Do You Think We’re Going to Win?

Heroes Remember

Do You Think We’re Going to Win?

Transcript

At that time, it was by no means certain that our side was going to win. You know, they lost all Europe. The countries there had lost their countries. The Germans were … they had England surrounded by submarines. Many, many ships were sunk and they’re bombing the cities. Well, I’ll tell you a story about... I was told to go to Buckingham Palace and King George would pin my DSC on me. Well, to get there, I was told to report to Canada House, which is our, it’s now our high commissioner there. Well the high commissioner then was Vincent Massey and I had not met him before. And he was an older man, of course. And I remember being in the library at Canada House and I was then 22, I think 22 or 23 maybe, 1940, 22. And he said to me, there were only two or three of us there, he said to me, “Do you think we’re gonna win the war?” And I remember being absolutely astonished that he would ask that. It never occurred to me that we’d lose the war. Well, anyway ... well, maybe in 1950, what, four, no, 1953, I had been in the Korean War and I’d been given another DSC and what do you know, Vincent Massey is now the Governor General of Canada. And so he remembered me from the first time in 1940. This would be what, 13 years later, and he said to me, he said, “Do you remember our conversation in London in 1940 when I asked you if we thought we’re going to win the war?” He said, “I still remember the astonished look on your face at the very idea that we could lose it. You were completely astonished, weren’t you?” And I said, “Yes, I remembered it distinctly, thinking, what’s the matter with you to think that we’d lose?”

Description

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

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:: 2:59
Person Interviewed:: Robert Welland
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Branch:: Navy
Units/Ship:: HMCS St-Laurent
Rank:: Lieutenant
Occupation:: Anti-submarine officer

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Do You Think We’re Going to Win?

Heroes Remember