It’ll All Work Out In The End.
Heroes Remember
It’ll All Work Out In The End.
Transcript
Description
Mr. Clark describes his eventual selection for medical service aboard the hospital ship ‘Lady Nelson’.
Charles Howard Clark
Charles Howard Clark was born in Chelton, Prince Edward Island on November 16, 1924. His father worked as a fisherman, carpenter and butcher during the Depression. Mr. Clark indicates that although times were tough, his community shared its resources and no one went hungry. He attended a one room school. Although he was able to enlist, he, like many local youth, had to stay on the farm as the production of food was vital to the war effort. Mr. Clark’s attempts to enlist in 1943 were at first unsuccessful; he was turned down by both the navy and air force, but was finally accepted into the infantry. However, his stay there was short due to a childhood hip injury, which made marching difficult. He then trained as a stretcher bearer, before finally joining the hospital ship ‘Lady Nelson’ as a nurse-orderly. Aboard this vessel, Mr. Clark made seventeen transatlantic voyages, offering medical care of various types to the wounded who were being returned to Canada. He witnessed the Halifax riots and feels much of the blame placed on the military was unwarranted.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 3:09
- Person Interviewed:
- Charles Howard Clark
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- North Atlantic Ocean
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Lady Nelson
- Rank:
- Corporal
- Occupation:
- Nurse-Orderly
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Mr. Clark describes integrating into an established crew on the ‘Lady Nelson’, and describes the informality among the officers and crew.
He brought me down an old CNR bun.
Mr. Clark gives his impressions of his early life and labours aboard the ‘Lady Nelson’.
It made you realize how helpless someone could be.
Mr. Clark talks about looking after wartime amputees.
There’s an awful difference in your captains.
Mr. Clark compares the rough seas navigation style of the two captains who commanded the ‘Lady Nelson’.
They didn’t have penicillin at that time.
Mr. Clark compares wounds he saw to more severe ones earlier in the war. He describes nature’s antibiotic - maggots.
It was a good bunch of boys.
Mr. Clark discusses some good and bad aspects of life at sea.
There wasn’t a service person living on their street
Mr. Clark describes being in Halifax when the war ended, and gives some details of and insight into the subsequent Halifax riot.
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