19 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca BARR (THOMAS), Joyce WWII Joyce (Thomas) Barr, daughter of Bill and Lillian (Hamrlik) Thomas of Hodgson, Manitoba. She joined the Navy in February 1952 at HMCS Chippawa in Winnipeg. A long train ride took them to Nova Scotia to the new entry base at Cornwallis. Basic training took only six weeks, but most of them thought they would not outlast the rigors and hardships, as they considered them at the time. Everyone finished their training in a lot better shape that they were when they started. That was followed by a four-month course in Communications. Next came postings, which everyone was dreading. Joyce was sent with a small group to HMCS Coverdale, outside of Moncton, New Brunswick. She liked it there as the seashore was near and they rented a cottage at the beach. They familiarized themselves with seafood which was new to those who were from central Canada. This lasted only one year until July 1953, at which time a few of them were sent to Ottawa. They were at HMCS Bytown which was at the National Defence Headquarters. That life was different as there were no more barracks, so they had to get their own apartments. They worked among civilian there and it was a pleasant place. She stayed there for three and a half years until February 1957 when she took her discharge. They were not required to do anything drastic, being the peacetime Navy, but they did work hard and had a lot of good fun. She kept in touch with some of the friends she made in service. One of the friends she made in Ottawa was a tall Navy man named Hugh and they were married in 1958. They lived in the Ottawa area and had three children. BLACK, Neil A. WWI Neil was born in Oak River, Manitoba in 1897. He enlisted in the Army and served in World War I with the 90th Rifle. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Flin Flon Branch 73.
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