Description
Mr. Tee recites for us a poem, from his book, about comradeship.
Ronald Tee
Mr. Tee was born in Portsmouth, England, on December 1, 1919. His father served with the navy in the First World War and after retiring from the service moved his family to a small village called Pinner in Northern London. At the age of 20, Mr. Tee found himself being "called up" to the British Army. In February 1940 he joined the Queen's Royal Regiment and was posted to Newcastle. He later volunteered and joined the Reconnaissance Corp. Regiment (later part of the Royal Armoured Corps.) and became a member of the 56th Reconnaissance Battalion. He remained with this unit until the end of the war and held rank as Troop Sergeant. Mr. Tee received an honourable discharge from the service on September 11, 1946. In 1953, Mr. Tee and his family moved to Canada to start a new life. They now reside in Kingston, Ontario. Throughout his lifetime Mr. Tee has been known for his determination, courage, enterprise and his enduring motto of "Keep your chin up mate!" He has written a book sharing many stories and experiences he had as a British soldier during the Second World War.
Transcript
Comradeship is the thing that . . . I'll tell you about Comradeship if I may do this.
That's Something
It's funny how one can lie
And remember things of days gone by
And in perhaps one short minute
Recapture a past year and all that's in it
It's funny how a quiet room gives chance to ponder
Leading out thoughts, back through time to wander
Perhaps a tune or even a funny phrase
Will recall something that happened in by-gone days
Everyone stores up things that have passed
Some are forgotten, other will always last
But a soldier who has been to war
Has in life's memory book, something more
Something that could only be
In the memories of men like you and me.
Something that is born amidst shot and shell
Perhaps, develops and grows in times of bloody hell
This comradeship as it is known by us
Of which we'd never made much fuss
Is this something which in our minds was set
In lands were many are lying yet
And so I remember from the start
The lads that I knew now far apart
My soldiering is finished, I leave it all behind
But there's something comes with me in my mind
That's all about what we are talking about.