The Road to Normandy
Heroes Remember
The Road to Normandy
Transcript
Description
Mr. Walsh describes volunteering for service in Normandy, his preparations to go, and his impressions after landing in France as a member of the Royal Regiment of Canada.
Graham Walsh
Graham Walsh was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on January 22, 1925. He was the third of seven children. His father worked in a steel mill, and made a bit extra selling coke, a smelting byproduct. His father died when he was seven, and Mr. Walsh and his brother worked odd jobs to help the family. He joined the local reserves when he was fifteen and two years later, at the age of seventeen, enlisted for overseas service. Once in England, he was overlooked for Italian deployment and immediately volunteered for Normandy. Mr. Walsh served from France to post-war Germany, via the liberation of Holland, all with the Royal Regiment of Canada. He was fortunate to survive three wounds while in action.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 2:13
- Person Interviewed:
- Graham Walsh
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Battle/Campaign:
- Normandy
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Royal Regiment of Canada
- Occupation:
- Tank Driver
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Desperate to Enlist
Mr. Walsh describes having to deceive his mother in order to enlist with a close friend.
I was a Veteran the Next Morning
Mr. Walsh describes his first night in action, fighting off two German counterattacks. He also describes having to fire a weapon in anger for the first time.
Losing Friends
Mr. Walsh discusses, in general, the anonymity of soldiers who fall during the heat of battle, but after losing two close friends, his reluctance to make new ones.
Routing the Germans at Falaise Gap
Mr. Walsh faints a detailed picture of the overwhelming force mustered by the Allied army leading up to the rout of the Germans at Falaise Gap.
Rest and Cider - a Bad Mix
Mr. Walsh describes locating a cellar full of cider while on leave, and being so thirsty that he and his fellow soldiers drank cider to the point of illness.
They Put My Nose Back Together
Mr. Walsh describes his first wounding, his recuperation, and the importance of rejoining his old unit.
Royal Regiment Honoured at Dieppe
Mr. Walsh discusses why the Royal Regiment of Canada, with two other regiments, was selected to clear Dieppe based on the fact that it was decimated during the original Dieppe raid.
Two More Wounds
Mr. Walsh describes two more wounds he sustained, one in Holland and the other in Germany, and in both cases waiving medical attention to get back into action.
Walcheren Island - a Tough Objective
Mr. Walsh discusses the dangerous and time consuming strategy of leapfrogging along the dyked approaches to the German stronghold on Walcheren Island. He describes an alternative strategy, amphibious assault, which eventually succeeds. Finally, he expresses admiration for the impregnability of the German battlements on the island.
Dwindling Manpower and Resources
Mr. Walsh describes how attrition had caused critical shortages of both men and supplies by the time the Canadian army faced the Germans in Holland.
An Unfair Repatriation System
Mr. Walsh discusses his disappointment with what he saw as an unfair repatriation policy which meant he was left behind when his unit returned to Canada.
A Low-key Celebration on VE-Day
Mr. Walsh discusses his company’s low-key reaction to news that the war was over, and describes an amusingly disappointing attempt at celebration.
Just a Soldier Like Me
While in occupied Germany, and in command of a work detail, Mr. Walsh befriends a badly wounded German soldier. Their conversations reveal how similar they really are.
War isn’t for Older People
Mr. Walsh describes the demoralization factor he attributes to older married soldiers constantly reminiscing about their families.
Canada is Sacred
Mr. Walsh offers some thoughts on why he was proud to serve.
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