Summer 1945, Eibergen, Holland: please identify

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks Ed for your detailed references.

Farlew Mowat was a Hasty P's in 1st Div. so he arrived later in the NWE theater of war.

The tie thing was new to the guys just arriving from the maelstrom of Italy.

In turn this opens up a whole new can of worms.... as they were called D Day Dodgers.

Some were called Zombies, some were Home Defense when they wanted to see action and others were called D Day Dodgers.

In the beginning some attacked ghosts in Kiska Alaska when the island had been deserted by the Japanese defenders .Then too many were killed and too many others captured after a month on Hong Kong by the same Japanese .Then there was the mystery of Dieppe.

Even with all the study , the visits of the place , the interviewing of some of the actors , i could never understand the meaning of Dieppe.

Then General Crerar wanted action for the too many restless Canadians that had been in England since 1939 , so there was Sicily and then Italy.

In the end , they finally made it to NWE and the Big show , the one portrayed in the Press made our way thru France, Belgium and then proceeded to liberated Holland.

All the while the RCAF guys had been sustaining dreadly casualties ever since 1939 and the RCN guys rode the North Atlantic in little boats called Corvettes. Unfortunately they were not speedy, comfortable sports cars but utilitarian uncomfortable tools for U Boat hunting . they were quite brave.

So call them Zombies, D Day dodgers , Home Defense Battalions or Corvette riders , doesn't matter.

All that matters now is that they served their country and that they all deserve our admiration.

They certainly have mine.

Robert