Didn’t want the Stripes

See we went over as raw recruits, everybody. The fellas that were educated went to OTU, officer training units and became officers and eventually, we the gunners became NCO's, one stripe and then two and three and then up to sergeants after, you know. I remember I, I, I was only over there for four or five months and they gave me a stripe and ah, but I didn't, I didn't want it. I didn't want that. Interviewer: Did you ever tell the sergeant major why you were relinquishing, turning in your stripe? No, I didn't have to I guess. I don't recall him asking. No, no just that I didn't want it. I didn't want it, at that particular time I didn't want the stripe. And I had two after and lost them, being late. The least little thing you lose your stripe. And, so I didn't, I didn't get to be a sergeant or anything, you know. I came back as a gunner, which is a good title. Interviewer: Sounds like you didn't want to be a sergeant... No, I didn't, no, no, I was young and bashful. No, I didn't want to be. Interviewer: What, what qualities do you think or did you think a sergeant needed to have that maybe you, you felt you didn't have? Well, a grade 11 education wouldn't have been too bad and there are fellas that don't mind standing before men and giving orders and being responsible and so on. I didn't want that.

Mr. Candow recalls turning in a stripe of promotion, and explains his reason for not wanting to become a sergeant.

Gordon Henry Candow

Mr Candow was born December 15, 1920, and is the oldest of nine children. Joining in with the lads he was working with when war broke out, he signed into the navy but was quickly transferred to artillery. In May 1940, Mr. Candow sailed overseas as a part of the 57th Heavy Regiment, and was stationed to Norfolk, Great Britain, performing costal defence for a year and a half. After being shipped to Southern England the 57th was soon incorporated into the 166th Newfoundland Field Artillery Regiment. In January 1943, the regiment was shipped to North Africa. They remained in action until the end of the North African campaign, when they were shipped to Italy where the unit saw action in Fogia, Cassino, Ortona, and Boulogne. When the war ended, he returned to Southern England for a short period and then returned home to Newfoundland.