The Pride for D-Day Dodgers

Heroes Remember

The Pride for D-Day Dodgers

Transcript

Well, the D-Day Dodgers, we had been fighting in Italy for a couple of years. And then, when June the 6th started in France, the invasion, this Member of Parliament, Lady Astor was a Member of Parliament, and they referred to Italy and she says, “They’re D-Day Dodgers.” She says, “All they’re doing down there is eliminating going into France,” and that’s the way we got the D-Day Dodgers. But we had been fighting in near Italy for two years and I guess we’d lost fifteen or sixteen thousand dead by then, and so many people wounded, that we took it kind of like an honour. Now it doesn’t bother us, but at one time it was very bad. They kind of took a slight to it. But why she said it, I don’t know. But that’s where they got the D-Day Dodger That the only reason we were in Italy was, we didn’t want to go in the invasion, you know. But we, when we were in Italy we had, we held up over 300,000 German troops that was supposed to have been out in France and Russia. And if those 300,000 had been in France, there’d a been a big difference. But that’s what we were down there for, and this is the first place they decided to invade. It’s like I was telling you before. We, our regiment, our brigade, put more time in on the front lines than anybody. And we had more time in actual battle than anybody. Well, you get a little miffed. You get a little mad and you wonder what it’s all about. But you know, like, if anybody says, “Well, what are you doing in Italy? Well, that was a snap.” I says, “Yeah, ask the fifteen thousand or twenty thousand men there that’s lying there.” And that’s all I say to them. Because it irks you. I get mad. But they think we were down there for a holiday, some of the people. But, I mean, it was a dirty war down there.You get most of the guys now … we got a tape there, that’s when I was poster boy for the regiment there, when they had the Calgary, the Museum of the Regiments. They’d get up there and they’ll tell you that D-Day Dodgers … and we’re proud of it. We’re not ashamed of what we did down there. We’re not ashamed. We always tell them that the reason they brought us up to France was, they’re having trouble and they wanted some experience. It didn’t go too good over there.

Description

Mr. Baker speaks about being referred to as D-Day Dodgers and explains the term. Although being miffed by the attitudes towards these soldiers - some believing they tried to avoid the Italian invasion - Mr. Baker speaks about the truth of their duty and the pride for their service.

Thomas Baker

Mr. Baker was born in Pearson, Manitoba on October 3, 1923 into a family of six brothers and two sisters. While in Grade 9, Mr. Baker made the decision to quit school and join the army. Although his father was reluctant to let him go, Mr. Baker was determined to serve his country and joined the 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment, 1st Armoured Brigade (Calgary Tanks). During his service, Mr. Baker was wounded, but continued to serve until the end of war. In later years he was honoured as the “Poster Boy” for a local lottery draw held in Alberta - a special recognition and a great surprise to Mr. Baker. After the war, Mr. Baker moved to Toronto, Ontario, continued his education and began a 40 year career with General Electric.

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