Gail Radford-Ross is the keeper of her family’s history; at least the military history of both sides of her family. And that includes an astonishing 19 men who fought in conflicts from the Boer War to World Wars I and II.
The Radford and Ross families have nearly a century of service to their names. Grandpa Radford fought in the Boer War (1899-1902). Grandpa Ross also served in the Boer War, and he and five brothers served in WWI. One brother was killed and one brother was a prisoner of war. Grandpa Ross was shot in the head but lived until 1958.
“Grandpa Ross was from Tain, Scotland, and it is said he walked from Tain to Edinburgh in his bare feet and spoke only Gaelic. Needless to say, he was given a tough time by his fellow soldiers,” recounted Radford-Ross.
Especially around Remembrance Day, the St. Albert resident, now 81, contemplates her collection of photos, writings and documents–evidence of the sacrifices affecting her own family and all Canadians. In this country, some one million citizens (which was over 10 per cent of Canada’s population at the time), fought as part of the country’s war effort between 1939 and 1945.
“It bothers me a great deal that people don’t recognize we all have the lives we do, comfy and safe, because of those who served,” said Radford-Ross, who spent much of her own life as a researcher and advocate for justice seekers. Helping out is a trait Radford-Ross agrees was instilled in her from her dad; an example of one who volunteered throughout his life, who cared about people and made things better for them simply because it was the right thing to do.”
“Dad didn’t talk about the war, not to us kids, other than sharing a few funny stories. He was the nicest, most caring man, but because of his war injuries, he couldn’t hold a job as a farmer like he wanted. He didn’t get steady work until he was 39, as a soil inspector with Manitoba Highways.”
While Bruce Radford, passed away nearly 20 years ago in Manitoba at age 89, he wrote his life story decades before that, putting together the stories of wartime and beyond, with daughter Gail as transcriber. One of ten children, Radford signed up in Winnipeg with the PPCLI to fight in WWII when he was 22 (though his younger brother Ken somehow signed up too, at 16, and was wounded three times before he turned 20).
Canada’s soldiers served in the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force. Through WWII, approximately 42,000 were killed and another 55,000 wounded.
“Dad served five and a half years, often in horrific circumstances. When he was 27, he was shot through the stomach with a machine gun and suffered for the rest of his life. And yet, most people today don’t want to spend five or ten minutes reading about what the soldiers endured,” said Radford-Ross, looking at the telegram her mother received after her dad was shot while fighting in the Falaise Gap in France in August of 1944. Radford was a sniper, working in dangerous conditions in advance of the front line.
“The bullets tore up dad’s insides, and if there hadn’t been penicillin, he wouldn’t have survived. I hope people appreciate what it took to make our world a much safer place then, at least for a while.”
In his book, My Life and Times, Radford described his years as a soldier, writing, “I remember one scheme in the Midlands where the tank core was taking part and near us. As usual, it rained and four of the crew of the tank decided to sleep under the tank, unaware of the ground. As the night wore on and the rain continued, the tank settled into the ground, trapping the men who were unable to free themselves. In the morning, there were four dead tank men.”
“Soldiers received the $30 per month plus another $30 for when they got home. Imagine risking your life every minute for that minuscule amount of cash,” added Radford-Ross. “But dad was used to having little because he lived through the Depression. Soldiers would get two squares of toilet paper per day, and had to use their pay for shaving supplies, shoe polish and tobacco.”
Radford recalled lighter moments too: “I did not get permission to get married so, when I returned to the Regiment, I got the book thrown at me. I was confined to barracks, did kitchen fatigue, had loss of pay, but I survived. I got in trouble but I never regretted this act,” Radford wrote.
Radford also recalled a sobering, if fortuitous occasion when he got a 48-hour pass to go to Edinburgh and ended up in hospital with illness. “Our regiment was sent to France on the Dieppe raid of August 19, 1942. Eight hundred men were sent, but only around 200 returned. Some were wounded, some were taken prisoner but most were killed in the one day battle.”
Radford-Ross said her father was sent home on a hospital ship just after she and her Mom arrived in Canada from Edinburgh in April, 1945. “Mom was pregnant and seasick the whole way while I had my second birthday and whooping cough on our ship, the Franconia. Dad got home on May 7th, 1945, one day before VE Day, the day the war ended in Europe.”
In his book, Radford described how soldiers grew up quickly, but still depended on each other. “It was very seldom that the fellows let each other down and this feeling never left us even after we returned home. This bond was as strong as family ties, at times even stronger.”
“Dad spent the rest of his life quietly, appreciating he was still here, as tough as it was for him at times. He wrote his book because he wanted people to know that though he didn’t accomplish much in his life, business-wise, he did serve his country. He was well loved, always involved in the local Legion, volunteering with the school board, and it has been so important for me to share his story,” added Radford-Ross.
“They're all gone now, and we will never see their like again. But we continue to love, respect, and admire all those who sacrificed so much to give us peace and the lives we now enjoy.”
