Ottawa This Weekend

Hello folks ... jumping back a bit to comment about photos ... we bought a disposable camera with 27 pics and I took them all from the time of sitting downtown in the carrier while waiting for the parade part to begin ... and snapped away through much of the parade ... hopefully many of those pics turn out well. (I also really regret that I missed watching the ceremonies... I stayed close to the carrier because I didn't know the timings for things so missed all the ceremonies and also therefore...got no photos of them. I heard the songs in the distance )

Geoff is taking the camera in and having them put to CD ... that should take a couple of days or so ... at which point, we'll post some.

I really regret that I didn't have a camera until too late to take photos where everyone with the vehicles were camped out, and while doing the convoy to the parade start point ... I was stunned to see all the vehicles in real time, and all the men and women in WW2 dress and activities. What a gas, a treat, and an honour the whole experience was for me. It was also like a time warp that I "sorta got" ... I walked into another "time" ... and spent the first few hours just looking ... no yapping for a change

Check back here in a couple of days or so for some photos I took ... the people that showed up for this event were incredible numbers... and I still hear the "clapping for the Vets" from the start of the parade, right until the end, which is how far the crowds gathered to watch ... SO emotional at times.

There was a woman came up to the carrier to shake Mister Ernie Pain's hand and she just held on while telling him, with tears in her eyes, how she was from Holland, and was there and liberated and still remembers ... god ...

I'm still truly overwhelmed by all I saw and heard ... and what I saw and heard in the crowds and people who approached to thank, touch or shake Ernie's hand, knowing what that REALLY meant ... gives me faith and hope in humanity ...

You know, it's funny, but I recall a photographer trying to get my attention and I turned around ... he said. "I got your backside, now I want your front." "Who ARE you?" ... I just replied ... "I'm nobody. I'm just here." and pointed to Ernie and the other two vets basically letting him know that these Vets were the only somebodies who were important. (the photographers face showed obvious disappointment that I was 'nobody" but I was cool with that )

I think thats the photo with my "backside" in the Toronto Sun and with a great shot of Ernie Pain receiving the flag from that little boy wearing a helmet.

How can I express so much understanding and felt-thought as I saw that day, in mere words? I can't.

Karmen

Originally posted by Stewart Loy
That sounds like us.

During one of the many halts, we talked to many veterans and families.

One of the vets who rode in the Carrier was Mr. Ernie Pain who had his Africa Star on this jacket from his Navy service.

We were the lead armoured vehicle, right behind a truck pulling the Bofors AA gun, behind 3 staff cars. The 6-pounder was a last minute pick-up on Wellington St.


Stewart

Stewart,

Hi ... would you happen to recall the names of the two Vets who were on Geoff and Rebecca's side of the carrier for the parade? I'm going crazy trying to recall their names

By the way ... thank you so much for sending on the contact info for Rebecca I'll be able to send her those photos now. Say hi to Lady-Mary for me... thanks

Karmen

Here are some pics for starters ... although the ones I took in the parade won't be here until tomorrow ... I'll post some of them then.

Okay ... pics coming ...

First one : GUESS WHO and NAME THAT CAP AND CAPBADGE!

Also... WHO is the couple wandering behind me? Anyone know?

Karmen

Darn it ... the two pics I just wanted to post are too big... I'll have to resize again... meanwhile, here is the 2nd shot of GUESS WHO and NAME THAT CAP AND CAP BADGE

Hi Folks,

Well, I got some pretty good shots waiting/during the Ottawa Parade ... and I'm resizing them and posting, one by one, as I go.

The first shot I chose to post is one I love that I took of our 3 Gentlemen Vets that rode in Stewart's Carrier.


if anyone got the names of the two gentlemen on the RIGHT, please let me know, as I would like to send all three men some of these photos that I took. Thank you.

Karmen

And here is Master Stewart Loy himself, standing in his carrier.

Here is a pic of something that somehow suddenly appeared attached to the carrier ...

Here's another ...

... another of the crowds of people ...

[RHClarke]

The 6 pdr is attached to the S&P Museum's Bren Gun Carrier "St. Barbara". This is a nice shot showing also our LLAD Tractor and 40 mm Bofors.

RHC

...and another

...more ...

...and more ...

more ...

A Photo of CWAC Rebecca who rode beside Stewart ... an amazing lady "Sargeant" who puts me to shame in my old age Geoof, our own Sunray, behind her passing on his wisdom to the young laddie in the helmet

Who's a happy Little Miss?

Ma

and yet another ...

more ...

more

Hi Everyone,

I hope that some people who were there will comment about the photos and events and people ... and vehicles of course, in these photos ... you all can speak much better about it all than I can.

Okay, I probably have a couple more photos to post, but my hands need a break from resizing and posting, etc.

Know about these photos I took, that many were taken prior to the actual parade getting underway ... and through the first 2/3 of the parade ... I didn't have enough exposures to take when we got closer to the New War Museum ... I had about 3 pics left and was saving them So only really got one photo down at the War Museum of the band breaking up after performing.

I'm also sorry I wasn't able to get over to the ceremonies to take [hotos, or down the line to take more of the other vehicles and such, and I apologize to all for that ... I had no idea if when things were going to start so didn't wander far from stewarts carrier in case I wasn't close when ready to roll.

I also wish I'd had a camera for where the vehicles and everyone were camped out for the weekend... because there were some wonderful sights indeed!

I would have loved to have gotten photos of all the individual vehicles filled with Vets ... and of the Vets Marching in the parade ... the crowds blocked our view of the Marching Vets as they went by ... I could barely see the tops of their heads, but god, I WISH you all could have heard the APPLAUSE and YELLING THANK YOUS to the Vets from start to finish ... IN-tense ...

Enough for now ... I hope you all enjoy what photos I did get even though I could have done better with a little forethought and planning ... I was sort of lost at sea :

Karmen

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
Darn it ... the two pics I just wanted to post are too big... I'll have to resize again... meanwhile, here is the 2nd shot of GUESS WHO and NAME THAT CAP AND CAP BADGE

Why would I think that the cap badge is the RWR?

Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
Why would I think that the cap badge is the RWR?

Maybe because it was an RWR Cap Badge, Captain Skagfeld?

Don Zorniak, from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum, put that RWR Cap with the Cap-Badge on my head to take this photo because of my interest and caring about my Uncles ... and the other soldiers from their regiment. Nice. The cap and badge are why I love those photos so much ... Don sent them to me when he got back to Winnipeg.

At the campsite, DSon was in WW2 PERTH REGIMENTAL DRESS ... but for the parade itself, he wore WW2 Royal Winnipeg Rifle's dress ... I told him that as far as I was concerned that today, for the parade, I would be thinking of him as being Rifleman Edward Smith H/42084 ... ( for the VE Day my Uncle Eddie never got to enjoy knowing about)

Yep ... love those pics best

Karmen

Here is one of me and Don Zorniak wearing RWR's dress for the parade ... I don't look so great but I love Don's attire
(the cap and capbadge he's wearing are the ones I was wearing in the photo)

For those who don't know, Don Zorniak from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum in Winnipeg, was the very first person I talked voice-to-voice with over the phone about my Uncle Eddie ... he'd read a message I'd posted in their guestbook, searching for information about my Uncle ... when he realized that my Uncle was one of the executed POW's June 8, 1944 in Normandy, he contacted me requesting my phone number, to tell me "the bad news" by phone rather than email. That's when I learned for sure that my Uncle had been executed ... and many of the horrifying details ... so to have unexpectedly run into each other in Ottawa was really something for both of us. ... and how appropriate in such circumstances, on such an important day in history? Life works in good synchronistic ways sometimes.

Enough yapping ...

Karmen

[Stewart Loy]

Originally posted by RHClarke
The 6 pdr is attached to the S&P Museum's Bren Gun Carrier "St. Barbara". This is a nice shot showing also our LLAD Tractor and 40 mm Bofors.

RHC

Nope,

Barbara didn't want to tow the gun, so a T-16 tractor was pressed into the service for which it was designed. It pulled it easily, I might add.


Stewart

[RHClarke]

I stand corrected! Was this T-16 the one that made off with my gas tank?

R

Here are more .... I'm going to see if I can crop some photos and post them as closeup details as well ... but want to post a couple more photos I took first.

THIS one I lightened up quite a bit as it was full of shadows ... these WW2 Dressed soldiers are carrying RIFLES! Did they get to carry them through the whole parade?

I really like this photo of the young piper in the kilt

Captain Sunray looking happy ... with WW2 CWAC aka Sargeant Rebecca in Stewarts carrier.

I don't know how well this will work but I cropped this photo ... is this Charlie Fitton's vehicle?

[lanceh99]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
these WW2 Dressed soldiers are carrying RIFLES! Did they get to carry them through the whole parade?

We sure did, however we moved out before the parade stepped off, in order to be in position at the Phalanx Memorial, located just past the reviewing stand on the left side of the parade route.
We mounted a guard on the monument (the first time ever done) and fell in to the rear of the parade once it passed.