Message to Youth
Heroes Remember
Message to Youth
Transcript
Description
Mr. Spear is asked what he would say to young Canadians of today.
Thomas Spear
Thomas Spear was born on October 22, 1896 in Alberta. His father was Reverend David Spear, a pioneer missionary in the Northwest Territories. As a youngster, Thomas often accompanied his father travelling in winter by horse and sleigh. When the First World War started, Mr. Spear was living in Emerson, Manitoba working for the Canadian Pacific Railroad as a telegraph operator. In January 1916 he enlisted in the Canadian Signal Corps and in April of that year sailed aboard The Baltic to England. Before heading to the battlefields of France, Mr. Spear was given additional training. One of the things he had to learn was the Continental Code or semaphore, which had a number of different characters from Morse Code. Mr. Spear was one of the first to learn wireless communication and eventually manned a wireless truck near the front.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 00:28
- Person Interviewed:
- Thomas Spear
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- First World War
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Canadian Signal Corps
- Occupation:
- Telegrapher
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Division Transfer Request
Mr. Spear requested a transfer to a wireless section of the 5th Canadian Division in order to gain a posting to the front line trenches.
German Surrender
Mr. Spear recalls the surrender of the German Army near Mons, Belgium in 1918. He also tells of his participation in the army of occupation in Germany following the signing of the Armistice.
Intercepting German Communications
Mr. Spear discusses his arrival in France, and being sent to an outpost, a forward position used to intercept German signal traffic. Here he would copy what he heard and pass it to a runner, who would deliver it to Headquarters.
RCAF Duty
Mr. Spear went on to serve his country during the Second World War as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
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