I always take the time to write back when you post a comment on this blog. I have learned since 2009 that it always pays to answer back.
This blog is not about money. I don’t need money to be online.
This blog is more about paying homage to all who served their country in WWII. They have paid their fair share.
Men like Leading Seaman Ernest Anderson from Edmonton, Alberta. Before Karen wrote, I never knew Leading Seaman Anderson had ever existed except on a list in a book about an unlucky Canadian destroyer.
Karen wrote last week and she was asking for some help.
My dad should be on the lists of men that survived the sinking, but he is not. I have his original records but they are almost unlegible now. Does anyone know if records are still available?
Back in July 2009, I did not know that HMCS Athabaskan had ever existed until my wife’s uncle opened up when WWII was brought up.
Getting back to Karen, I did not know she had the Book!
Unlucky Lady… and some information about a sailor who was in point of fact the one responsible for this blog.
Karen’s father was Ernest (Ernie) Anderson. He can be seen in a picture found in the Book the same picture sent by Herm’s Sulker’s son last year.
Karen told me that her father was on the picture with all the men in rows around the gun.
What is most interesting is that Ernest Anderson is also on a list in the Book as a sailor on the ship, but not on the list of those on the ship the night of the sinking.
Karen told me she felt her father was on the ship that night. He did talk briefly about it to her and a bit more to her mom. Her father didn’t like to talk about it, but he had a friend that talked about it, which confirmed that he was on it.
Her father said that since he was a strong swimmer, he was able to get to the rescue ship and his hands were terribly burned from the burning fuel on the water. He was part of one of the gun crews. She thinks he may have been the leader of a certain gun crew, but she is not sure.
All of the men in his gun crew were killed immediately and he was thrown into the water. These were details he told her mom.
Karen wishes more young people would appreciate how important that war was, and the direct impact it had on how wonderful our lives are today.
To be continued…
Lest We Forget 