Injured by Shrapnel - Cared For by Canadian Nursing Sisters

Heroes Remember

Injured by Shrapnel - Cared For by Canadian Nursing Sisters

The Nursing Sisters were unbelievable. Interviewer: Did they seem to take a particular interest in you men, personally? They took an interest in all men, they were excellent. The ladies from Canada were beautiful, devoted, understanding. They were tremendous. Interviewer: Do you remember having any dealings with the doctor’s that were there at the time? Not particularly, just the one with the anaesthetic, you know, the doc says, “Ross, start counting.” Voom, I’m out. So, no. Interviewer: After the shrapnel was removed, it indicated that you were given a couple of weeks leave... (Yeah, yeah.) What did you do during that time? Well, I had, my mother and my father had relations in Scotland, so I arranged for a leave in Scotland and I went and visited my aunt, my mother’s step-sister and her husband, and met one of my cousins. My other two cousins were already serving with the Royal Air Force and they were billeted in India or other areas and so on, and they allowed one son to stay and work in the munitions factory. They couldn’t take all the boys from one family. So, but, I went up into a place called Arden, up in off of Loch Lomond, and it was a beautiful place for rest. My aunt treated me beautifully. And, I also went up to meet my father’s brother, my uncle Jim, who had, I mentioned early, had worked in the Welland Canal, he was living up in Dundee area and I went up there to visit with him and his wife and then I returned back to the regiment via Aldershot. I was, after from my leave from the hospital I was to report to the Duke of Wellington barracks in Aldershot and I was a day late, but I went to the Red Caps, the MPs, and told em I was late and I said, “I’m on my way back.” They said, “No problem. Just do this and that’s fine.” So, they ignored that I was late and I went back and reported in and, and we start doing, played the waiting game until they formed up a draft.

During an encounter with German forces, Mr. Ross sustained injuries from flying shrapnel. He was flown to hospital in England and recalls the kindness and care of the Canadian Nursing Sisters.

Joseph William Ross

Mr. Ross was born in Montreal on February 15, 1925. His father served during the First World War and was seriously wounded at the second battle at Ypres. When Canada declared war on Germany in September, 1939, Mr. Ross was only 14 years old, working as an office boy for six dollars a week. Later, he worked as an apprentice fitter in the aircraft division of Vickers, near Montreal. Mr. Ross enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday in 1943. After training in Quebec and Nova Scotia, he was sent as part of the reinforcement troops to England where he was assigned to ‘C’ Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. His overseas action included landing at Juno Beach on D-Day, and serving throughout both Normandy and Northwest Europe (Belgium and Holland). During an encounter with German forces, Mr. Ross sustained injuries from flying shrapnel.