Mark Gleeson was born May 11, 1927 in Kokomo, Indiana, though he grew up largely in the Pittsburgh area, where his father worked for PPG after his return from the Great War. Mark grew up in the 30s, against the backdrop of the Great Depression, but still enjoyed the typical American adolescence of the time.
John Carmichael was born March 29, 1948, and he grew up in southwestern Ontario, living in the London and Chatham areas. John was a student-athlete in high school, with a keen interest in math and physics. Wanting to attend MIT, he made the decision to first go to Canada’s Royal Military College. He was there
Wallace Johnson was born in Taft, California on April 18, 1925. His father worked for the Standard Oil Company, and he worked in Havana, Cuba, where Wallace spent his early years. Political instability fell over Cuba in the early 30s though, and the family relocated to Houston, where they found themselves in the midst of
Janet Watt was born December 16, 1920, so today we wish her a Happy 101st Birthday! Janet was one of so many Canadian women who entered the armed forces during the Second World War. Janet chose to go in the navy, and she became one of the WRENs. As Janet entered the services at the
The Crestwood Oral History Project is continuing its Sunday Series of Interviews with World War Two veterans. Last Sunday we visited with American Navy veteran Wallace Johnson at his home in California. Wallace joined the navy when he was only 16, and after the war he became a test pilot for the Apollo space program.
Richard Dodds was born November 22, 1925 in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in the city’s west end, where he attended Humber Park Public School and later Humberside Collegiate, where he played sports in all seasons. His father raised horses – racing was popular in interwar Toronto – so the family was insulated from the
Earl Watson was born April 15, 1930 in Brantford, Ontario. The family relocated to Owen Sound during the Depression, as Earl’s father found work as a welder. Earl’s childhood was typical; he went to school and more importantly enjoyed his time with friends, playing baseball and whatever else. Earl was too young for the Second
Ann Kelsey was born June 20, 1946 in Indiana, though she grew up in southern California. Her father was a World War Two navy veteran, who continued to work with the navy as a civilian contractor in the postwar period. Because of that Ann grew up in Riverside, California, not too far from Branch AFB,
Joseph Peterburs was born November, 25, 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota, though he grew up mainly in Wisconsin, against the backdrop of the Great Depression. He comes from a family with a military tradition; his father emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1906, and joined the army that same year, completing overseas service
Bob Young was born on October 29, 1924, on Pittsburgh’s south side. He grew up against the backdrop of the Great Depression, and he remembers that it was a difficult time, and that the family made do with hunting game, as well as occasional scraps Bob’s father would bring home from work. Bob attended school
Georges Branchaud was born June 12, 1941 in Cornwall, Ontario. His father moved the family to Valleyfield, Quebec during the war, in order to work in the war industries that were booming in that city. The family relocated to Ontario later though, and Georges grew up in Cornwall, where he decided to join the navy
Noel Funge was born December 26, 1929 in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up against the backdrop of the 1930s economic crisis, where he was fortunate to win a scholarship to an elite school. He also grew up during World War Two, when Australia was under severe threat from Japan; as such Noel completed his military
Avraham Peter grew up in the city of Lodz, Poland, where he was born August 12, 1926. His parents had their own factory/business and the family was living a good, observant life, and the young Abe attended a Jewish school, and was raised in part by his grandparents. Anti-Semitism was a reality in 1930s Lodz
“Digger” Gorman served in the Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Originally from New Brunswick, the future geology student – that’s where the name “Digger” came from – Digger was deep in his studies when the war approached. As a science/engineering student, Digger’s enlistment was originally deferred, but like many in his generation, he
Roland Glenn was born June 5, 1924; he grew up in small town Pennsylvania, against the backdrop of the Great Depression. He recalls a good childhood, where his family raised him with love and positive energy, in a time when that was in short supply for many Americans. His father and grandfather had instilled him
Julia Parsons was born March 2, 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father was an instructor at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and her mother was a kindergarten teacher. Julia recalls her childhood as being a traditional one, as dictated by the Victorian mores of the time. The family was not heavily impacted by the Depression,
Alex Polowin’s official birthday is April 15, 1924 – but it was really May 15, 1925. That’s because like many young Canadian men he was anxious to go to war, and since he was born in Europe the official records had been lost. So with the help of a lawyer, Alex filed his new birthdate,
Ralph Russo was born July 7, 1917 in Newcastle, Pennsylvania. He grew up there against the backdrop of the Great Depression, when times were tough. Ralph’s father was able to hold on to his job during that time, and Ralph picked up work at a local foundry. When 1941 and the attack on Pearl Harbour
Bill Wilson was born in Winnipeg on November 5, 1924 to Scottish parents Thomas and Marion Wilson. Bill was 14 when the Second World War began and he planned to follow in his father‘s footsteps as he had served in the First World War. When Bill couldn’t get a place with the Highlanders cadet corps
Dear Crestwood Parents & Guardians: Due to Covid19, Crestwood Preparatory College will keep the Summer Uniform for the entire school year. These are the only items you would need to purchase for this school year, please visit www.paragonblu.ca. Summer Uniform for Crestwood Preparatory College (boys & girls): Navy Golf Shirts Short & Long Sleeve Grey Dress Pants Sweaters
Tyler Smith was born in Calgary, Alberta, a city that had a very deep tradition for the navy, in spite of its inland location. One of the first steps he took in order to achieve his goal of joining the military was to join the sea cadets, a program that the navy sets up in
Fraser McKee was born on Feb. 22, 1925 in Toronto, a city where he has lived most of his life. He grew up in the city’s north end, attending UCC and living a fairly good life, even against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Fraser’s father had a significant military pedigree; he was a major
Wib Back was born May 11, 1926 in Toronto. Wib’s early life had its difficulties: his mother died when Wib was just 11, and his father was unable to care for Wib and his siblings, so they ended up going into foster care through the Children’s Aid Society. Wib was consequently moved around, going to
Gerry Gerrard was in the reserve artillery as of 1938. The day before the war broke out, he was called up and reported to the colonel, who told Gerry he needed a dozen men to go to Victoria. Since Gerry waswas 17, he didn’t have to go, but he went anyway. In Victoria, he joined
Carl was born in 1925 in Brighton, Ontario. He grew up on a farm during the Depression, and some of his earliest memories include seeing classmates in tattered clothing. His family relocated to Belleville when it was time for Carl to attend high school, and it was after graduation that he made the decision to
Selena Aral joined the reserves to help pay for post-secondary studies after she graduated high school in 1997. She started off in the navy as a boatswain and remained one for 7 years. She then decided to change tracks and try out logistics; she was accepted in 2004, which allowed her to go back to
Bill Martin was born in 1925 in Toronto, into a family of four brothers. He attended Northern High School, where he played sports and developed an interest in geography. When the war came, Bill chose the navy, and he was assigned to the minesweeper HMCS Burlington, where he was a stoker. He spent the war
LCdr Amber Comisso is a member of Canada’s present day forces, serving her nation in the navy. She visited Crestwood in April 2019, at which time she shared her experiences with Mr. Birrell’s Geography 9 class. She is originally from the GTA, and the military was not in her sights until the time for university
Clayton Hayes was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and he grew up in the Prairies, first in Saskatchewan and later in Brandon, Manitoba. The Depression was a difficult time for the family; his father’s business went bankrupt, and the family moved to improve their prospects. When the war came, Clayton’s older brother joined the navy,
Garfield Harris was born in Newfoundland in 1923, at a time when Newfoundland was still a British colony. But just as the Great War did so much damage to a generation of young Newfoundlanders, it also hurt Garfield’s father, who’d run a prosperous fishing fleet before the war. He made the decision to head west
