The Lucknow Sentinel, 1984-11-07, Page 22L
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, November 14, 1984—Page 2
•
Bud sees active service in northern Europe following D
•friim page 1
searchlights; the other two, lightly armour-
ed, acting as accommodation for person-
nel. The train operated between Prince,
Rupert and $mithers B.C. and was a
mobile fire power with an operating zone. of
275 miles. It was actually one of the mon-
strosities of this war."
Bud -remembers being on the train when
a visiting V.I.P. had requested a sample of
the regiment's firing prowess. A log in the
• river was selected as the target but only
one round _could 'be expended. As an
artillery piece has to be ranged to the
target, a direct hit was most unlikely but
that was the result. Perhaps the Japanese
got wind of the regiment's accuracy and
wisely decided not ,to, invade Canada
because of it.
• When the regiment returned to Petaw-
• awa, Bud was detached from his unit to
take officer training- at Gorden Head in
Vancouver Island. The 'training was
demanding and conditions were summed
• up by a sign in one of the instructional hrits
which read "You are Among Friends".
Someone had carefully scratched out the
"r" in friends.
It was -here that he spent the first of
several Christmas' away from home.' His
. ,
wife, Arnetta says that it was this first
Christmas inB.C. that developed a life--
long detestation of Ring Crosby's hit, "I'm
Dreaming of a White Christmas".
Bud_arrivecl in England ;and 'was. posted
to a re-inforcement pool: to await orders to
join the regiment, It was a time of training
and waiting, mostly the latter. To keep the
• soldiers busy, the higher command used -
their imagination. Bud was enrolled in a
water crilour painting course for it was felt
that it would help artillery officers who did
forward observation work selectinglargets
to .draw better sketches of thesurrounding
terrain. He took courses on motorcycle and
tank driving during his time as well,
Clarence remembered bumping into Bud
in London in 1943 when. he And Fred
Howson were on a weekend pass.' He
thought it was at piecaciilly Circusas every •
Canadian went there at some time or other.
The meeting was brief as Bud had a train
connection to make to get back to his unit.
In March of 1945, the regiment found
itself in, the, thick of things in the Balber-
gerwald, a forest on the south edge' of the
Hochwald. Clarence recalled:
"I was busily digging a slit trench for
myself when along came our Intelligence
Officer, Captain Keith Brown, with Bud in
•
• H.D. "Bud" Thompson Is espec
the community and the Legion w
Eedy of the Lucknow Legion
Montgomery.
y proud of the Legion Meritorious Medal, for service to
h he received last November. Bud Is shown with Irvine
who also received the medal presented by James
[Photo by Sharon Dietz]
Beef Production
Seminar EIATDA
BR_ __EST
Wednesday, November 21, 1984
9:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
Mayfair Restaurant
TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:
•New Advances In Beef Cattle Nutrition
•Managing For Increased Profit
lfternotives In Cattle Financing
ALL LOCAL BEEF PRODUCERS & FEEDERS WELCOME
PLEASE PHONE 529-7953 TO REGISTER
, •
!
,,,RSKNOW DISTRICT CO;p7r3;
fl
tow showing him where everyone was. Bud
was,• then, a two. Pipper.'
As the war started 'to Wind down, the
regiment, then, • in" North West Germany
was •ordered to moYe forward to a new
position near the yillage of Sogel. Bud and
Clarence Greer were in the reconnaisance
party led by the 21C, Major Peene. They.
moved in the town, square at about sun up.
where Major'Peene left them tri return to,
'• brigade to get confirmation about the rat ap
references he had- been given. As the tanks
and infantry had already bypassed Sogel
driving towards the Kusten 'Canal, the
town was held by the recce party, some
medical corps men, two service corps
'drivers and a fewengineers,•
- As Clarence recalled this moment of the
war: •
Peene was away we wandered
around the square where ii• building had
been burned to the _gratin& and continued
to smoulder. A le* of us pulled some
embers from' the wreckage and created
small bonfires to warm ourselves. Bud and
I noticed a ratScampering among the deb-
ris and being The 'good gun slingers we
were, we hastily drew our 9 millimetres
and proceeded tri take pot shots at targets
of opportunity - namely rats - scoring no
hits. Very soon, we heard some bursts of
small arm fire nearby and were soon
informed that a unit of German Youth was
mounting a counter attack, Scratch the rat
shoot and take cover."
• Fierce Fighting
The Regimental History setsthe scene in
this manner:
"First indication that anything was
amiss came from a sapper who dashed into
the, square shouting , that German para-
troopers were attacking from the west.
They were about 150strong and apparently
had hidden out in some woods when the
main Canadian drive went through. They
Were now making their bid to cut the Allied
lines ofvo,mmunication and §utiply. All that
stiorid. an their path was the reccb,party from
19th Field, plus a handful of odds arid ends
• which were quickly: organi'zed into a
• fighting unit by Major Peene."
The fighting that followed was fierce
involving houseto house battles and
• .Clarence remembered:"powdered project-
ed bges" were quite plentiful. The arrival
of infantry of the Links and Winks helped
turn the tide with the capturing ofsome 80
enemy. soldiers.
• Bud's military career often had him in
the wrong place at the wrong time.
• He has often recounted the story of
arriving at a Dutch family farm and inquir-'
ing if his unit could buy some eggs for their
• hospitable had to decline as the Germans
had taken them for their breakfast.
Bud,„ like many ex,servicemen never
dwegS'on the horrors of the war experience
but -looks back fondly on the friendships
made in the service and on the warmth a
• „the Dutch &Ole who ,have continued to
show their appreciation to ,the members of
the Canadian ark. •,
I don't consider myself a hero, he says,
adding that he served no better than any
other of. his comrades.
Coming Home
1300 finally returned from the continent
- via New York City on a train scheduled to
run directly to Wingham,: blit as it slowed
• down for the small cities •and towns along
• the way, men from these communities
jumped off to greet families and friends..
Bud returned home on December 29, 1945.
He returned to Work in the family
•
IgrooOrY store and began xaising a family of
son, .David and daughter, Janetwith' the,
help of his wife, Arnetta whom he had
married on. April 3, 1942. - .
He, continued to work at the -store until it
' was sold in 4951 when he went to •work at
Treieaven's Teed Mill as the bookkeeper.
His son, David has strong memories: of his
• father in the small office at .Treleaven's
Mill, with everything coated with a fine
layer of chop dust and the distinctive smell
of teed always present.
David wrote of his memories when he
compiled a history of his father's life which
• was presented to Bud on the occasion of his
retirement as executive director of the
• Bruce County Homes for the Aged' last
• May. These memoirs also provide a
resource for much of this history and The
Sentinel appreciates David's contribution
to the- story.
His conviction for the need of a strong
Militia in Canada prompted Bud to
re-enlist in the 21st, Field Artillery
Regiment RCA Militia in 1947. He saw
continuous service with:this unit.unti1 1969.
During this period Bud successfully
completed promotional courses and exam-
inations which culminated in his receiving
his Majority by passing the Field Officer
Course conducted at Canadian Army Staff
College at the Royal Military College;
Kingston in 1963. •
• Bud- served the regiment in . various
appointments, ranging through Quarter–
master, Adjutant, second in Command of
the 99th Battery in Wingham and the 97th
Battery in Walkerton until he was
appointed to command the battery in 1%4.
Gerry Hesch first got to know Bud when
he joined the .99th battery.
• "All of the gunners saw Captain Thomp-
lunch. • The Dutch who always were Turn to page 3*
The Man
T4 See Is
McINTEE
REALTOR
•
ASHFIELD 3 bdr. whit* brick home on 4.5 ac. Recent renovations, work shop and
small barn make a desirable property.
• ASHFIELD farrowing operation, 85 sows, rec. renovated 4 bdr. home, inquire for
further particulars.
TWO. EXCELLENT building lots close to main street.
.
RETIREMENT 2 bdr. bungainw, Outram St., lower level hu extra bdr., 4-3 pc., bath,
new kitchen, priced to sell. • .
ASHFIELD adjacent to Lucknow, 2 storey, 3 bdr. home, 2,3 pc. bath, rec. aluminum
sided, 2 lots 82.5x330. Owner will consider all offers.
FIELD STONE dwelling on 23 ac. surveyed, 10 ac of bush, dug well. Must be sold,
listed at 526,500.
10 ACRES Ashfield, 3 bdr. bungalow 10 yrs. old, immaculately kept work shop, 24x40
with area 12x16 insulated, approx. 7 ac. reforested; producing orchard, pear, apple,
cherry, plum trims, etc.
150 ACRES Kinloss, 145 workable, 4 bdr, home, good barn, 2 silos, reduced.
100 ACRES Ashfield, house and barn in need of repair; approx. 75 workable,
hardwood bush. Priced to sell. •
94 ACRES hwy. location, Dungannon area, 4 bdrhorns, barn 38x100, implement
shed, silo, FCC mtge. available to approved purchaser 81/4%. Olisn to offers.
• 150 ACRES West Wawanosh, 120 workable Harriston loam 011, nicely kept 3-4 bdr.
home, implement shed, conventional barn; hard and soft wood bush.
1.00 ACRES West Wawanosh, approx. 70 workable, 15 sc. hardwood bush, 582,000.
295 ACRES Kinioss, 21mm/cubits homes, beef feedlot for 500-700 head, barn 82 hogs
with food storage, grinding and mixing facilities. Ideal, father/son enterprise.
For further information on these properties, please call
WARREN ZINN, 529-7350 ALVIN ROBB, 3954174 • TERRY ZINN, 529-7350
‘1111010ft 1111=1.100,