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The Huron Expositor • November 18, 2009 Page 9
Four local veterans honoured by the Seaforth Legion
Susan jfunjjerfmark
Four local veterans were honoured
last week for being members of the
Royal Canadian Legion for 65 and 70
years.
Norman Young, who served during
the Second World War in the light in-
fantry throughout Europe, received
his 70 -year pin.
Young, who grew up in Brussels,
received a complementary Legion
membership from the Wingham Le-
gion when he was overseas in 1941.
"It came in handy because when
you were on leave, you could get a
bed and breakfast half price at the
Veterans' Clubs in England," he
says.
Young joined up in June of 1941,
went overseas in July and served
in Sicily, Italy, France, Holland and
Germany before returning home in
August of 1945. He volunteered to
serve in Japan but was never sent
there, He's been a member of the
Seaforth Legion since 1961.
Ken Coombs, who has been a mem-
ber of the Seaforth Legion for 65
years, received his life membership
this year.
Coombs, who says he lied about his
age to join the army at 16, served for
five years as a driver with the Sec-
ond Battalion of the Royal Canadian
Engineers during the Second World
War, stationed mostly in England but
serving as well in Canada, France,
Belgium, Holland and Germany.
"We were in airport construction
the whole way through. I drove
trucks - dump trucks, gravel trucks,
wreckers, you name it - and moved
equipment around," he says.
Coombs's battalion built two air-
ports in England, an airport in
Ken Coombs receives his life member-
ship from Ron Hildebrand.
France and a bridge in Holland dur-
ing the war.
But, one of the most vivid moments
of the war for him was when he and
some buddies on leave. in London,
England were fined $10 for failing to
salute Queen Elizabeth..
Sitting in Trafalgar Square, smok-
ing and feeding the pigeons, Coombs
and his friends failed to notice Queen
Mary and her two little daughters
Elizabeth and Margaret walking by .
until they had already passed. But, a
'few members of the British military
police - or the "red caps" as Coombs
calls them - happened to notice the
Canadian soldiers had not saluted
the members of the royal family as
they walked by.
"They were by us before we knew.
We were supposed to jump to atten-
tion and salute them. It cost us 10
days' pay," says Coombs, adding that
he was paid $1.60 a day at the time.
Coombs joined the Legion at age
21 shortly after returning from war,
when the Seaforth Legion was still
located above the post office.
"I was still in uniform, stationed in
London, Ont. at the time," he says.
He says he helped when the cur -
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Norman Young receives his 70 -year pin
from Zone Commander Stew Taylor.
rent Legion was built in 1958 and
has spent a lot of time in the build-
ing since.
"I don't miss too many days, unless
there's a snowstorm," he says.
Volunteering activities for Coombs
at the Seaforth Legion included
working on poppy drives, helping
the Ladies Auxiliary in the kitchen,
parading to the cenotaph, setting up
for banquets, serving on the mainte-
nance committee and the entertain-
ment committee. -
Frank Phillips and Jack Eisler also
received their 65 -year pins at the
Seaforth Legion. Both men had al -
Frank Phillips and Jack Eisler received
their 65 -year pins.
ready been given their life member-
ships.
Phillips, who signed up for service
in 1939, was a wireless air gunner in
the North African bomber command
during the Second World War. After
flying in North Africa, he also flew
over Germany from England from.
1942 to 1943 and returned home in
October, 1944 after being injured.
Phillips is probably best known at
the Seaforth Legion as its historian
and has created many historical dis-
plays, turning the Seaforth Legion
into a highly esteemed local war mu-
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