Desperation and Valour

Heroes Remember

Desperation and Valour

Transcript

Well I think it all boils down to one thing, that is pride. If there's a son of a gun there you don't think he is as good as you are, but if he can go through it, you can do it. I think that's what meant a lot because somebody else could do it, you could do it, too. I think it was pride more than anything else. There's only once, only once I think I ever saw a guy that we had trouble with, that refused to go in. And that was a bit later on but anyway there, I was going up towards the North Sea then, and he was supposed to be carrying the two inch mortar, and I can't, his name was Spears or Spires or something like that And he was always a hanger back you know, but his Bren gunner was a guy, not his Bren gunner but his number two was a guy by the name of Rivare(sp) I remember that. And when they started to push up to clear towards this, Grunigan (sp) , not Grunigan, can't remember, sea port anyway, when we went to clear that out there, Frank Dube (sp) had become Bren gunner at that time, and I was number two on the Bren gun, I got rid of the stupid thing. And had American grand at that time, semi automatic rifle I was using, and we were out in the open there, just as bare as this floor practically, covered in fire while the platoon was getting from these green houses over across the road, I'd say maybe two or three hundred yards away. And all we were doing was just shooting that gap where we figured he'd firing coming, but by this we were getting some firing back and some of it was getting pretty close. And Frank says, "Everybody gone yet?" And I looked over and there's this Squires, and Rivare was still back by the green house. I said, "Come on, move!" Rivare says well, Spears, joker's name, he said, "He won't move." Well, I'm no hero, I'm not a damn fool either as far as that goes but anyway I turned, I said, "If he hasn't moved by the time I count three..." He says, "He's not gonna move." I said, "It's getting too darn hot out here for us." We had to make that trip across there without any covering fire." And on the count of three, on the three he was up on his feet and moving. He kicked me on the head as he went by. But anyway when we got over the road finally the sergeant asked Frank Dube what happened over there. And he told him, he says, "Tom was gonna shoot the son of a gun." Sergeant said, "Why didn't he?" He said, "I covered for him." But anyway they sent the guy on a demolition course and I think he blew himself up. Never saw him again anyway He was a hazard. We had one young fella come back that had been shot twice, he got shot through this way in the stomach and through this way, and he come back. Now he was scared stiff. But once I said, "Move!" he moved. Cause the worst part if your in a trench with him, what happened once or twice there, if he heard a shell back way off in the distance, he'd jump. The first thing you know you're jumping too and was ducking. So they finally sent him off, I think they sent him back to England or somewhere finally, but he was a brave man, he went in, oh he was scared, oh God he was scared of getting hit again. So there was a difference in people.

Description

Mr. Tomlin talks about desperation and valour in combat situations

Glen Tomlin

Mr. Tomlin was born in Clinton, Ontario, in 1923. His family moved to Harriston when he was very young. Once he was old enough he worked in a box factory earning $7/week for 60 hours of labour. Despite having had rheumatic fever, which made it impossible for him to walk at a marching pace, Mr. Tomlin was accepted by the army, where he trained as a field gunner. He later switched to infantry, joining the Hard Light Infantry, 9th Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. Mr. Tomlin's service saw him in several combats in Northern Europe, often engaging the enemy at very close quarters. Mr. Tomlin now resides in Palmerston, Ontario.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 3:12
Person Interviewed:: Glen Tomlin
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: Highland Light Infantry
Rank:: Private
Occupation:: Gunner

Language selection

Desperation and Valour

Heroes Remember