Relatives Found

For those of you who didn’t know, I was adopted as a baby.  Just prior to my 30th birthday however, after a very brief search, I found my Birth Mother – Gloria, along with my half Brother – Sean.  Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know several other members of my birth family.  Today, I would like to introduce to your the parents of Gloria, both of which served in the military.  

A Remembrance Day Service at the Theford Cenotaph this Thursday across from Knox.  I am not sure of all of the details as of yet, I do know the children of Bosanquet Central Elementary will be taking part.  Please plan to take part in this time to honour those who served and are serving their country.

MARGARET ELSIE WEBSTER - August 30, 1923 - April 1, 2008

Age: 19

Enlisted: Canadian Women's Army Corps in Toronto November 4, 1942 until July 10, 1944. 

Rank:  Private.

RICHARD ARTHUR HERBERT - May 2, 1912 - December 21, 1964

Age: 30

Enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery/Irish Regiment of Canada in Toronto November 27, 1942 until January 17, 1946.

Rank:  Corporal

Medals: Canadian Voluntary Service Medal

Other Active Army Service:  National Resources Mobilization Act from

August 10, 1942 to November 26, 1942.

Richard and Margaret met while in the army and were married on July 11, 1945. After the war, Margaret was a stay-at-home Mom, and Richard worked for the CPR as a conductor. They lived in MacTier until moving to Scarborough in 1956 and then to a farm in Mount Albert in 1962. .

A TEN DOLLAR REMEMBRANCE DAY MEMORY

THE VETERAN ON OUR TEN DOLLAR - If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10 bill, you will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial. His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90. 

That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War. Born in England , he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg. 
He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.   
En route to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire. Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk. 
Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy . En route his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck . 
In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel. 
Sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital. They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre. 
After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county and on his retirement he and his wife moved to Ottawa . At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences. 
One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official asking him to go downtown for a photo op. He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. 'He had no idea he would be on the bill,' his daughter said. 
And now you know the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.