Declaration of War

We didn't really worry about it until the actual war was declared and then we say, "Oh Jesus, we can get a job". And the pay, I'll never forget it, army, navy, you started out at one dollar and ten cents a day. And in the navy after you'd been, after you had been drafted to a ship, if it was a, a small ship and you slept in hammock, you could get an extra twenty-five cents a day for hard lairs. So, that was big money then. Well you see, it's the financial picture. Canada, especially Hamilton area were, was in the throws of depression days. There was no money. Nobody had money to throw around. You, you scratched and you did what you can with very little. So with the war on, join the Forces, you get a uniform, a place to eat and sleep. You'll get lots of money, at least it seemed to be lots of money at the time. And not only that, all the girls liked to look at you and oh. But it, I think it was a financial, a financial thing actually. In addition to the fact that all the young guys liked to wear a uniform, and I'm quite happy to say most of them liked, a lot of them liked the navy uniform.