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Joining the Army

Heroes Remember

Joining the Army

Transcript
He was a physician, small town physician. One brother four years younger. I ran away from home when I was sixteen and got captured but he was pretty firm. Well, I just couldn't hack it any longer because another fella who was getting the same treatment. We were noisy teenagers and the two of us ran away and we got as far as Niagra Falls and we were captured and brought back. Thinking of joining the army, it was ‘39, eventually. My father was a Veteran, World War One. He used to use French, I'm picking up more French phrases he used all the time. A common expression was, "It's napoo," you see. Well, the Belgians would say, "Il n'y a plus, " "There is no more." I grew up with it and I didn't realize what it was till I took a French course a few years ago. Napoo. He was a medical officer with a field ambulance. He had the highest regard for those who were, as he put it, in front of the guns. I always wanted to be an infantryman because I'd heard him talk about them so much. He got a DSO along the way... cleaning up battlefields.
Description

Mr. Kelly talks about how he joined up with the army.

Jeff Kelly

Mr. Kelly was born in Lindsay, Ontario, December 16, 1923. His father was a medical officer with a field ambulance in the First World War and received a Distinguished Service Order. Mr Kelly wanted to be an infantry man as his father had a great admiration for them. He joined the army on the 22nd of May in 1942. He served overseas with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion which was part of the British 6th Airborne Division.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
01:36
Person Interviewed:
Jeff Kelly
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
Canada

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

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