Memory Project Archive
Albert Waddington (Primary Source)
In 2010, The Memory Project interviewed Albert Waddington, a veteran of the Second World War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from this interview. From 1941 to 1945, Waddington served with the Royal Air Force Regiment; he then served with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders before being discharged in 1947. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 11 October 1923, Waddington enlisted in the British armed forces at the age of 18. As a gunner with the RAF Regiment, he helped defend the United Kingdom from attack by German planes and V1 flying bombs. In this testimony, Waddington describes his service with the RAF and the British Army. He also discusses how his duties changed because of hearing loss and shares his experience with flashbacks and sleep disturbances arising from his wartime service. Waddington immigrated to Canada with his son in 1986 and settled in Milton, Ontario. Did you know? Research suggests that soldiers, particularly those employed in gun crews, are vulnerable to traumatic brain injury because of their exposure to blast overpressure. 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.