Description
Mr. Blackburn talks about why he ended up in the RCA, versus the navy or the air force (or the infantry).
George Blackburn
George Blackburn was born in Wales, Ontario, on February 3, 1917. His father started out as a steam shovel runner in building the railroads in the United States. George also worked in journalism for a little while. In 1940 after the war had broke out he decided it was time to join the services. He was rejected from the navy and the air force because of his poor eye sight. It was then that he joined RCA. He went through training and it was there that he learned valuable lessons. George was part of the 4th Regiment. He experienced the Battle of Normandy. There he was a gunnery officer. Upon his return to Canada, Mr. Blackburn made Ottawa his home. His list of occupations include newspaper reporter, Director of Information of the Federal Labour Department, and Director of Fair Employment Practices. In addition, he has been a radio producer, an award-winning documentary scriptwriter, an award-winning playwright, published author, and a lyricist and composer. Mr. Blackburn also earned his Military Cross helping to save the Twente Canaal bridgehead in Holland.
Transcript
Finally in the spring of ‘40, which was still only less than a year after the War broke out, I decided I'd, the only answer was to get in the Services and I'd have some kind of an income and, and we could get married. I, I'd have leaves that's the only thing, the way we could do it and that's what we did. But my first attempt was with the Air, not with Air Force, I knew I had already learned that eye sight was crucial, and I couldn't see I couldn't tell it was you across the street without glasses. Now it hadn't affected me I could I, to this day I don't wear glasses, you know I mean I, I read the telephone directory without glasses, but, but it was distance. So I, my next choice was the Navy and there you could get in for a course, the British Navy as a midshipman and they had advertised. So a friend of mine, my closest friend in Ottawa and I, he had brought it to my attention. We reported in, passed all their exams and everything but eye sight, couldn't read the chart. I was out. And I have posted in there, I can show it to you, unfit for military service. I got that, unfit for military, that was the, one of the words, not that I was deficient in eye sight it was unfit for military service. So I, I, I always thought I could, could see myself crumpling that thing up, so there must've been a second piece of paper because I remember throwing it in the gutter, but I ended up finding this actual official piece of paper. They must've mailed it to me or something. But so that day I went over to the Air Force and said, "Now don't waste our time here. Can I wear glasses and be in the, in the air crew." "No." So I said, "Well God I better be careful, I mean they may turn me down in the Army as well. So I didn't go to them, I made inquiries, and friend of my sister was battery commander in the militia in the Artillery he said no problem, he said, "We're their setting up an officer's training centre in Brockville. Come into the reserve and we'll recommend you for a commission and send you to Brockville." So I went in and I was in there and when I get a, a call up, you know, the 1940, November 1940, there was conscription for whole service okay. So I get a call up. Well I had been told that if you're in the reserve you didn't have to go, you were getting the same kind of thing in the reserve, Saturday night stuff, and two weeks in the, in the summer and camp you know. And this was only thirty days training. So I went to the battery commander and with this thing and said, "What do I do with it? " He says, "Go, the best training you can possibly have George for an officer is to train as another rank in the real service. Go." So I took him at his word and I went.