Off to Algiers

Heroes Remember

Off to Algiers

So that's what I did, and early 1943, by March - April, I was in England, and I told them I was a blaster miner, I was a miner, hardrock mine, I was a woods, woodsman, they, they put me down as a labourer which I didn't like at all. But I mean I couldn't argue about that because they made the policies. But anyway I went overseas and my war started, and one of the things that I within my war years was my effort to better myself, well I, as I said again, as I say again, that when promotions were handed out and I was handed a promotion they wondered "how come, how did they give him one". That again, skin colour, and as I said I had to battle this all my life and today it's like, you know, it doesn't bother me anymore because I know who I am or what I can do. Anyway that's getting away from the story. And I eventually boarded a ship for the Middle East. Went to Algiers and to a little place called Philippeville, outside of Algiers, they had a hospital there, 24th General British Hospital. Anyway we got to Philippeville and I guess we would be there about three weeks before I got sick, dysentery, everybody got dysentery. Some real bad, others just, you know, didn't bother them much, couple days and they were over it. But everybody was getting sick and I I was marching around playing the big guy because I thought What's the matter, I'm not, it's not bothering me any."

By March of 1943, Mr. Parker is in England on active service. He is listed as a labourer, which he feels does not represent the range of skills that he has developed. He ships out to North Africa (Algiers), where dysentry sets in.

Richard Allen Parker

Richard Allen Parker was born in Vernon, BC on May 27, 1917 to a First Nations family. He talks about his early years, the prejudice that he faced, and the meaning of being First Nations. He left home at an early age to work in the mines. He talks about joining the PPCLI in 1942, fighting the SS and Hitler Youth and his time in Algiers and Italy.