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The Highland Light Infantry (Part 2 of 3)

Heroes Remember

The Highland Light Infantry (Part 2 of 3)

Transcript
They said, "Go on down and welcome them, you know, as they come in." Well, they came in, you know, strung out along the roads maybe half a mile each side, probably a company or several companies of them. And I tell you, it was, it was sad when they came in with a piper, you know. And they stopped them at the intersection, the crossroads, and you think, you know, the guys, Dick and Gray's over here and the prisoner is looking at them and, what a mess. I mean, the guys had bandages on and the still helmet over their bandages and blood and torn uniforms and mud from ass to tea kettle, rifles wrapped and stuff, you know, to try and keep them dry, and mortars and mortar bombs and carrying all this stuff, you know. Everything you'd carry for a war, you know, PIAT, PIAT tubes, you know, PIAT projector infantry had a tank and all that stuff, and we felt so sorry for them and boy you'd think, "Oh God, that looks," and they formed them up, of course, we used to form up in threes as you know, three across. They, they made them wait there. "What the hell are they doing?" I thought. Well, they had the band there. They had their band, you know, with the pipers, in a brass band, like, they had brass along with the pipers, which was unusual, you know, so near to the front. So, anyway they, they looked so sad and they came in and, and we thought, "Well, that's interesting." You know, previous to that, before they arrived, up in the, on the road way in front of the houses, they, the company trucks had come up, like, the infantry trucks and they got their back packs, that's with their, their change of uniform in them and with their heavy grey coats and all that kind of stuff.
Description

Mr. Field tells a moving story about the Highland Light Infantry returning from battle, and moving on to their next position.

Richard (Dick) Field

Mr. Richard Field was born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 11, 1924, where his father was an accountant for Brazilian Traction Light and Car Power Company located in Toronto. After hearing stories from his grandfather and friends about the service, Mr. Field and his father enlisted in 1943. Serving as a Gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery, Mr. Field went to the continent after the summer of 1944, and landed at Dieppe. Having witnessed battles such as the Battle of the Bulge, which was, on record, the coldest battle fought during the Second World War, encounters with German POWS and the German SS, nothing stirs up memories such as the moving story about the Highland Light Infantry returning from battle, wearily marching on to battle, serenaded by the haunting melody of the bagpipes. Mr. Field returned home to Toronto and married his high school sweetheart, however, the war never left the dreams and thoughts of Mr. Field, who still, quite frequently, is plagued by dreams and nightmares of life on the front.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
02:02
Person Interviewed:
Richard (Dick) Field
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
Belgium
Battle/Campaign:
Northwest Europe
Branch:
Army
Occupation:
Gunner

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