Description
Mr. Danson remembers saying farewell to friends and comrades after he was wounded. He also tells the story of the tragic death of one of his close friends as he tried to escape from a German hospital.
Barnet J (Barney) Danson
Mr. Danson was born in Ontario, 1921. Before the war, Mr. Danson worked for Columbia pictures. As a Jewish man, he was aware of the political situation in Europe. His instincts told him that war was imminent and he felt a sense of urgency to fight. As a result, he joined the Army during peacetime in hopes of being trained and ready to serve if war broke out. Mr. Danson was an Infantry Officer with the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. In the Fall of 1944 he was wounded, thus ending his war effort. After the war, he had a successful business and later entered politics where he served as the Minister of Defence in the Trudeau Government.
Transcript
Gerry at least came over, to say goodbye, and we, I guess we both cried a bit. And, he went off to win the war by himself. About a month later, he was dead. And it was, you know, it was almost a typical Earl Stoll action. He was hit by a piece of shrapnel, and it took the inside of his thigh away. And was taken in to a captured German hospital, and all those hospitals on those days were in tents. And I guess he was unconscious or delirious and when he became conscious, saw that he was in a German hospital and figured he was a prisoner of war. And knowing Earl as I did, he got out and tried to escape. And of course he tripped on a guide wire of the tent, and just bled to death. And that was the end, it was rather sad. Just visited his grave recently in Calais. So why I'm one of four, why I was saved, I don't know. And those are the tragedies of war, even though there are some compensating things, but nothing is worth it.