Huron Expositor, 1999-11-10, Page 88 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, November 10, 111911
> Lest we forget
Home town was shared
with prisoners ofwar
From previous page
planes sounded different, like
a straight roar,". says
Coombs.
Fog_ recalls one time when
her house just missed being
bombed. While the bomber
had released three bombs in a
row coming straight towards
her house, the pilot noticed
the railway tracks near Peg's
.house and decided to bomb
the tracks instead.
"If he hadn't seen those
tracks, it would have been
our house," she says.
-Even with the black -out,
they could see the railway
tracks g_Ieaining in, the
moonlight, they were so
shiny," adds Coombs.
And, while Peg's family
was terrified of the bombing
when it first began - -"I still
remember my poor mother
under our Nig table in the
front room" - they got used
to it as the years went on and
sometimes stayed in their
beds, despite the risk.
"I remember my old
grandfather wouldn't get up
when the air raid siren was
going. 'If they want to bomb
me, they can,' he'd yell from
his bedroom," she says.
Just outside of Beccles was
a prisoner of war camp for
German soldiers, who were
often allowed out of the
camp to go shopping, to the
movies or to just generally
wander the town.
"You'd go to the movies
and half the seats would be
filled with German prisoners
and the other half with the
local people. They went into
all the shops and the pubs but
they kept to themselves,"
says Coombs.
Peg remembers facing
down a group of four
German prisoners whose
habit it was to walk a local
path but not give way to
anyone coming from the
opposite direction.
"One day I was just tired
or out -of -sorts and these four
came along and I decided I
would not go around them.
So, I just stopped. And, I told
them, 'You can stand there
all day. I am not moving for
you.' So, they moved," she
says.
Peg says it made her angry
that "they bombed us not too
long ago and then they were
shopping in our shops.'"
She says she's not sure
why the prisoners had such
freedom during the war,
except that "we were kind to
them but they (in Germany)
weren't kind to our boys
(Allied prisoners of war)."
"Some of them were so
young that I used to feel
sorry for them. They were
just young kids," she says of
the German prisoners.
When the war ended,
Coombs was shipped home
and had to wait almost a'year
until he was joined by Peg,
whom he'd married in
England in 1941.
He returned to Seaforth
where he helped to construct
the local Legion building and
when Peg arrived, she
became an active Legion
member, serving as president
for nine years. Coombs also
served as service officer for
the Legion for 17 years,
retiring just last year.
"That war is something we
should never forget," says
Coombs.
"Oh, war is a terrible thing.
Don't ever live through one
if you can help it," adds Peg.
Legion member Frank Phillips
honoured with heritage award
Legion member Frank
• Phillips was presented .with
a pin and certificate from.
the Ontario • Heritage
• Foundation hy•Mayor Dave
1Scott at -Saturday's special
Legion banquet.
The .Foundation,
Ontario's 'lead heritage
agency, runs the Heritage
Community Rccdgnition
Program.. The program
recognizes local heritage -
conservation achievement.
Each Municipal or Band
Coun*'il can nominate one
person per year who best
exemplifies heritage
conservation in his or her
local community.
Mayor Dave Scott said
the program acknowledges
individuals' local
Contributions and
dommitment to heritage
conservation.
In arnnouncing that Frank
Phillips would receive. the
honour. Mayor Dave Scott
said that Frank was
nominated by Seaforth
7ouncil- because' of his
work on the walls of the
r Seaforth Legion Branch
#156 which arc literally
covered with memorabilia
from WW: -.WWII and.
Korea. He is responsible
for building display cases,
arranging, mounting.
tagging . and labeling
thousands' of objects and
weapons. Frank also
maintains a resource
library. In addition, his
displays celebrate the
accomplishments of others:
a Snowbirds uniform;
Lloyd Eisler; public
speaking contest winners
(sponsored.by the Legion);
the Seaforth All ,Girls
Marching Band.
Phillips is an historian
and preservationist. His
efforts remind us of the
sacrifices 'and heroic
accomplishments of those
who went into battle. He
volunteers his talents as a
professional photographer
and accomplished; cabinet
maker. Frank has
transformed the Legion
into the shpwcase it is
today.
Frank is age 77. He was
born and raised in
Seaforth,, and still resides
here. Frank joined the
Canadian Army and fought
for our country in W.W. II:
he became a rear gunner in
the Canadian Air Force,
was shot down and
wounded. Frank is a
professional photographer,
now retired, and an active
member of Seaforth Legion
Branch #156. He is an
excellent community
volunteer, having
In honour o
those who
served
Flower Magic
527-1110 by Jean
36 Main Street, Seaforth
To those
who gave their
lives for us
eto-
KELLY AUTO
Sales and Service
527-1122
photographed the Seaforth
and Area Museum
collection and prepared
photos of ministers of
Northside United Church.
He is husband Jo Marjorie
and the father of six
children.
Allan Gotlieb, Chair of
the Ontario Heritage
Foundation, noted that
communities are the
backbone of this province.
The individuals recognized
under the Heritage
Community Recognition
Program have made a
significant civic
contribution. This program
focuses on their individual
efforts and provides a
provincial showcase to
encourage others to
preserve, protect and
promote Ontario's rich and
varied heritage.
The parchment
certificates arc produced in
gold and are affixed with
the seal of the Foundation.
This is the third year of
the Foundation's annual
Heritage Community
Recognition Program. The
call for nominations by
municipalities and First
Nations Band Councils
goes out each year during
Heritage Week. Heritage
Week will be' celebrated
next year from February 14
to 20, 2000.
May We
Always Remember
Their Courage
SEAFORTH Owned & BRUCE WILBEE
AUTOMOTIVE & FAMILY
58 Main St.
SEAFORTH.
527-0880
It takes
just a
moment to
remember
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REMEMBERING
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ROSS RIBEY, DIRECTOR
WHITNEY-RIBEY
FUNERAL HOME
Goderich St. W., Seaforth 527-1390
Remembering those
sacrificed
for us.
A TIME
TO REMEMBER
MON.-THURS., 11:00 am -11:00 pm
FRI. & SAT., 11:00 am -1:0O om -
SUNDAY, Closed
Seaforth 527-0180
May we
never
forget...
.?Trirget
—McLaughlin
Chev - Olds Ltd.
13 Main st. 527-1140 Seaforth
MAIN STREET SEAFORTH
527-0278
They Fought
For
Our Freedom
•
SEAFO
INSURANCE
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Your
Undeii:nds°k°r Main St., Seaforth 527-1610
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