Loading...
Clinton News Record, 2016-05-25, Page 1718 News Record • Wednesday, May 25, 2016 Goderich Shuffleboard Club starts The Goderich shuffleboard club had the first day of play on May 17. There were 51 players that signed up and played on the first day, which was a very good tum out. The club is hoping to see this number increase over the next few weeks. They played three games, picking a different opponent for each game and had five players successfullywin all three of their games. They are Audrey Black, Marg Prouse, Al Weeks, Gary Bennie and Carol Hoy. Avery good start for their season. The club plays every Tuesday starting at 1:15 p.m. at the old arena on McDonald Street. There are three games each day and different courts and players are chosen for each game. The cost is $25 per per- son for the complete season, which goes until the first of September and includes a banquet at the end of the year. Come as little or as often as you can and enjoy some fun activities. Hope to see you on the courts. THINK CYSTIC FIBROSIS CAN'T TOUCH YOU? 1 in 25 carries the cystic fibrosis gene. Are you the on li To leam more and support cystic fibrosis research, visit cysticfibrosis.ca -.1%7) Cystic Fibrosis T „, Canada Breathing life into the future" mIrtswlst llz 100 ROYAL LERAGE m. _.._. Tt.r.7 0 Hall Ld ]Realty Helping you is what we do.TM OFFICE 519-482-3400 1 Albert St., Clinton To view all our listings go to: www.rlpheartland.ca Fred Lobb** Rick Lobb*** Richard Lobb Sr.* Sherry McLaughlin* Cell: 519-955-0012 Cell: 519-525-1174 Cell: 519-955-0163 Cell: 519-301-2879 60 Queen St., Brussels $179,800 Call Sherry MLS#973546 JIMIEmmilj TAKE OUT RESTAURANT 267 Huron St., Clinton $425,000 Call Fred or Rick MLS#590053 3 BR SPLIT LEVEL 452 Mill St., Blyth $179,000 Call Fred or Rick MLS#403708 Broker of Record*** a NEW LISTING 217 Harbour St., Kincardine $1,199,000 Call Rick MLS#780725 91 Dunlop St., Clinton $219,900 Call Richard Sr. MLS#839311 LEASE COMMERCIAL BUILDING' 18 Main St., Seaforth $600/month Call Sherry MLS#401593 Broker/Owner** frl. NEW LISTING 19 Albert St., Clinton $98,500 Call Rick or Fred MLS#796265 CENTURY HOME 286 Dinsley St., Blyth $229,900 Call Rick or Fred MLS#397347 --I 1110— WHY RENT? 48 St. Charles Place, Vanastra $49,900 Call Rick or Fred MLS#998817 Sales Representative * 279 Morris St., Blyth $89,900 Call Sherry MLS#712987 AFFORDABLE 134 Albert St., Clinton $129,000 Call Sherry or Rick MLS#586850 SPACIOUS 2BR 31-343 Victoria St., Clinton $45,900 Call Rick or Fred MLS#730732 Colonel Alice Sorby, M.B.E. Lieutenant-Colonel Alice Sorby was one of the most outstanding soldiers that Huron County ever produced. As Deputy Commander of the Canadian Women's Army Corps, she has the distinction of being the first Canadian female soldier to serve overseas. Emma Alice Higgins was born on September 16, 1903 in Brucefield. She was eldest of two daughters and one son born to Benjamin and Lottie Higgins. The Higgins were devout Presbyterian farmers. They moved to Clinton where she attended the public school and graduated from Clinton Collegiate Institute in 1921. She studied French and Ger- man at University of Toronto. When she graduated in 1924, the yearbook described her as 'two brown eyes, auburn hair and Irish wit: It also called the jazz loving Alice 'a study in con- trasts.' She 'was logical yet imag- inative, sophisticated yet naive: After a year at the Ontario College of Education, Alice Hig- gins taught languages at Guelph Collegiate where she met her future husband, Walter Sorby. Sorby was a McGill Uni- versity engineering graduate. On July 2, 1927, Alice married Walter Sorby at Wesley -Willis United Church in Clinton. In 1928, they were living in Winnipeg, Manitoba where Alice became active in commu- nity affairs. She was a board member of several of Winni- peg's charitable and philan- thropic organizations including the Junior League, the Red Cross, the Council of Social Agencies and Winnipeg's Com- munity Chest. In 1937, she gave birth to a son who was her only child. Mrs. Sorby was destined to become a prominent socialite in Winnipeg's civic life until the Second World War broke out. According to a 2012 Legion Magazine article, Sorby told one journal that 'in September 1939 when the thunder of war first crashed about ears, the imme- diate reaction was an almost hysterical desire to do some- thing.' Unfortunately for Sorby, and Canadian women every- where, aside from nursing, there were few opportunities for women to serve in uniform. Yet, by 1941, the war crisis created acute manpower short- ages while growing numbers of patriotic women demanded greater opportunities to serve King and county in uniform. The solution was the creation of women's divisions in the army, Huron History Dave Yates navy and airforce. On August 13, 1941, the Canadian Wom- en's Army Corps was the second branch of the armed forces to allow the enlistment of women (The RCAF created the Wom- en's Division in July 1941). The CWAC provided logistical and clerical support for frontline units and freed up more men for combat duty. One of the first enlistees in the CWAC was Alice Sorby in September. At two-thirds the rate of pay of her male counter- part, Sorby donned the King's uniform with the rank of Cap- tain. Her husband, Captain Wal- ter Sorby, was then serving in the Royal Canadian Artillery in England. (Strangely, one of the requirements for acceptance into the CWAC's was that recruits were not to have any dependent children. With one dependent child, recruiters overlooked this condition in Sorby's case). Captain Sorby was initially assigned to the headquarters staff of the Winnipeg Military District where she oversaw 'one of the most flourishing and suc- cessful CWAC units in Can- ada.' Her administrative skills 'won her the admiration of high military authorities' according to the Goderich Signal Star. Sorby was promoted to the rank of Major in July 1942 and appointed Deputy Commander of the Canadian Women's Army Corps. In August 1942, she became the first female soldier posted overseas when she was dispatched to England to pre- pare the way for Canada's female troops. Until 1942, the only Canadian women who served overseas were the nurses of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. Upon her arrival in England, Major Sorby was treated like a major celebrity in the Canadian and British press. The Toronto Star reported that the first thing the 'Winni- peg housewife' did was call her husband whom she now out- ranked to wish him a Happy Birthday. Major Sorby shared the front page of The Hamilton Spectator with the disastrous Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942. One British press cable stated that Major Sorby would 'pave the way for the coming of the first contingent of the Canadian Women's Army Corps' and approvingly stated that she had 'fulfilled her first task in such admirable fashion that the girls in khaki who follow her have not a worry in the world. They will be the envy of every uni- formed British girl in their smartly tailored uniforms.' Major Sorby set to work establishing separate barracks, mess halls and other military facilities to accommodate the CWAC. On November 7, 1942, Major Sorby met at the docks the first wave of CWACs who marched 'smartly' down the gangplank singing 'current hits.' The sight of women in full marching order wearing great- coats and helmets was still quite an anomaly because the Toronto Star reported that Brit- ish dock workers 'had never seen anything like it' and rubbed their eyes in amaze- ment. They were the first of 3,000 CWACs who served over- seas during the war. Although there was never any question that the CWACs would be engaged in combat, many expe- rienced the V-1 and V-2 rocket blitz. For her services, King George VI made Major Sorby a Member of the British Empire in January 1944. In June 1944, she was pro- moted to Lieutenant-Colonel. As the war in Europe wound down, Colonel Sorby was recalled to Canada in March 1945 but before she left, she was invited to have tea with the Queen Mother. She said it was her most 'memorable occasion' while overseas. She retired as Deputy Director of the CWAC in September 1945. With the war over, Colonel Sorby, MBE went back to the role of housewife and mother. The Sorby's lived in Montreal for eight years before moving on to Halifax. Her husband, Walter Sorby, died suddenly while vis- iting his parents in Guelph in February 1958. Alice Sorby moved to Ontario and taught high school in Whitby. In 1959, Colonel Sorby became a researcher by the Army's Histor- ical Section in Ottawa where she felt 'quite at home in the mili- tary atmosphere with its trim uniforms and disciplined lines of files: Away from the office, Colonel Sorby enjoyed playing bridge, golf and reading. She retired in 1966 and died in Ottawa on August 18, 1982. It was 40 years to the day this was written that she landed in England and became the first female Canadian soldier to serve her King and Country overseas.