HOT RODS and JALOPIES: "ALL GAVE SOME, BUT SOME GAVE ALL"....Remembrance Day in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sunday, November 3, 2013

"ALL GAVE SOME, BUT SOME GAVE ALL"....Remembrance Day in Thunder Bay, Ontario - Monday Nov. 11 2013....

We only have a few veterans left from the second world war and none from the first world war so if you encounter a veteran be sure to thank him or her for their sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedom we have today. "All gave some, but some gave all!"

The first world war, "A WAR TO END ALL WARS" was sadly not enough of an impact on Canada and its allies to actually make it such, as on Sept 11, 1939, Canada again declares war.

Below are two articles firstly from the Port Arthur daily news and another article from a Fort William newspaper both printed in August of 1914. If you click once or twice on these and all the other pictures, they can be read and seen in better resolution.

Canadian Soldiers in the trenches....would you want to be there?

"THEY DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE"

"A different 9-11 back in 1939"

This is an incredible photo of the Algonquin Regiment leaving Port Arthur, Ontario on June 4th 1941. In the background is a steam engine at the Port Arthur Canadian Pacific Railroad station torn down many years ago and today, Water Street near Marina Park runs right through this property. Off to the left in a gold square is the Hydro sub-station which still exists today as seen in the next photo. Look hard and you may recognize someone you love....also look at those young faces heading off to fight for our freedom. Click on photo for a closer look!

The Hydro sub-station as seen today.

The following picture is an unknown regiment. They are gathered to march in McKellar Park. McKellar Park's present location is where McKellar Park school is today, just to the north of the Fort William Curling Club...be sure to look at the rest of the photos below. These soldiers are marching with Lee-Enfield British rifles (a closer photo of one is below).

When I was in sea cadets back in the 1950's we would shoot these in rifle range at the old Fort William Armory which would be located to the right and behind in the following photo.

These rifles weighed 8.8 lbs...so imagine carrying one of these around on parade or in the battle field with all the other gear a soldier would have to wear. I could barely lift it to take one shot!

This McKellar Park field was used for local baseball, football, and was the starting point for many a Fort William Parade. Off in the distance with a gold square is the Sweet Caporal score board for the sports field...more data on that below.

Below is an old Sweet Caporal cigarette package which actually displayed WWII planes so as to help identify what you may see flying overhead. My father(still living today at 94 years) was a Sergeant in the Canadian Army then and stationed in Victoria, BC. where they were guarding the west coast after Pearl Harbor was bombed. They thought the Japanese were going to do the same to Canadian Naval bases along the coast. While there, he also taught an aircraft recognition course.