From Civilian to Wireless Air Gunner
As war clouds gathered over Europe in the late summer of 1939, I, like most others in the Western World, trusted in the assurances given that Hitler would not risk an all-out war against the Western Allies. Having limited knowledge of the history that led to the many problems facing the peoples of Europe and Asia at that time, I consequently did not realize the seriousness of the situation. Not quite seventeen, the terror and dread of war meant little to me. My concerns dealt with the trials and tribulations of everyday living at home in Montreal.
Realistically, I had little thought for other than what was transpiring in my own little universe. I was encapsulated in my own small world, totally absorbed in my daily work and the sporting activities I was involved with during my few leisure hours. I worked seven full days a week delivering telegrams by bicycle for the Canadian National Telegraph Company at the branch office, located on the ground floor level of the Dominion Square Building in the heart of Montreal. I started work before seven thirty in the morning and finished at six in the evening, from Monday to Friday. On Saturday I worked there until one, then I went to the main office, located at the corner of St. Francois Xavier and St. Sacrement in downtown Montreal, and worked for the balance of the day, usually until after six in the evening.
I worked on Sunday at the main office from eight until six. It usually took an hour to travel to and from work. You can readily see that I had little time for other concerns, even though I would have liked to have been more involved with other endeavours.
As our nation first mobilized its forces at the outbreak of hostilities I, working for the telegraph company, had the experience of delivering call-up notices to very many servicemen, who were in our reserve forces. Even though those who first were called to serve anticipated receiving their orders by telegram, they all displayed grim apprehensive nervousness when I handed them the telegram confirming when and where they were to report.
Subsequently I had the sad and trying misfortune to deliver a number of telegrams to the next of kin of servicemen who were missing or who had been killed in action. It was always a highly emotional experience and brought the grim realities of war, which to many seemed very far off, a lot closer to me. At that time I never thought that one day a messenger would deliver a telegram to my parents, informing them that I too was missing in action against the enemy.
The first year of war took a lot of young men from the work force; the company I worked for was no exception. With the drain of manpower to the services I was able to move from delivering messages to being office boy to the General Manager. I worked much shorter hours and had more time to devote to sporting activities. I played a lot of baseball during the summer and hockey in the winter. In the fall I boxed and all in all was very active in sports. I guess that all my spare time was devoted to one type of sporting activity or another.
In short order I was able to become a clerk in the service department, working the graveyard shift from midnight to eight in the morning. I did not remain there too long. I then was transferred to the branch on Phillips Square in down-town Montreal. As more and more men were called up our company was hard pressed to fill the many vacancies that materialized. I quickly moved up the ladder and it was not long after becoming a clerk that I was assigned to the Queen's Hotel branch, as manager. I had moved from office boy to office manager in less than a tenth of the normal time period.
From the onset of war, I felt an obligation to serve in the armed forces. I had little difficulty in convincing my parents that I should enlist, but any mention made on the subject usually brought on many valid arguments for me to wait until I was old enough.
As war clouds gathered over Europe in the late summer of 1939, I, like most others in the Western World, trusted in the assurances given that Hitler would not risk an all-out war against the Western Allies. Having limited knowledge of the history that led to the many problems facing the peoples of Europe and Asia at that time, I consequently did not realize the seriousness of the situation. Not quite seventeen, the terror and dread of war meant little to me. My concerns dealt with the trials and tribulations of everyday living at home in Montreal.
Realistically, I had little thought for other than what was transpiring in my own little universe. I was encapsulated in my own small world, totally absorbed in my daily work and the sporting activities I was involved with during my few leisure hours. I worked seven full days a week delivering telegrams by bicycle for the Canadian National Telegraph Company at the branch office, located on the ground floor level of the Dominion Square Building in the heart of Montreal. I started work before seven thirty in the morning and finished at six in the evening, from Monday to Friday. On Saturday I worked there until one, then I went to the main office, located at the corner of St. Francois Xavier and St. Sacrement in downtown Montreal, and worked for the balance of the day, usually until after six in the evening.
I worked on Sunday at the main office from eight until six. It usually took an hour to travel to and from work. You can readily see that I had little time for other concerns, even though I would have liked to have been more involved with other endeavours.
As our nation first mobilized its forces at the outbreak of hostilities I, working for the telegraph company, had the experience of delivering call-up notices to very many servicemen, who were in our reserve forces. Even though those who first were called to serve anticipated receiving their orders by telegram, they all displayed grim apprehensive nervousness when I handed them the telegram confirming when and where they were to report.
Subsequently I had the sad and trying misfortune to deliver a number of telegrams to the next of kin of servicemen who were missing or who had been killed in action. It was always a highly emotional experience and brought the grim realities of war, which to many seemed very far off, a lot closer to me. At that time I never thought that one day a messenger would deliver a telegram to my parents, informing them that I too was missing in action against the enemy.
The first year of war took a lot of young men from the work force; the company I worked for was no exception. With the drain of manpower to the services I was able to move from delivering messages to being office boy to the General Manager. I worked much shorter hours and had more time to devote to sporting activities. I played a lot of baseball during the summer and hockey in the winter. In the fall I boxed and all in all was very active in sports. I guess that all my spare time was devoted to one type of sporting activity or another.
In short order I was able to become a clerk in the service department, working the graveyard shift from midnight to eight in the morning. I did not remain there too long. I then was transferred to the branch on Phillips Square in down-town Montreal. As more and more men were called up our company was hard pressed to fill the many vacancies that materialized. I quickly moved up the ladder and it was not long after becoming a clerk that I was assigned to the Queen's Hotel branch, as manager. I had moved from office boy to office manager in less than a tenth of the normal time period.
From the onset of war, I felt an obligation to serve in the armed forces. I had little difficulty in convincing my parents that I should enlist, but any mention made on the subject usually brought on many valid arguments for me to wait until I was old enough.
Finally, I enlisted in the air force. As most other young men, I yearned to fly, and I hoped that I would be accepted for pilot training but had doubts that I would be that fortunate. I had been forced to leave school after the ninth grade and therefore my schooling was less than the required standard for aircrew training, which at that time was a minimum of high school graduation. However, after taking a number of proficiency tests, I was informed that I had passed with flying colours (pun intended). When the recruiting officers learned that I knew Morse code, had some experience in radio procedures, and that I was working for the Telegraph Company, they decided that I should be trained as a wireless air-gunner.
Due to my father being of German birth my acceptance into the service was delayed for several months. I guess that it was prudent to investigate my background as I could have been a security risk. I was able to stay on at the Canadian National Telegraphs and was working as the manager of their office in the Queens Hotel, when I finally received my call up.
After initial training at the Manning Depot in Lachine, P.Q. I was posted to guard duty at the Storage Depot in Moncton, N .B. I was there for just a month and then was posted to the Wireless School at Guelph, Ont. I was in Guelph for seven months and after successfully completing the wireless course I went on to Gunnery school at Mountain View, Ont. At the end of the course there, I received my wings as a wireless air-gunner and was promoted to the rank of sergeant.