Description
Mr. Fitsell remembers his return to civilian life as he arrived back in Canada following his service during the First World War.
John Fitsell
John Fitsell was born in Hastings, England on August 11, 1898. He came to Canada in 1912 and enlisted in Barrie, Ontario with the 157th Battalion at the age of 15 years. He told the recruiting officer that he was 16. After completing basic training, he sailed to England and in three months was in the trenches of France.
Transcript
I just didn't know what to do really. I hadn't made up my mind yet. After living, it's two lives, you live two lives when you're in the Army in active service, you're living two lives. One's from the time you come back and the time you were there. And it takes you quite a while to get settled down.
Interviewer: To adjust eh? Because you were still very young then.
Oh ya well I was what, twenty, I'd be about twenty one, twenty two, twenty two.
Interviewer: Still very young.
Yeah. But I happened to go down town one time, day and I met my friend, my wive now or was. I met her and we had a little talk, I had a horse and buggy them days. So I went down to get some things for my mother. I met Beatrice and she said, "Frank would be glad", that was a brother, I knew her brother well before. She said "Frank would be glad to see you. Why don't you come on down sometime? " And she said afterwards there was two meanings to that she said.
Interviewer: She obviously saw you as a good catch in that horse and buggy.
Anyway that started our, our little get together. Then we got married. We didn't have very much money. People got married a little different than what they do now. And we didn't have much money. Had a little bit, a few dollars. But anyway we grew on and grew on. We got married in a church.
Interviewer: How long were you married?
How long do you think?
Interviewer: Fifty years, fifty five.
More. Sixty six.
Interviewer: Sixty six years eh.
Three months and thirteen days.