Remembrance Day 2024 ~ Chester

On this very wet and overcast Remembrance Day, I attended the service at Chester which is about 50Km along the coast from Pleasantville. In all the Armistice Day/Remembrance Day outdoor services I have ever attended, today was the first time I have experienced the event having to be moved indoors. Due to the rainy weather, it took place within Chester's Royal Canadian Legion Branch 44 facility.

Chester has a very impressive war memorial displaying a bronze statue of a Nova Scotia Highland soldier. It was unveiled on August 4, 1922 in memory of 54 men who laid down their lives from the area during the First World War, but now bears the names of those who gave their lives in the Second World War, Korea, and Afghanistan.

The design and cast were the gift of J. Massey Rhind, a Scottish-American sculptor. He began his studies under his father before attending the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh as a 15-year old prodigy. He then continued his studies in England, followed by two more years in Paris, before moving to New York in 1889 when he was 29. After the First World War, Rhind lived in Chester. His work in Nova Scotia includes the Halifax Grand Parade Cenotaph, New Glasgow Cenotaph, and Cornwallis Statue.

The plaque and bronze figure on the memorial cost $2050 and was cast in New York. The base and steps of the monument were cut from one granite boulder.

 

 

It has become customary after each annual Remembrance Day service, to stop off and leave my poppy at the grave of WWI casualty Edson Daniel Berrigan, who is buried in Maple Leaf Cemetery in Pleasantville.

You can read more about Edson by clicking on the image or link below ~

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2018/11/one-of-many-remembered-today.html

 

For me this year was poignant reminder of the tragedy of war, and also the personal family loss that it brings. During the month of June, I travelled to Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries, memorials and many other war related sites in Scotland, Belgium, The Netherlands and France. During my journeys I was able to visit the war graves of four of my five known relatives killed in war ~

Hugh Wright, 4511, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), aged 32, died 30 June 1916 of injuries sustained in France or Belgium, buried Southern Necropolis Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland.

Hugh Wright, 2003820, Royal Engineer, aged 26, killed 21 October 1944, buried Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Limburg, Belgium.

Hugh James Wright, 40539, The 10th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, aged 21, killed 2 October 1918, buried Joncourt British Cemetery, Joncourt, Aisne, France. 

John Kerr, Clyde Z/4980, Drake Battalion, Royal Naval Division, aged 19, killed 4 February 1917, buried Hamel Military Cemetery, Beaumont~Hamel, Somme, France.

My fifth known relative killed in war is ~

George Maxwell, Merchant Navy (S.S. Arbonne), aged 63, lost at sea on 24 February 1916, and is therefore commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial, London, England.

George Maxwell was the Chief Engineer aboard the S.S. Arbonne when on passage from Le Havre for Newcastle-on-Tyne, she was torpedoed by German submarine UB-2, about 3 miles east of Kentish Knock in the River Thames estuary. There were no survivors from the crew of fourteen, all their names are inscribed at Tower Hill.

I plan at some time in the future to visit Tower Hill in London.

 

Below are listed the blogs for my visits to family war graves and other war related sites while in Scotland, Belgium, The Netherlands and France ~ click on the images or the links below …

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-family-war-grave-in-glasgow.html

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-wuustwezel.html

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-my-return-to-leopoldsburg-war.html

 

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-somme-and-family-war-graves.html

 

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-somme-to-flanders.html

 

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-ypres-passchendaele-and-tyne.html

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2024/06/euro-2024-today-in-somme-and-flanders.html

 

The day after the night before ....

With the much anticipated USA presidential election taking place yesterday, I stayed up to the wee small hours to watch the results come in. Over the past few months listening to both prime candidates, it would not be too difficult to believe that the world would end regardless of the winner. The doom and gloom coming from both sides certainly outpaced any talk on policy or economic direction.

With a little hesitation, I got up this morning peaked out and found that the world was intact, or at least Pleasantville was. Then the sun came up and brought temperatures of about 21°C (70°F).

Throughout the day, I listened into some media outlets, where those on the losing side were still proclaiming global devastation, economic collapse and much more. In my humble opinion, if those things are to happen, then it will not be someone in Washington DC who is the cause of it, I reckon it will be one of three dictators sitting in other capitals or perhaps all of them together.

Having had enough of the election, I went out this afternoon for a lovely beach wander in extremely warm temperatures. The good news from that is, regardless of all the recent political rhetoric and dire predictions, I can report that the tide came in as expected and can forecast with much confidence its schedule going forward will not be interrupted.

This afternoon’s pics …

A "Lost Voices" Crash Site ...

Back in the summer of 2018 I had the great privilege of being invited to research and contribute to a book about the casualties from WWII RAF/RCAF Greenwood, located in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. During WWII the base was used for training pilots and aircrew as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). At the time various aircraft flew out of Greenwood, including Hurricanes, Air Speed Oxfords, Bristol Bolingbroke, Ansons, Mosquitos and Lockheed Hudsons.

During the war 59 Commonwealth airmen and crew were killed at Greenwood …

Royal Canadian Air Force ~ 23

Royal Air Force ~ 22

Royal Australian Airforce ~ 8

Royal New Zealand Air Force ~ 6

The book which was published during the fall of 2018 is titled ~ “The Lost Voices of WWII RAF/RCAF Greenwood”. It covers in great detail all the incidents, aircraft and locations that resulted in the deaths and is fully dedicated to the "lost" 59.

More about the book and be read at my blog also titled ~ “The Lost Voices of WWII RAF/RCAF Greenwood”, click on the image or the link below …

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-lost-voices-of-rafrcaf-greenwood_29.html

Today with my buddy Alan, I went to visit the wreckage of one of the fatal incidents. It was a RAF de Havilland DH-98 Mosquito, registration number KB126, which crashed on 20 April, 1944. The accident report stated ~ "Took off for night training flight /sector recco and searchlight practice." 

The crash site is located in thick forest and bush 12 miles south of Bridgetown (Nova Scotia). To get to the site involved driving on very rough gravel and mud covered logging roads ....

The two casualties of this incident both came from Liverpool, England ~

Pilot Officer, James Gerald Brown, Service Number: 163982, aged 20

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Son of James and Martha Julia Brown of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England.

and

Flying Officer Hugh Edward McCann, Service Number: 149386, aged 20

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Son of Hugh and Edith Annie McCann, of Aigburth, Liverpool, England. His brother George also died in service.

James Gerald Brown is buried at Middleton Old Holy Trinity Cemetery, Middleton, Nova Scotia.

Hugh Edward McCann is buried at Kingston St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kingston, Nova Scotia.

Below are the photos I took of the scattered crash site. The ground was very wet and boggy, much care had to be taken not to be suddenly ankle deep in water and mud, which I unfortunately failed to do. Due to the swampy conditions, I suspect much more of the heavier wreckage, such as the wheels, major load bearing structures and the two engines lie deep below the surface

Although the two airmen were recovered and buried locally, like all such military crash sites and also for sunken naval ships, the location is regarded as a war grave and therefore must be respected and treated as such, no parts of the wrecked should ever be removed.

 

Back in June of this year, I made a visit to the town of Wuustwezel in Belgium, to the exact location where a relative of mine was killed in October, 1944. I said in a blog about that experience ~

"Today almost 80 years after his death, I made a contemplative visit to the exact location where Hugh was killed, at the intersection of Bann and Kalmthoutse Steenweg, in the town of Wuustwezel. I cannot accurately describe my feelings, it was certainly a very emotional experience, where my thoughts connected more with the past than the present. As I stood at the location with cars passing, folks walking along by the road side and everyday life going on in presumably a normal way, I attempted to bridge the eight decades and go back to that Friday afternoon of October 21st, 1944. The contrast between the ferocity, the hell and the death of that day to this one, a bright peaceful summer’s day, is no doubt enormous." ~

Today at this crash site, my thoughts went back the same eight decades to April 1944, when in Liverpool, England, the parents of two young men received the standard telegram, telling them of the tragic deaths of their sons. They were not flying over occupied territory in Europe where it was somewhat expected that they may not return, they instead were learning their trade an ocean away in Nova Scotia, from where they fully expected to return home ~ I cannot begin to imagine how both families suffered over this tragic loss.

As I always do at such locations, I left a poppy at the crash site as my own personal thanks to James Gerald Brown and Hugh Edward McCann, may they rest in eternal peace.

During June 2020, almost two years after the “Lost Voices…” book was published, I was invited to the annual Decoration of the Graves ceremony at Old Holy Trinity Church in Middleton, the location of twenty four Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) graves from WWII RAF/RCAF Greenwood, including James Gerald Brown. I was asked to recite the poem "High Flight" and then read the Honour RolI, after which I placed a single rose on each grave and then did the same at St Lawrence Roman Catholic Cemetery, in nearby Kingston, where Hugh Edward McCann is buried along with six other Commonwealth casualties.

For more of this, see my blog titled ~ “Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth ..” at …

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2020/06/oh-i-have-slipped-surly-bonds-of-earth.html

  

Another crash site .....

Back in early 2014, I did some research into one of many WWII crashes in Gander, Newfoundland, where a crew of four were killed. As part of RAF Ferry Command, they had been tasked with the delivery of a newly manufactured Lockheed Hudson Mk VI (Serial No. FK690) to Britain. Their fateful flight took off from RCAF Station Gander at 3.51am on Sunday 6th December 1942, but unfortunately instantly crashed. The official accident reports states ~ “the aircraft stalled immediately after takeoff and crashed in flames, killing all aboard.”

During June 2014. I made a visit to their graves in Gander, Newfoundland, more can be read about this in my blog ~ “WWII RAF Ferry Command, Newfoundland”

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2020/11/wwii-raf-ferry-command-newfoundland.html

Province of Nova Scotia - Certificate of Registration of Death for both James Gerald Brown and Hugh Edward McCann ~

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission documents for both James Gerald Brown and Hugh Edward McCann ~