Secret Weapon

Heroes Remember

Secret Weapon

Transcript

The worst thing where I was, was the smoke and the heat. At night there was a ball of fire at the end of the gun, yeah. Yeah. And sometime we fired it, but most of the time, I wasn’t there. If it was a big barrage, I wouldn’t stay there. You know, I didn’t have to stay there. I could get out. Generally help them, with the ammunition. I could... whenever they need me, once they were firing. If there was a big barrage, I wouldn’t stay there. I also had a co-driver, so we were both the same situation. But the fire ball and the smoke, now halfway... I think we were in Belgium. That was another secret weapon that came through the PA system and through the officers. And it was a secret weapon, nobody knew what it was. You wouldn’t know what it was. It came out to be smokeless cordite. What a thing that was. You know, before that, we were called to fire a gun. The infantry would be raising heck with us because they say, “Hey, you guys! The minute with that big ball of fire and all that smoke, the German would just know right off the bat and fire back.” Now the guy would say, “Hey you guys, don’t come in here and start that firing business!” I said, “Just a minute.” I went and found some other guys. “Your officer ordered us. It’s for your own protection.” You know, I said, “We’re going to blow up some...” So, anyway. But the smokeless was the greatest thing and I walked in the front of a gun one time about 30 feet and there was only about ten sparks flew out. No smoke. No flame. Oh that was great. That was one of the great... It was a real secret weapon.

Description

Mr. Ducharme talks about a secret weapon they used in Belgium.

Paul Ducharme

Paul Ducharme was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1919. His family moved to Lorraine, Ontario where his father had a successful career with the Abitibi lumber company. Mr. Ducharme left home, penniless, at the age of thirteen. In the years leading up to his enlistment, he was employed as a trapper, a guide, a male poster model, and a mushroom picker. He enlisted in Ontario and volunteered for the new 19th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment being formed in Borden, Ontario. After shipping overseas on the Queen Mary, Mr. Ducharme took part in the D-Day invasion, landing at Juno Beach. He saw further action in France, Belgium and Holland. He was wounded by shrapnel in Holland and sent back to England. After leaving the service, Mr. Ducharme operated an auto body shop for 40 years.

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