93 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca COOK, Albert “Abbie” WWII After many unsuccessful attempts to join the military services from 1939 to 1941; Abbie finally enlisted in the Army on February 10, 1941 at No. 10 District Depot, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and was stationed at Fort Osborne Barracks until June 1941, when he transferred to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, stationed at Debert, Nova Scotia. On August 28, 1941, he boarded the ship, SS Orbita, and sailed for England. They landed at Liverpool on September 13, 1941. From there on, they were stationed in many different places in England and the Isle of Wight. At Inveraray, Scotland, they did their commando training and then back to England in the South Downs of Lewis, where they did more hardening training in the hills, where every move they made was on the double, with full battle gear. Finally, on June 3, 1944 we boarded ship for France. Where, on June 6, 1944, they made the "invasion" on the Normandy beaches where all Hell was waiting for them! On June 8, 1944, Abbie was taken prisoner. Later on or about June 11 or 12, he was severely wounded, he was lost for some time, and ended up in a hospital in Ronnes, France, which was run by the Germans and staffed with French doctors and nurses. “I'm sure, I am safe in saying, these nurses (my angels) kept me alive by smuggling food in for me. While I was looking at those ‘Pearly Gates’ (I guess that would be around about August 1944), the Americans came and repatriated them, as the Germans left that city through the night.” From there he was in the American Field Hospital for a couple of weeks and then flown back to England where he was in the American Hospital for a couple of weeks, until they made contact with the Canadian authorities. When the Americans transferred him over to the Canadian Hospital, Abbie had more surgery. They shipped him back to Canada in October, and when they landed at Halifax, he was put on the train for Winnipeg, where he was taken to Deer Lodge Hospital for more surgery. He was discharged on November 22, 1944 at No. 10 District Depot in Winnipeg, as he was unfit for further military service after losing his right leg. He had an artificial leg from that time on. After his discharge, Abbie went back home and married in 1950. He and his wife raised a family of five, and had eight grandchildren. He worked with Manitoba Telephone System for the twenty-five years until he took an early retirement in 1979 to work for himself for the next nine years. After he retired, Abbie started entertaining at the Nursing Homes and Seniors' Residences, and found it very rewarding. CORRIVEAU, Yvan PEACETIME Yvan was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1983 and joined the Army with the Princess Patricia Light Infantry division in 2004. He took his basic training in St. Jean, Quebec, and was stationed in Wainwright, Alberta, and Camp Shilo, Manitoba before spending eight months in Afghanistan. Upon his return, Yvan went to Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Rifles out of Minto Armories until his discharge in 2009. Yvan in single. He is now a Winnipeg Police Officer and resides in Ile de Chene, Manitoba.
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