Bill Watterson (Primary Source)

In 2009, The Memory Project interviewed Bill Watterson, a veteran of the Second World War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from this interview. Born in Ireland in 1924, Watterson emigrated to Canada with his parents. He enlisted in the 48th Highlanders, a militia regiment formed in 1891 in Toronto, Ontario, and then went to Camp Borden near Barrie, Ontario, which was then the largest military training facility in Canada. In Watterson’s testimony, he mentions his journey from Borden to England, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. Although Watterson returned to Canada unharmed, he describes the death of one of his friends during battle. The “Moaning Minnie” Watterson mentions was a nickname for a nebelwerfer, or smoke launcher – this was a type of German rocket artillery which made an extremely loud sound when launched. Upon his return home, Watterson trained to become a barber. He died in Scarborough, Ontario, on 26 April 2010.

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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I fed the machine gun. Tipped up and plant it and I lay alongside it because Moaning Minnie was our big threat and noise.

Transcript

My name is Bill, William really, Watterson, W- A-T-T-E-R-S-O-N. The two T’s are important. I was born in Ireland. I remembered this. I thought it was really something, the 48th Highlanders, from there it was Camp Borden. And then Camp Borden, it was from there over to England. From England to France, Holland, Germany and over to Italy and home, without a scratch. The second on the Bren gun. That is, there was another; I fed the machine gun. Tipped up and plant it and I lay alongside it because Moaning Minnie was our big threat and noise. My friend was with me, he got his, (noise), his head off. This was in Enschede, Walbaum was his name. We were hand to hand, fighting. I didn’t see him dying but he was taking part, he was one and two on the Bren. I never even knew he lost his head until they told us. We do sweet nothing, you just keep going, leave him wherever he dropped. You just keep going. Because actually he was a German himself. He wasn’t even allowed to go into battle with us. His name was Walbaum, German. But he had brothers that were in the German army, his own brothers. He’s just a regular 48er. When I came back into Canada, I got off at the exhibition grounds and there was naturally a lot of crowd. So went home and then, naturally, there was a bit of a party. And my dad on the sign he had, “Welcome home, son.” And he had the 48th Highlanders band playing in the hallway. My mother was the one that was worried, right from day one. Stupid joining the army. Of course a mother, naturally sad that I was going.