63 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca Sgt. Gerry Smith had a trade board. He got his “A” grouping. On August 1, Italy says she will fight on - will not surrender. By August 7 nearly all of Sicily is in allied hands. They may move to Sicily or Crete. Messina under heavy air attack. He fried and ate a whole chicken! Bob Hope and Francis Langford came to entertain them on August 12. War news is encouraging. Thomas went on a salvage trip to rescue the remains of H Harry. Crash landed. A mess. Gunner broken leg. All crew escaped. Miracle. Cochrane in bad shape. Malaria bad. September 3. Italy invaded off coast of Messina.We are under orders to maximize bombing of allied forward positions in Italy. Orders carried out. 8th and 5th Armies having tough fight. Survived a dust storm. Extremely hot. Wish I were home. Getting thin and black as ace of spades. Feeling weak like a dishrag. On Sunday morning October 18, they pulled out of the Sahara Desert and headed out for jolly old England. Next day they raided an American supply train. No one got shot. Guards turned their heads. Ate like Kings! Freddie Read and Thomas found an orange grove back in Algeria. A few cigarettes to the guard allowed them to help themselves. They left Algiers harbor on the Samaria at 4:03 p.m. on October 27, 1943. At long last. But this had been an experience Thomas wouldn’t have missed. They steamed through Gibraltar. Convoy of 25 ships. They lived on loot from Yankee supply train and oranges plus parcels from Eve and home. A real godsend! On November 5, they settled in at #1695 BDT Dalton, Yorkshire. One day, after a flash flood, Thomas biked through water up to his handlebars to the little town of Dalton, or maybe it was Thirsk - on a bet. When he reached the other side, some men were watching. One shook his head in utter dismay and disgust and piped up loud enough for him to hear: “Blimey fool”. He was right, but Thomas won the bet. In retrospect he enjoyed his stay in the Old Country. He and Wally Voelker cycled all over the place, once to Sutton Bank with a grade of 1:3. (For every three feet travelled up the hill the incline goes up one foot). They pushed their bikes up and down! They toured a number of old castles and abbeys and collected a lot of souvenirs. At Dalton, he bought a Nanny goat and four rabbits. With a pup and a cat Thomas had a real menagerie. A dairy man lived close to their camp. He kept him supplied with a big fresh cold milk almost every day. On one of their leaves, Wally and Thomas took a trip to Ireland - north and south. Had to wear civies in the south as it was a neutral country. Seemed strange to see Germans guarding the German Embassy, and they were at war with their country. Ireland is a pretty part of the world. He bought a real long table cloth in Dublin for his wife, genuine Irish linen. Wally bought things, too. The clerk told them to declare only a few small inexpensive things when the customs people inspect their luggage. They took his advice and just forgot about the tablecloth tucked in between two shirts. When questioned by customs their guilty mugs gave them away, the result being that their wives became the recipients of their prized Irish linens rather than their own! Thomas admired the English people for the way they handled the air raids. They had a tremendously strong spirit and determination to see the war through to a successful conclusion. Rationing was quite strict even severe. One egg per person per week. When they went on leave their ration coupons made them very popular with their host families. D-Day came on June 6, 1944, with the allied invasion of Normandy. Such a heartbreak to have so many young lives snuffed out and others maimed and scarred for life. V.E. Day marked the end of the war in Europe on May 8, 1945. The sacrifice of human life must never be forgotten. Those who returned home safely have much for which to be thankful in spite of the suffering many still have to endure. The English people treated them really good as did the Scots. Couldn’t do enough for them. In due course, Thomas was repatriated home, was reunited with his wife and family, discharged, returned to his bank job, became a father, left the bank, bought a farm and had a good life. Thomas went to University in Brandon, Saskatoon, Theological College and was ordained into the United Church of Canada in May 1978. He ministered at Oak River-Crandall for twelve years and retired 1990. (Semi-retired). Thomas and Evelyn were richly blessed with two sons: Dale (deceased 1992, and Linda, deceased, 1994); Randy (Ann); and two daughters: Doreen and Marie. He received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-1945. Thomas passed away in 2021. DELGATY, Thomas Neil (continued)
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