Monday 11 November 2013

Photos of soldiers from the 1940s

Fine men, all.
This is a repost from last year. The photos continue to amaze me and I've scanned them.
I wish my mother had told me about them. I never knew they existed.
Of course, her dead fiance's photo must have hurt unbearably.
We must honour our dead. As of April 11, 2010, 144 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since deployment on this mission beginning in 2002. Our Canadian young men and women perform this work are to be lauded. still question the mission. The  Canadian Statistics for our military are telling over the years we have been involved in war. The military has not shown that it honours those who return wounded, the public wants to know. We have shown much support in honouring the dead, through the Highway of Heroes.
Honour the soldier, loathe the war.

The women who served on the front lines have been largely ignored. Every Remembrance Day ceremony I have attended has spoken of the 'men that served.' We had women on the front lines as nurses, many who were support staff, others who flew planes from factory to bases.

The women who waited at home, similarly served their time waiting for loved ones, many, like my mother, engaged to a man who was lost to war. She ended up marrying another, my adoptive father.
These are photos from my late mother's collection.

My late father's class. He is back right.
Aunt Irene and her brother, my dad.

service record

service record
Interesting booklet!

9 comments:

Red said...

You're right . Women are not remembered as they should be.
Incredible story about your Mom. There is a similar story in my home town only they married a few weeks before he left for the war.

Cloudia said...

Bless your dear Mum and her daughter. I posted about some very special female veterans today!


Aloha from Honolulu
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Christine said...

Hear Hear Jenn, great point!

Scotkat said...

Remember them I from the 50's brigade. so never experienced the war but my Grandparents and parents did.

So grew up knowing.

Very sad but wear my poppy with pride.

Thankyou for sharing your late Mums photos.

DeniseinVA said...

Lest we forget, and an important reminder that women need to be remembered too. Thank you Jenn, the photos were very touching.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a lovely memorial post (great, even though I'm coming late). I certainly remember waiting with my mother by the mailbox when my dad was serving overseas...I wish my dad had talked more about what he did (I mean later after I was grownup), but that generation kept things to themselves.

Billy Blue Eyes said...

What a great collection of photos your mother had.

Jackie McGuinness said...

Lovely post. I'm very proud of all the Canadian bloggers who posted today paying tribute to our fallen heroes.

Christine said...

great photos of a sad time.