Description
Mr. Gorie's unit remained in Holland until November, 1945 when they were finally sent back to England. There, they experienced further problems getting home to Canada.
Norman Gorie
Mr. Norman Gorie was born on April 22, 1923 in Saint John, New Brunswick. His father did not have military service but his uncle served in the First World War. He grew up in New Brunswick with his two sisters and upon graduation from high school, at the age of 17, he began working as a carpenter building a military camp in Sussex, New Brunswick. In February, 1941, Mr. Gorie joined the Canadian Army enlisting in the 8th New Brunswick Hussars. He served with the 5th Armoured Regiment working as a Wireless Operator and attained the rank of sergeant serving in Italy and Northwest Europe and was in Holland when the war ended. He later returned home to New Brunswick.
Transcript
Yeah we stayed in Holland until November.
Interviewer: And how soon after that was it that you got back to Canada?
We went to England, back to England, when we went to England that was January, but they couldn't get no ships to bring us back so we're all stuck. And our outfit, a bunch of them, we drew up a telegram and sent it to the Premier of New Brunswick. The Premier of New Brunswick at that time was I don't, McNair what his name was at the time. We had, this is all had to be on the QT because you could get in trouble. But one guy says get it ready I'll take it down to the little town, and sent it through the civilian system and we did and he got it through. And about the next day everybody had to report to the parade square. We said, "What's going on? ". So somebody said, "Jeez I don't know everybody's gotta get out we all gotta get out." And the colonel came out. He said, "Who sent this? " and we, nobody of course took it in. He said, "You guys are gonna get us all in trouble. But by god we got home the next day, and the next day they had a ship for us. Oh yeah.
Interviewer: How old were you, Mr. Gorie when you got back to Canada?
Well I was 17 when I went over, 22.
Interviewer: And what rank did you hold when you got back to Canada?
Sergeant yeah, big sergeant.