Description
Mr. Toney describes how losing his best friend to a sniper while they were on patrol together aroused in him a killer instinct towards the Germans.
John Martin Toney
John Martin Toney was born on September 26, 1923 on the Neskonlith Reserve, British Columbia. The strongest influence in his life was his grandfather, who taught him spirituality, life and survival skills. Mr. Toney feels that at that time he was being groomed to become a Chief. By the age of eight, he was hunting game to help feed his family. He later worked at a ranch and then as a carpenter. Proud to enlist, the army’s restrictive criteria forced Mr. Toney to renounce his Aboriginal heritage and designate himself an Irish Catholic. He was accepted by the Seaforth Highlanders, Engineering Corps, based on his success at demolition. His first action saw him in the second wave at Dieppe where he witnessed much death and suffering. Agile in the field, he hand-picked and led many reconnaissance and demolition patrols against the Germans. Mr. Toney was wounded twice, and after his second recovery, finished the war as motorcycle dispatch rider. He then signed up for Pacific duty, returning home early
Transcript
After they killed my buddy, I become very dangerous to the, to the enemy. His name was Percy Morin [sic] from Prince Rupert and he could really play piano and sing. He was Native, full Native, but he could really play a piano and sing. We chummed together all through England and got over into France and about halfway through the war I guess. They sent us out to clear a path across this open field so the infantry tanks could go across it. There were a lot of mines in there. That was what we had to do was clear mines and build bridges and things like that. And so, it was daylight they sent, there was me and Percy was in front of me. I was behind, then we had a sergeant behind us and there was this kind of a ditch going parallel with the front line. We crawled down this ditch and Percy turned, he said, “You think we’re far enough? ” I said, “Yeah, I think so.” He said, “Well, I’ll have a look.” He lifted his head up and I heard this clanking noise. He just laid his head there. I waited a few minutes or seconds and hollered to him and he didn’t answer. So I grabbed him by the leg and started pulling him and another bullet went through his helmet. Well, I guess that’s the end of him. So I told the sergeant, “Well, we gotta get out of here.” So while he was turned round he got his ankle shot. I always figured white man was clumsy anyhow. So I pulled a uie in the ditch, had to drag him along with me, to get him back off again, but after that I turned ape. I was out for blood then, no stopping me.