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The influence of friends

Ed Stafford was born on 31 January 1921 in Toronto, Ontario. Growing up in the West End during the Great Depression, money was tight for his family. He quit school in the 11th grade so he could work and support his family.

When war broke out, Stafford’s friend, Herbert “Herbie” Stitt, joined the Governor General’s Horse Guards. A few months later, Herbie’s brother Walter approached Stafford and asked, ”Are we going to let Herbie go over there alone?”

For Stafford, the answer was clear.

“No!” he replied.

The pair hitchhiked to Camp Borden in 1941, joining Herbie in the Horse Guards. They trained together for three months before the regiment moved to England, where their journey truly began.

Coincidences of war

Stafford and his comrades trained in England for nearly three years, supporting home front security in the country. He quickly saw the grim reality of how war affected the British people.

After surviving an aircraft attack at his camp, he made a surprising discovery. One day, on his way back to camp, his comrade saw a sign that read “King’s Lynn.” Stafford immediately recognized the name.

“That’s where my grandmother lives.”

Though he had never met her before, Stafford was determined to find her. He asked around the area to see where her house would be and eventually found it. He went up to the front door and knocked on it a few times, but there was no response. Then, he noticed something.

“There was a little path around the back, so I went around the back, and there was my grandmother peeling potatoes.”

At last, Stafford had finally met his grandmother.

The Netherlands

In 1943, Stafford was sent to Italy, where he would see combat. While on the front line, he experienced appendicitis and was sent to a hospital to recover. After his release from the hospital, he returned to England and worked as a gunnery instructor. Then, in 1945, Stafford was told to rejoin his regiment which had moved into the Netherlands.

By the time he joined his fellow soldiers, the Dutch had been liberated. He collected vehicles, assisted in cleanup and helped restore order to communities. The Dutch people made an immediate impression on him, as they shared horrifying stories of the German occupation and expressed gratitude to the Canadians. Although he never saw combat in the Netherlands, he was still treated as a hero.

“When I got there, they treated me just as if I was one of the guys saving them, and it was really my buddies that did it. It’s great.”

Stafford noticed the people of the Netherlands were also starved.

“I had (brought) two mess tins of coffee, and it was the first coffee that they had in four years.”

As he helped with the liberation, Stafford found more opportunities to interact with the locals. At a hotel in the town of Assen, a dance was held to celebrate the liberation.

“I’d go up and try to dance, and I wasn’t very good at it. So, I thought, I’ll go ahead and get some lessons.”

While in the town of Groningen, he passed a dance studio and decided to take a chance.

“I had nothing else to do, so I went in. I had my big boots on and everything.”

At first Stafford saw dancing as an opportunity to meet local women. But he came to enjoy it so much that he eventually became a line dance instructor. And he continues to enjoy dancing today.

Losing a friend

While on leave in England during the liberation, Stafford was approached by a soldier. He asked if he had heard news about his friend, Herbie Stitt. Stafford replied he hadn’t heard anything.

Herbie had come under fire from German forces in the last battle of the war in the Netherlands. He survived a rocket-propelled grenade that destroyed his turret traverse mechanism. He had to fight off Germans using a pistol, grenades and manually moving his turret. After several hours, he succeeded.

Stitt managed to bring his tank back to his unit to be repaired. But while he was sleeping on the ground, a truck delivering gas to the unit accidentally ran over Stitt, killing him.

Stafford was devastated. Herbie was the reason he had joined the war, and now his friend was gone. A month later, he reunited with Herbie’s brother, Walter.

“It was an awful thing. We both loved Herbie so much. Herbie and I had grown up together. He was just like my brother.”

Herbie now rests at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

Remembering the liberation

After retiring from military service in December 1945, Stafford continued taking part in commemorative events. He is still involved with the Governor Generals’ Horse Guards and has marched at the Canadian National Exhibition Warrior’s Day Parade for more than 65 years.

In 80 years, an entire lifetime of freedom, Stafford has always remembered the sacrifices of his friends and comrades, and the gratitude of the Dutch. Stafford recalls the appreciation he felt from Dutch citizens while attending the 70th anniversary of the liberation.

“I certainly enjoyed going back there, and I’ll always remember the way we were treated when we did go back ten years ago.”

Stafford sees the anniversary commemoration as a source of Canadian pride, and as a way to remember the sacrifices Canadian soldiers made for the freedom of the Dutch. He will always continue to honour and remember.

“I think it’s important in our history, and with how things are going today, it’s becoming more important.”

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Ed Stafford has left his mark. He is one of our Canadian Armed Forces Veterans. Discover more stories