Age of Enlistment?

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Mike:

As far as I can recall, and don't hold me to this. If you joined up under the age of 18 you had to have your parents consent. You had to be 19 to go overseas. Here is a little personal history. When I joined up in 1939 I lied about my age. I was 18, but declared I was 19. One day General McNaughton, I believe in the month of October 1939 came to inspect the regiment outside the gates of the CNE. Unfortunately I was quite baby faced so they told me, and was often called the kid. Which to my consternation grieved me to no end. When McNaughton and his entourage came by he stopped and looked me straight in the eye and asked me how old are you soldier? My blood ran cold. I figured somehow they had found out that I had lied and in my military innocence was certain I would face a firing squad the next day. When I said 19 Sir, there was a long pause that seemed an eternity, he just shook his head and moved on. In December I was on my way to England.