November 11 Personal

  As November 11 gets closer I think about a few family members that were involved in the  two world wars of the last century one my paternal grandfather and his brother, and my mother's brother the family legend.
  My grandfather served in a Pioneer Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division in France during WW1. His battalion was made up of men mainly from northern Ontario who had been miners, bush workers, telegraphers, trappers and hunters. Their job was dirty and very dangerous and done in total darkness. The job required the laying of communication wires  and replacing the ones blown up,removal of barb wire and stringing new stuff and all done by unarmed soldiers except for any axes and shovels that they carried. Grampa served  in the Ypres sector  and was exposed slightly though to a pocket of mustard gas while putting down telegraph wire. He wasn't disabled fortunately and later saw action at Vimy Ridge. He survived the war and so did his brother.He carried with him to the day he died lung damage from the gas that was aggravated by smoking.
   He was good man and from what I remember a loving Grampa.

  When you stop to think about it in two years time it will be the 100th anniversary of the start of that great blood letting.