Stationed in Debert with the 3rd Anti-Tank Regt. Feb to Oct 1941
Recalls cutting a road near the Belmont Rd/ Plains Rd intersection which was then a "T" intersection where his unit's guardhouse was located. The snow was piled about 10-12 feet high on the sides of the road, and in spring, the unit was surprised to discover that there were spruce stumps a couple of feet high in their roadbeds. Said that the engineers were "carving the camp out of a spruce swamp"
Lived in H huts near their guardhouse grouped with other artillery units. Said that four troops were bunked together -one in each "arm" of a hut, with the washrooms and boiler room in the cross section.
"Everybody shot craps in the boiler room because we knew that the officers never went in there."
Recalls training on an artillery range in New Brunswick. "The Parish Priest got an injunction against us and we were ordered to cease training for three days so that the parishoners could pick blueberries-you know-stop the war"
Unit served in support of NS Highlanders on D Day + 3 (he thinks) during
the first counter-attack of the invasion. Unit destroyed 5 tanks that day
with their anti-tank guns. Recalls that the
North Novas took heavy casualties, and that several of them were "murdered
in the woods"
Observed the German flag on the wall. "I had one of those too, and quite a few other souvenirs from Germany. I had been thinking about getting rid of them. One day a young German fellow came to the house and said he heard I had some German souvenirs. He left with them and left me $75. I'd been going to throw them out anyway."
Mr Rodgers has some pictures of his demobilization parade (?)which he
will either send or have his daughter e-mail
(Not received as yet)
He was very knowledgeable, and enjoyed his visit, especially showing his grandson the maps and photos of the camp, and the uniforms and equipment. Showed the boy the wooden land mine, and said that one of his buddies had lost a foot to one, and that when another soldier went to help him, he too was injured by another.
Would be glad to receive phone call or request for further information.