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Bill Marr served in the Canadian Armoured Corps. during the Second World War. Read and listen to his testimony below.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Transcript
I’m the second generation [Chinese Canadian]. Oh, he [Marr’s father] did all kind of thing. He was, he used to own a logging camp. And after that, he looked after all the coal had been loaded from the Cumberland mines, loaded at Union Bay [British Columbia]. Well, at first, we volunteered [for the military], they wouldn’t take us. Then we volunteered again, just before the call-up came. Then they started what they called a draft. We could speak the language but we couldn’t read it. You know what I mean? You’re born here, so you think you are still a Canadian right away. Well, at least we don’t have to go out looking for a job. Sooner or later, it was going to come over this way. The thing it’s good, because they were already fighting the Communists already in China. At first, it was infantry. Then Captain McLeod of Calgary asked me to join the Armoured Corps. First I was in infantry. While we were in Calgary and he wanted to know if anybody knows anything about mechanics, I do, so how would you like to join my Armour, Tank Corps. Not much happened, you do your basic [training]. We got the uniform , I tried to hitch a ride on the road, nobody stops, you have the uniform on they all stops.
