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"I'd been shelled the odd time, when they'd see vehicles moving. But we went in over what they call Camouflage Hill. And it was pretty well covered."
See below for Mr. Snider's entire testimony.
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 was a young lad delivering parcel pickup in Ottawa. And we were going for a case of beer one night and ended up joining the army and heading for Korea.
The 2nd Battalion, the Princess Pats [Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment], went over. And we replaced them, and come back. Well actually, I came back a little early because I was Special Force and you signed up for 18 months, and unless you signed up to the Regular Force, once your 18 months were up, they’d boom, right back to Canada. So I was one of the ones that came right back then.
I was a store man. A staff sergeant was my boss and I looked after a company stores. I was in A Echelon, one back from the frontlines. And I just got the incoming mail. And I looked after it, keep getting that and take it up to the front and take the outgoing mail that the lads' letters they were sending home and so forth.
I'd been shelled the odd time, when they'd see vehicles moving. But we went in over what they call Camouflage Hill. And it was pretty well covered. It wasn’t too bad at all.
It didn’t bother me because the staff sergeant came up with me one day and they started to shell. He made the driver stop. He was Second World War [veteran], so he was a little iffy. Made him stop and get out. And he was crouched by the truck. And I'm standing there look around. And he said, “You crazy little bugger, get over here and get down.”
That’s the way he took it. I guess he had been through quite a bit.
The home trip was good. Excellent. Just get off the boats, and I just forget how they did it, but onto the train and head for home.
