:` to.,. the ,gr "'ves of ' German:. a fIiers.• As 'a' matter . of fact the ri?. a .y. were all ,in -one , large ,plot al- though the rows were arranged. so that 'there was no° mixing of the men_ of the .two sides' in the fight. The more a I travel about Germany. the more I am inclined. to think that in 'most cases the Gerinwis ''hava done things very. mtir�li=ac "m s laa�r�..,.. G'ar a.la,„-and .Enlap d g to a great extent.' After dinner last nigh we three of- ficers'went down' into the ' town to --d' beer . garden 'where . a dance was-bem h 1 4 g, e d �vhch�nwe-:.�new- our rnen, would attend. We thinly,' • it's a good idea here to ' be on hand because Canadians can , be ver` o bre b oxiou n ell r n. t y- s._a d-� ge e when they are intoxicated. ' By and large we have a ood repuuta- g g. Germans P titin -amort the Germans and. we want to d4 everything. we carp- to keep it that way. This Nor-• Berney .Island was apparently a. -suxriirier` resort in. peace-,' 'great • , time and .has ..a ' splendid' sandy beach'.lined by • many . hotels; which have, no doubt, been fine places blit after six years. of War are a .bit run-down. At the �pres-- ent time. all the 'people there aro'. very poor.' because there, has been, no tourist;,trade ,fdr .quite 'a long.. time.. They have 'absolutely, no money at :ail, so the .,burgomeis, ter _was telling us this :morning. 11:1`6)1S: crulte on ' interesting' •charaeter. . Before'933, :the `be in' r ' f - 1 , h , b g n ng„o the'.;.. Hitler..'regirne;,he was bu'rgomeis•.. ter.•'hen •because :of 'not being an important `Nazi. he was . re- placed'. Now he is at'' the job again and it is not an easy , orie, • you may. be sure?. _ especially' at•_, this time. Our engineers '•are :directing g Ge ima ...all: a L over, "_ h _' . r .t e. island: i:ry:., :the demolition of the eoncrete.de-` • ?r • ri 5, r �" w c ririg' it •a'irrto'st^ cop1r pietely to some,�considerable Bis d tance. inland: So 'you':see it. has been quite an' interesting exper= • ience to have this. da and iii ht ' 1 _. on one of the `Frisian Islands. , . • THE , ROYA°D-^ ' P dance hall''at: Win -ham-has- been sold' bytiara=' g , y. Wells to Frank and Bob Hopper. zat Tou use: • it's.NOT• b read �.r • b • it's '. 'HOT eggs With .a bin full of., coat and a larder full of food, you might well face a cold week -end .with confidence., Thefact that you donot have a bin full of electricity somewhere does not worry you. Hydro has proved to •. 'be so dependable. Yet, electricity, cannot be stored must be mle and delivered the very instant you, use, it. That is "Hydro Service". Suppose it is 2 a.m..The .baby has just fallen out. of its crib. Half awake; yo}i•reach fora switch.. You. • want light fast. ,You get light 'instantly.; Yet the elec..... triCit' that •lights the:tan* .,is made after lot; flip the switch,.... made at the source of water -power,' perhaps. tiundreds�of" :riiiles 'away..- It`•'flashe* to you' through- many miles,_of transmission lines, through transformer. and ..io . you use it before thee distribu«ion stations, and u us water' that make's: it can leave the powerhouse::` One single break or' failure in all those miles of wire and equipment might cut off your light and newspapers would write about it,• it would, be sol unusual.. To 'keep` ill these Trillions- of dollars `°mitt off' ‘equipment• operating, with no.,:mistakes'or serious interruptions', is the continuous •job' of..a large. and wide -spread staff of watchful Hydro employees. , Yet,.. the cost per unit of power is very;'low. Ontarioc,power' rates : areamong the lowest in the world. That is r'Hydro Service" -y� TNHY.DR.O -ELECT tlG�.' P� V' R; ! . aSSrC'N OF E•. `� "ONTARIO • 4 • • r •