95 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca equipment, and greatcoat were stripped off and thrown in a heap, and I was escorted, at the double, to the head of the parade, where the three of us fell in beside the second coffin. As soon as we were in position, the Squadron was brought to attention, the orders given, and we picked up the coffins, lifted them to our shoulders, and marched off up the road to the cemetery on the outskirts of Roosendaal. It was not until later I found out that the squadron had stood for 45 minutes, waiting for the ration truck, so that I could carry my friend’s coffin. It was an act of friendship which I have never equaled, before or since. As I spread my blankets that night, on the floor of a Dutch house where we were billeted, felt peace and tranquility, and thought to myself that I would rather be right where I was than anywhere else in the world.” All the rest of the winter they stood guard on the great rivers of Holland: the Waal, the Maas and the Rhine. In March 1945, the 21st Army Group forced a crossing of the Rhine, an operation on a scale comparable to D-Day, and after the first fierce resistance was overcome, they broke out. The speed and mobility of their Staghound armoured cars took them far in advance of all other units, and they moved rapidly into northeastern Holland. They had a wonderful ride and encountered no more serious resistance. They began to encounter the warmth and gratitude of the Dutch people. Every day they would go into three or four villages, and in each one, they would encounter throngs of people, hysterical with joy. “For days we rode the top of the emotional roller-coaster, and nothing in my life will ever equal its impact.” From there they moved into Germany, where the reception was very different. They were forbidden to talk to the people, and indeed had little desire to do so. It was a relief for them to get back into Holland again. They crossed the border several times. In the late afternoon of May 4, 1945, an order came through to “cease fire and stand fast.” They were within sight of the German seaport of Wilhelmshaven. Richard’s thoughts on his war experience: “On December 10, 1945, Canada draft #555, containing the bulk of our unit, arrived in Winnipeg’s Union Station. As we pushed through the crowd, each trying to find his own family, the joy of homecoming was tempered by a fact that we had not taken time to consider until now: something that had been the biggest thing in our lives was about to end, abruptly. Once we walked out of that station, each to his own destiny, it was over, finished, for all time. I have no regrets. Nobody could have had a better life than I have. I grew up in the 1930’s which, in spite of the problems, was a good experience, while the war, however terrible its cost, was still a wonderful thing in which to participate, with its incredible companionship, and sense of shared purpose. As I write this, my 76th birthday is only days away and old age is near. Life has been good to me and I will never forget the men of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons.” Richard was discharged at Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg the end of January 1946, at which time he returned to farming north of Clanwilliam. He received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, Defence Medal, France and Germany Star, 1939-1945 Star, and War Medal 1939-1945. In 1950, he married Donelda Keeting from Silverton, MB. They raised a family of three. His interests after retirement were building miniature threshing machines, steam engines, ships and anything else that triggered his interest. He also enjoyed playing the organ. Richard passed away in 2006. CRAWLEY, Richard Osborne (continued)
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