Germans Screamed The Same As Us

Heroes Remember

Germans Screamed The Same As Us

Transcript

I saw some horrify-, some terrible thing I'll never forget there. At Apeldoorn, it always seemed to me that we were going north, but I think we were going west from... And on the outskirts of Apeldoorn, Apeldoorn is a, that't the capital of that province... There was a road junction there. We had to turn left and it was a big bunker, German bunker there, and there was machine gunners in it. It was a bad spot. We were held up there for half a day, and it's the first time I was ever was with the tanks that I saw them use them flame throwers. They went in there with the flame throwers, into the bunker thing. And I guess this, just like a tar thats shoots out there a hundred yards or fifty yards and then burst into flame. it was. It went right through the hole where the machine guns were and, anyway... I shouldn't say that tank, there were two tanks went in there. Just all of a sudden, of course, everything was blast away and burning. There must have been eight or ten Germans come running out of there and running to the right all on fire and screaming. We just had to shoot them. ‘Course they had this tar stuffs all over them, burning, I thought, isn't that a hell of a thing. OK, they were Germans but, they were screaming just the same as us.

Description

Mr. Laird describes witnessing flamethrowers used for the first time.

Edwin George Laird

Mr. Laird was born in Verwood, Saskatchewan and attended school there until grade 4. In 1934, when Mr. Laird was 11 years old his father passed away. Mr Laird and the rest of the family moved to a homestead in the bush north of Verwood. Not having a radio until 1940, news of war was very limited. As they started to hear radio coverage, Mr. Laird began to think he should get involved. In February 1942, Mr. Laird travelled to Saskatoon to enlist, and after joining the tank corps was sent to Guelph, Ontario, for training. Soon after he was sent to England where after completing his basic training, he was made a signaller. After advance training he was assigned to the 2nd Field Regiment On June 10, 1943, Mr. Laird disembarked from Scotland, destined to invade Sicily a month later. From there Mr. Laird fought across Italy with the Vandoos and Saskatoon Light Infantry. Eventually, Mr. Laird and other Canadians in Europe were sent to join with Canadian Forces in France. From there they moved into Belgium, and Germany, remaining there until the war ended. Mr. Laird returned to Canada in early 1946, and received his discharge soon after.

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