This month’s article, the fifth in our series to honor our veteran members of Branch #191, is to acquaint you (or reacquaint you), with Comrade Norm Work.

Norm is one of our senior Veteran’s. He; is an original “Chemainiac”, and  grew up in the family home on the site where the Chemainus Theatre now stands  Norm  is 92 years of age, and in better shape than many of our younger Legion members.

September 26, 1940

He met his wife Irene in June of 1941, and they were married in 1946. They have had a marvelous life together for 65 years. They raised a family of three children; two daughters and a son, namely Catherine, Frank, and Linda. Their daughter Catherine passed away much too early at age 52, from a heart attack. Their son Frank lives in Chemainus, and is employed at the Crofton mill, Linda is married, living in Nanaimo and working for a major bank.

Norm joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on Sept. 26^th, 1940, the year after the start of World War II. He served in his military career until 1945, as an Air Frame Mechanic in Centralia and Trenton, Ontario where he took his training. He also served time in Alberta, and finished his RCAF years in Comox, BC. His career never took him overseas. After he was mustered out of the service in Comox, Norm and Irene resettled in Chemainus. He worked over the years at a variety of positions at Island industrial sites, including the mills at Chemainus and Crofton.

Today, the Works live at Station Ridge in Chemainus, in their lovely townhome. Norm is often seen downtown at a local coffee shop with a group of friends. He has been an active member of Chemainus Masonic Lodge for many years, and is a Past Master of his Lodge. He has been a Legion member for 41 years, and still attends functions.

You may know him, when you see him. Why not say hello, and thank him for his military service, as well as a lot of his local volunteer work over many years.

December 2011

This month’s article, the forth in our series to honor our veteran members of Branch #191, is to acquaint you (or reacquaint you), with Comrade John J. Saqui

May 1943 Royal Air Force

  Once again, our purpose is to recognize them, and let them know we appreciate the years that they served their country during the World War II hostilities.

John was born November 12, 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland. At the age of 19 years (1942), he volunteered and was accepted into the Royal Air Force to train as a navigator.  Training took place in Babbacombe, near Torquay England, Mount Hope, near Hamilton, Ontario (where he fell in love with Canada) and other British Bases.  Inadvertently during a training exercise we broke cloud  over an  in-bound convoy and were subjected to ack-ack fire. We quickly took evasive action.

Upon completion of his final training session in anti-aircraft techniques, he was posted to Bomber Command at Oulton, England. He was assigned to secret missions over Europe which attempted to lure the Luftwaffe away from Allied Bomber forces. This was a very interesting and dangerous job; however, his most frightening experience occurred at his training billet in Babbacombe.  John says he was on way outdoors when he heard the machine guns firing and as he hesitated, a bomb came over his head and exploded in the yard!

In 1945 he was assigned to Transport Command at Shepherd’s Grove and was involved in ferrying troops to Egypt via Libya until he was grounded in 1946.

From 1951 to 1958 he served as Training Officer for the Glasgow Wing Air Cadets teaching navigation skills.

In his private life, he married Margaret in 1945 and subsequently 3 children arrived.  In 1958 John and his family immigrated to Canada and settled in Richmond, BC. At 35 years of age, he entered University of British Columbia and earned his Diploma in Office Management. During his years in Richmond he served for nine years on the Richmond Hospital Board three as Chairman and nine years on the Family Court Committee.

John and Margaret moved to Ladysmith in 1986 and transferred to The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 191 Chemainus.  John served on the Executive Committee for a number of years along with Lorna Nichols, Jim Riley and Frans Vandenbrink.

Sadly his wife Margret passed away in 2002, leaving John on his own, but with a family of three children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  We see John at Legion Meetings, Remembrance Day activities and Legion social events often accompanied by his friend Betty Boulton. John enjoys a quiet life doing cross word puzzles and reading good books.

Back ground: The type of plane he lured the Luftwaffe away from.

Photo by:  E. Craig            December 1, 2011

BC/YUKON COMMAND

The Royal Canadian Legion

Memo # 03.12

Quote:

The BC Government is proposing to enhance the home owner grant to assist more Canadian Veterans with low incomes, as announced by Finance Minister Kevin Falcon.

To pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of younger veterans who have served here at home as well as in foreign conflicts, BC intends to provide an additional grant to help reduce property taxes for lower-income former members of the Canadian Forces by up to $275.00.

The home owner grant currently provides a maximum reduction in residential property taxes of $570 in the Capital Regional District, the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley Regional District and $770 in other regions of the province.

Homeowners age 65 or over, some homeowners with permanent disabilities, and older veterans and their spouses, may already be eligible for an additional grant of up to $275.

Under existing rules, only some veterans of the Second World War or the Korean War and their spouses are eligible for the additional home owner grant.

The proposed changes will create a further grant of up to $275 for low-income veterans of more recent conflicts, such as Bosnia, the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, in the event that they do not already qualify as seniors or persons with disabilities.

Details of the intended change will be announced in Budget 2012 and, subject to approval of the Legislature, would take effect for the 2012 property tax year.

Premier Christy Clark is quoted as saying “This act of gratitude is a small token of thanks to all our veterans for their service and sacrifice.”

Unquote

This month’s article, the third in our series to honor our veteran members of Branch #191, is to acquaint you (or reacquaint you), with none other than Comrade Alan Whitaker.

Al Whitaker 18 Xmas 1943

Once again, our purpose is partly to recognize them, and let them know we appreciate the years that they served their country during the World War II hostilities.

Comrade Whitaker joined the British Army on Sept. 17th, 1943, at age17. He was posted for basic training to North Ireland. Upon completion, he was then posted to the 4th Field Training Regiment Army Group for 6 months Corps further training, and graduated as a Field Gunner. He specialized in fire control, from Gun Position to Operation Post.

Alan was then posted to holding units, as a replacement & held for embarkation to the 21st Army group in August of 1944, He eventually found himself in Holland with the 18th Field Regiment between Arnhem & Holland, known as “The Island”. He spent the winter engaged in patrols, in the coldest winter imaginable, spiced up with the Ardens Breakthrough, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. Eventually his unit crossed the Rhine River and on to the Rhur Valley in Germany.

With war ending in Europe, young guys (like him) were drafted to the Far East, in pursuit of insurgents in the northeast area of India. He found the work tedious, & transferred to a Parachute Regiment. He said to himself “why walk when you can fly for free”! He transferred later to the reserve in 1948, and served until his discharge in 1956.

October 20, 2011

As to his private life, he met and married Beryl; his wife of 62 years. The Whitakers then decided to move to Canada in 1957, landing in Montreal, then lived in Kirkland Lake, Ont. where he worked in the mining industry in heavy construction. They then settled in Vancouver, also in heavy construction. Al & Beryl have two daughters; one a physiotherapist in Texas, and the other in human resources in Vancouver. They also have two sons living in the Greater Vancouver area, who followed their father into the heavy mine construction industry. Al says “they’re all grand kids”!!

Retirement brought them to Vancouver Island and the Chemainus & Duncan area, where they have been avid sailors for many years, but Beryl’s favorite personal past time is playing bridge. When you see them in our Legion Lounge, it will usually be a Friday for the meat draw and maybe a bite of supper. Drop by their table and have a visit; they would appreciate it, we’re sure … and wow … what a military career … Thanks Alan!

For those of the membership who read the September News Letter, we featured the first of several articles, on our Veteran Members; their military careers; and their current personal lives. We hope that you enjoyed it.

This month, please meet a comrade, who many of you may know, and if not should get to know, namely
James Stearn. He is better known as Jim.

Jim Stearn, lives at #104 in the Normandie Apartments on Cypress Street, here in Chemainus. He was born in Yorkton, Sask., part of a family that included 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Jim is now 94 years of age; he gets around town with the help of a walker, and no longer drives a car. His beloved wife, Olive Russell, passed away some 15 years ago. You will likely see him any morning, sitting having coffee at Small Tall Treats with his friends. He takes several of his meals each week at the local senior’s residence, or out around town with his senior’s group, at different restaurants, escorted by the staff from the senior’s residence. He also may be seen from time to time in the lounge of our Branch #191, usually at a table just inside the door. Why not introduce yourself, and have a visit with him. He’s a very interesting, outgoing, friendly gentleman, who enjoys company.

James (Jim) Stearn (then)

As a young adult, Jim made his living driving trucks in his home town, until he joined the armed forces. He and his family members (eight brothers and sisters) all served in the military. He joined the RCAF in Winnipeg, and was also stationed in Belleville and Trenton, Ontario. He never got overseas, but served as a “crash trucker” driving an RCAF fire engine. He tells us that two brothers served in the Royal Canadian Navy; two more in the Canadian Army; and one besides himself in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Isn’t that a remarkable commitment from one family? Also, his son Arthur who also lives in Chemainus, is a veteran former RCAF member. At present Arthur is confined to a wheel chair, & dealing with health issues, unable to walk much. However he gets out for coffee ‘with the boys’ and his Dad.

James Stearn (now)

Again, let’s always remember our veteran’s (female and male) and be thankful for the lifestyle many of us enjoy, partly because of the commitments made by our veteran’s, whether in wartime, or peacetime, and visit with them; hear their stories; offer them a ‘leg up’ and just ‘remember them’.