Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search veterans.gc.ca

She said “Try me!”

Heroes Remember

She said “Try me!”

Transcript
They felt that the British would roll over and give up, be discouraged. But that wasn’t the way, that wasn’t the way it happened. The British were just the opposite of being discouraged They armed everybody, all the civilians, with guns. The English have always been great for guns anyway, shotguns, and they issued everyone with a shotgun if they could have it, or at least with ammunition. I remember my aunt, I had an aunt who was a nurse. She had a shotgun, a double barrel and she was given two boxes of ammunition - BB’s, that’s for shooting deer. Very good for shooting people. There were posters stuck up everywhere. I remember one excellent poster, it had, this was the time when the Germans were massing their troops on the coast. One poster had a good looking girl leaning against a building and she had a shotgun cradled and she had a look on her face. She said, it had, “Try me!” you know. The sign said, “Shoot to Kill.” That’s the way they behaved. So they defended their country properly and the Germans never came close to invading England, they gave up. Then they reverted to bombing the British cities and they deliberately attacked London. I was in London at that time. We used to go from Portsmouth to London to go to the theatres. I mean, the British never closed down their theatres. You know, everyone would scramble for air raids, air raid shelters, which they... the tube stations were used for those. But young people, people like me, you know, we didn’t pay too much attention to air raid sirens. You’d try to find a pub that was open. But I remember the word going around after one raid on the east end of London, 8,000 people were killed in one night. People being killed doesn’t really affect you unless you happen to know them, so I’ve discovered. It’s fairly impersonal, you know. I guess you get, after a while you get used to having people killed and you don’t stew about it. I mean, you can tie yourself up in knots looking at some corpse and say, how about his mother and his sister and all that stuff. But really, at least when you’re young, you don’t pay attention to that.
Description

Mr. Welland describes how the English civilian population was equipped to fight a German land invasion, and goes on to describe British resolve in the face of bombing raids on London.

Robert Welland

One of five children, Robert Welland was born in Oxbow, Saskatchewan on March 7, 1918. His parents immigrated to Canada from England, where his father had been an officer in the British Merchant Navy. Influenced by his father, Mr. Welland decided at the age of 14 that he would some day be a warship’s captain and an admiral. In 1936, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, but had to go to England and join the Royal Navy in order to obtain officer training. His first active wartime service was aboard the F class destroyer, HMS Fame. Aboard her, he was involved in the rescue of survivors of the Athenia sinking, and the destruction of U-353. Mr. Welland then joined HMCS St. Laurent; she took part in the Dunkirk evacuation and the rescue of survivors from the Arindora Star torpedoing. In 1943, he assumed captaincy of HMCS Assiniboine; this vessel was involved both in convoy duty and harassing German shipping in the English Channel. Captain Welland remained in the Canadian Navy, and took HMCS Athabaskan into service during the Korean War, assisting in the NATO blockade there. He was later to become Commanding Officer of naval airbase CFB Shearwater, and his distinguished career saw him retire with the rank of rear admiral. He had fulfilled his boyhood dream! Mr. Welland later had great success as an entrepreneur, retiring at the age of 82.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
3:34
Person Interviewed:
Robert Welland
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Branch:
Navy
Units/Ship:
HMCS St-Laurent
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Occupation:
Anti-submarine officer

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Youtube

Related Videos

There Was no Officer Training in Canada.

There Was no Officer Training in Canada.

Mr. Welland discusses joining the Royal Navy as an officer in 1936 and learning his trade at sea. He gives a good description of celestial navigation.

The Athenia was Torpedoed on the First Day.

The Athenia was Torpedoed on the First Day.

Mr. Welland describes seeing action on the first day of the war aboard HMS Fame, and assisting in the rescue of survivors from the torpedoed passenger vessel, Athenia.

It Meant Being in Bad Weather off Iceland.

It Meant Being in Bad Weather off Iceland.

Mr. Welland describes doing blockade duty aboard HMS Fame, transferring to HMCS St. Laurent, and participating in the dangerous evacuation at Dunkirk.

The Ammunition was Green

The Ammunition was Green

Mr. Welland offers an explanation for the seemingly easy fall of France to the German invasion.

A destroyer’s crowded when no-one’s on board

A destroyer’s crowded when no-one’s on board

Mr. Welland describes rescuing 800 plus people from the torpedoed Arindora Star, and both the tragedy and humour surrounding that rescue.

You Never See the Results of Your Work.

You Never See the Results of Your Work.

Mr. Welland describes a successful attack on a German submarine, and the attempted rescue of a crippled Royal Navy sloop.

Do You Think We’re Going to Win?

Do You Think We’re Going to Win?

Mr. Welland describes receiving two DSC’s from Sir Vincent Massey, and their discussion about the outcome of the war.

It Was a Terrible Mistake

It Was a Terrible Mistake

Mr. Welland describes taking advanced anti-sub training and being disappointed at being removed from combat duty to train other anti-sub personnel in Halifax.

I Had a Very Good Captain.

I Had a Very Good Captain.

Mr. Welland expresses his gratitude to his captain, who had made it possible for Mr. Welland to take command of HMCS Assiniboine ahead of other candidates, after he himself had fallen ill.

The Successful Convoy Won the War.

The Successful Convoy Won the War.

Mr. Welland gives an excellent description of convoy duty, and of the importance of convoys to Allied success in the war.

There Was No Naval Opposition To Us.

There Was No Naval Opposition To Us.

Mr. Welland discusses his deployment to Korea as captain of HMCS Athabascan, and describes doing primarily humanitarian intervention. He relates one incident wherein HMCS Athabascan provided naval bombardment to aid an American retreat.

All My Friends are Ex-Armed Forces.

All My Friends are Ex-Armed Forces.

Mr. Welland compares his friendships from civilian and military life, and elaborates on his respect for the military lifestyle.

Our Histories Are Twisted.

Our Histories Are Twisted.

Mr. Welland makes a plea for more in-depth, accurate and non-partisan history curricula in Canada.

Date modified: