November 11th and July 1st

Heroes Remember

November 11th and July 1st

Transcript

For years I spent it in Ottawa Memorial and took great pride in it, but these last couple of years I’ve been a bit cripple and and I haven’t gone down. I used to go down with a group called The Singing Legionnaires and we used to partake and I really enjoyed that but it, it was a sombre time, but this last two year years I just stayed home and watched TV. The time comes when you, you get to 87 years old, when you don’t want to go anywhere. Interviewer: So you watched the service on television? Yes. July 1st, I don’t know how to say this but since we have joined Canada, in more recent years they have taken away from us, it’s become Canada Day, but I like to celebrate the real cause for Newfoundland. I don’t know if I’m mean because of that or what, but I think those boys that got slaughtered from Newfoundland should still be top for us here, but Canada Day has taken over. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t know. Interviewer: And that day, of course, was the day in 1916 when the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was wiped out at Beaumont-Hamel. Yes, yes. Interviewer: And that’s a day that you feel very strongly about? Yes sir, I do so, right from my heart. I hope we can keep it pretty close, but it’s, and I suppose with the passing of time it got to happen, I don’t know but it was a real sombre day in Newfoundland for us when I came back from overseas and for a lot of years. But since we joined Confederation seems like we’re losing it, but I don’t know, I suppose it got to happen.

Description

Mr. Spracklin describes what November 11th means to him and what he does during this time of year. He also describes what July 1st means to him as a Newfoundlander.

Leslie Milton Spracklin

Leslie Milton Spracklin was born in Charlottetown (Bonavista Bay), Newfoundland on September 4, 1917. Mr. Spracklin was going to join the navy with his friends, however his mother had a heart attack and he stayed with her. When another draft came along he joined the army and ended up in the 166th Light Artillery. He went overseas in September, 1942 and the 166th Artillery Regiment went into Italy in the fall of 1943. They spent the winter fighting on the Sangro River and then went on to attack the Germans at Monte Cassino.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 02:23
Person Interviewed:: Leslie Milton Spracklin
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Battle/Campaign:: Italian
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: 166 Field Artillery Regiment
Rank:: Bombardier
Occupation:: Officer's Assistant

Language selection

November 11th and July 1st

Heroes Remember