In the years preceding his death at age 83, I would call my father on Remembrance Day to thank him for the sacrifices he and his comrades made for our freedom. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s, dad’s wartime experiences were strictly off-limits. He walled off his memories. And, it was only when he turned 80 and I sat down with him to record his life’s recollections that I understood why.
How these men and women endured what they did is almost beyond my comprehension. Even 50+ years after the hostilities, my father would insist that I stop the tape recorder from time to time when he came to a particularly horrific story. He wanted no record of it kept. And I, like him, will take these stories to my grave.
Even though dad is gone, I continue the tradition by speaking with my mother every November 11th and sharing a moment’s silence in remembrance of Harry Joyce of the Royal Canadian Navy and his six very hard years on a war-torn sea.
And thank you Normie
My father was one of the so-called “lucky” ones. He came home. Thousands of young Canadians — over 47,000 to be exact — never did. One such young man lies in Section B, Row K, Grave #11 in Stonefall Cemetery near Harrogate, England: Norman (Normie) Angus Hartrick of Dunvegan.
The youngest son of Kenneth Rodrick Hartrick and Sarah Cameron Hartrick — and brother to the late Danny John Hartrick of Stewart Glen Road — Normie was born in 1924. He left the family farm behind and moved to Montreal at the age of 18. There he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942.
After serving and training across Canada, Normie spend his 20th birthday (April 20th, 1944) on a transport ship bound for England so he might join the fray. And it was there, three months later, that Norman Angus Hartrick of Dunvegan… now an Air Gunnery Sergeant … gave his life. He and three fellow airmen took off from the RAF’s Bicester air base at 1:25 AM on Monday, July 24th, 1944 for a cross-country night training exercise. A little over an hour later, the aircraft exploded and crashed in a suburb of Nottingham, England. No cause for the accident was ever determined, although it was suggested that massive structural failure led to the demise of the B-25 bomber and its crew.
While his Danny John and Annabelle Hartrick never got to visit Norman’s grave in Harrogate, a number of their friends did, including former neighbours of mine: Richard and Joyce Grier. Joyce apparently had family in the Harrogate area and the couple paid their respects at Norman Hartrick’s final resting place on a number of occasions.
Norman Hartrick was just one of the many Dunveganites who laid down their lives in the two World Wars, including Duncan Forbes Chisholm, son of Alex W. and Elizabeth Chisholm and Donald Glendon MacNeil, son of Alex and Lillian MacNeil to name but two. They and all their comrades in arms deserve our silent prayers when the clock strikes 11:00:00 today.
Concert buzz is building
The excitement is growing around this year’s DRA Christmas concert to raise money for the Alexandria Food Bank. In fact, the decision was made last weekend to stage TWO performances of Music & Mayhem. As Ben Williams, DRA president, put it, “It seems like such a waste, given all the work that has gone into the event, to have it performed for just one night.” And he’s right.
As I am playing a very minor behind-the-scenes role throwing a few light switches and adjusting a few sound levels, I attended last week’s rehearsal. And I was blown away at how entertaining… and professional… this troupe of local amateurs is. The light-hearted revue had Scott Graham (who was also seeing the show for the first time) and me rolling in the aisles.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they are working with top-rate material, written and refined over 15 years of performances by Rosemary Chatterson. Or the fact the talented Elizabeth Caddell accompanies them on the keyboard.
From the moment the curtains go up (or in the case of the DRA Hall… sideways), you’ll be thrilled by the energy this group brings to the stage as they weave Christmas-themed songs, skits and even the odd dance or two into an hour and a half sheer delight.
As I mentioned earlier, there will be two performances. The first will be on Friday, December 4th and the second on Friday, December 11th. Both will start at 7:30 PM, but as there are NO advance tickets and seating is strictly on a first-come, first-served basis, I’d advise showing up a bit early. The DRA Hall is located at 19053 County Road 24, Dunvegan.
Our research has shown that the Food Bank can do much more for the needy of our area with monetary donations, as opposed to gifts of foodstuffs. With each dollar you donate, the Food Bank can purchase three dollars worth of nutritious groceries for the hundreds of families they support each week. Therefore, we have decided to charge an actual admission this year… $10 per person.
After seeing the show that’s in store for you, I’m confident that you will agree it’s worth every single penny.
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