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Description
M. Fortier a échangé des lettres avec une marraine de guerre alors qu’il était en Angleterre et une fois la guerre terminée, il est allé la voir.
Claude Fortier
Born in Sainte-Sabine in the Beauce region, Claude Fortier is the youngest of a family of 3 children. His father died when Claude was very young and he was placed in a boarding school in Québec where he completed elementary school. Following his mother’s remarriage, there were 6 children in the family. They settled on a dairy farm in Vermont where he went to high school. Having lost the farm during the Depression, the family scattered. Claude Fortier found himself at the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré seminary. Two years later, he left the seminary to work on his aunt’s farm. He had a chance meeting with some soldiers who took him to enlist with the Régiment de la Chaudière. He was chosen to be batman for the chaplain and the commanding officer. In July 1941, he left with his battalion for England. In England he continued to be employed as a batman for Capt. Turmel, the chaplain. Due to illness, he could not go with his unit for the Normandy Landing. Evacuated to Canada on a hospital ship, he was hospitalized in Québec. After his convalescence, he was demobilized.
Transcript
Marraine de guerre et mariageJ’faisais la correspondance, on app’lait ça les marraines de guerre. Pis quand j’suis revenu au Canada, j’t’allé la rencontrer. Pis comme elle était à peu près d’mon âge, j’y ai d’mandé si elle était libre, elle a dit oui. Elle s’app’lait Jeanne-d’Arc, Jeanne-d’Arc Talbot. Elle avait 22 ans dans l’temps. Fait qu’j’ai dit… là j’ai dit : « Jeanne-d’Arc, c’est ben beau les écritures pis tout ça, moi j’ai envie de sortir sérieusement. J’suis tout seul, j’m’ennuie, pis j’aim’rais à m’marier. » Elle a dit : « Tu veux marier n’importe qui ? » J’ai dit: « Pas n’importe qui ! Toi ! »Elle a dit:« On s’connaît à peine ! – On va sortir ensemble, pis on va fixer une date, pis on va s’marier.– Ah ben, elle a dit, c’correct. »