Description
Mr. Tarling speaks about his journey back to Canada and the apprehension about seeing his fiancée.
Raymond Tarling
Mr. Raymond Tarling was born May 19, 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia. After his schooling, Mr. Tarling decided to join the Air Force. He trained at the Calgary Wireless School and Lethbridge Gunnery School choosing an occupation of Wireless Air Gunner. After receiving this training, Mr. Tarling attended a year’s service of Instructing in London, Ontario, and was then posted overseas. Once in Nottinghamshire, Scotland, Mr. Tarling was assigned an instructor position and eagerness to participate in active service, he volunteered on the Wellington mission dropping leaflets over Northern France. During this time in Mr. Tarling’s career, he experienced a crash flight and was severely disfurged by the impact. Mr. Tarling was taken to East Grinstead Hospital in Enlgand where many surgeries and repairs to his face, hands and leg were performed. It was because of this tragedy, Mr. Tarling proudly became a member of the Guinea Pig Club. To this day Mr. Tarling takes great pride in his service and experiences at East Grinstead Hospital. After recovery from his injuries, Mr. Tarling returned to Canada married his long time sweetheart, Elsie, and raised a family.
Transcript
Finally they said, “You're going home, Ray,” and I said, "What do ya mean? " "You're going back to Canada!" By then there was six of us. You know the ship we were on? Queen Elizabeth. The Americans took it over, I don’t know if all the people knew this, the Americans took it over for Britain, it was a British ship. And they were going back and forth. And they took us, they didn't take us to anywhere in Canada, we had to get off in New York. And, of course, we had people taking us up to New York, came out and they just took us right up to a train, train took us to Toronto I think it was. I think we only stayed there two or three days, then we're on a train again, all the way across Canada. And, of course, there was two of us, that ended up in Vancouver, thats all. And I said, "Oh my God, what am I gonna end up with? " Interviewer: So I'm wondering, as a young man coming home disfigured to a fiancee, did that ever concern you that she wouldn’t accept you? Yes, it did because I didnt want her to see me the way I was. She came to see me, never said a word, she looked at me, kissed me and she kept her ring.