Gentlemen: Just to add to Robert's story and Wayne and Terry's input....one of the fellows in Wayne's contribution article, Jim Summerside, was a neighbour of mine growing up. I was brought in a VLA subdivision (Veterans Land Act) in Welland Ontario .... subdivisions that were designed and built for Canadian Veterans coming home from the war. You had to be former serving member of the the Canadian Forces to buy a home there. Growing up there was something I would not trade it for "all the tea in China", as they say. We had veterans from "The Dieppe Raid", RCAF, RAF, Tank Commanders, The "Haida" Tribal Class Destroyer, Artillery, Snipers, Prisoners of the Hong Kong debacle and probably every regiment in Canada... and that is just a few houses. Jim Summerside and Roland Gillap were both members of the "Devils Brigade" and they lived around the corner from each other. A number of years ago, there was an article in the local newspaper about Jim and Roland going around to various schools in the Remembrance Day period and having chats with the student bodies.
Recently, Jim Summerside was honoured with having a street named after him. He is still very involved with the Canadian Legion in Fonthill Ontario Canada. I will send the article off to Hanno to be posted with this article. AND for all those who don't know the area I'm talking about...it's about 30 to 40 minutes due west of Niagara Falls Ontario.There was a TV special aired a number of years ago with the CTV network regarding the anniversary of the "Devils Brigade". It was hosted by Lloyd Robertson and he interviewed and recounted stories of the "Devils Brigade". Canadians would probably recognised and number of the participants. One of them was Jim Summerside. There was a point of the group interview where one gentlemen made a statement of how they would sneak in a German Camp and "dispose" of a number of it's occupants. AND Jim Summmerside added in at the end... with a dead pan face.... the word "PERMANENTLY"! God, how I broke out laughing at that!
Anyway....a little bit Tidbit to add to Robert's travel and more to come.
Cheers....Robert
