A Mother’s Intervention

Heroes Remember

A Mother’s Intervention

Transcript

Well I, I remember telling mom and dad about registering at the school, and then the Navy and the Air Force. They said that they would give a call and all that, when they were going to get the word to do it, to recruit. But mother unknown to me, mother was very reluctant for me to join the Navy and well dad approved I guess. Dad was also the military you know from the First World War and he was quite happy that I was in the service. But to carry this business a little further, after I got into the Cameron’s and we went to Iceland, mother received a letter at home now that we are allowed to recruit you are to report at such, such a place, and to sign me up. But, what my mother did tore the letter up. I never knew about it until after I got home. Then, you know I was glad that she did that because I woke up to the fact that this was a war and what the Germans were doing to our shipping, everything. I was kind of glad that I got into the infantry, you know.

Description

Mr. Champoux speaks of his parent’s reaction to his joining up and his mother’s intervention in ensuring he did not transfer to the Navy.

Robert Arthur Champoux

Mr. Champoux was born in Hull, Québec on March 21st, 1921. He lived there until the age of 8 when his father, a First World War Veteran, moved the family to Ottawa. Mr. Champoux had three brothers and four sisters; he was the third oldest child. When the war broke out he was attending Ottawa Technical High School. He left school, after his first year, to join the Army after failing to join the Navy and the Air Force (who were not yet recruiting). He left for Europe July 17th, 1940 and ended up stopping in Iceland where he remained for the next 10 months. Mr. Champoux’s wartime service saw him fighting on D-Day and in the Falaise Gap. He also fought in Calais and later on in Holland where he was wounded. Mr. Champoux got a job with the Mint upon returning to Canada. He joined the army again in 1948 retiring in 1965.

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