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Discharge and Disillusionment

A personal, transcendental moment of illusion infused my being on that most glorious of days when, after over 5 years of restrictive service in Canada’s overseas military services, I was discharged. It was July 24, 1945. That day was magnificent. It was the high point of all time. It was the first day of a magical period. The menace of Hitler had been laid to rest. In 2 . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Sept. 26, 1945.

Entering Rotterdam Harbor. The Netherlands.

On board The Mexican In the English Channel.

From where the Rhine River enters the English Channel, it is about 20 miles up the river to Rotterdam, Holland. The harbor pilot had to navigate The Mexican carefully, as there were miles of WWII debris (sunken ships, bombed bridges, etc.). prot . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Thursday, Sept 27^th 1945

Rotterdam Harbor -- The Netherlands

Though   rather inaccessible, Bremen is the only   German Atlantic sea port.   In September of 1945 the Nuremberg trials were looming in the coming year and   Rotterdam, Holland   had become the most convenient sea port for the panicky Nazi hierarchy to flee from Europe. The r . . .

Sentimental Journey Consummated

October 3, 1945–April 16, 1946

Manchester, Lancashire, Great Britain

The Batavia II docked at Gravesend, and via London, I took the train to Manchester. Joan and I must have met again as strangers; I don’t recall. The Doe home had a bedroom for me.

Less than four months post-WWII, Manchester was an uninviting city. As an industrial city, a co . . .

The Dieppe Raid

There had been a report in early 1942 that Stalin was attempting to end the war by making peace with Hitler. It is important to grasp the concept that the Allies viewed the loss of the Russian Military as losing the best weapon the Allies had.

The Dieppe Raid was already planned, but in the summer of 1942, with considerable effort and courage, Winston Churchill flew to Moscow to make a p . . .