A school teacher with a background in history, I was born in Montreal, but have lived in Ste-Anne-des-Plaines since 1981. Passionate about genealogy in my spare time, I have another blog dedicated to genealogy.
It is this passion that led me to create Souvenir de guerre, a blog on the wartime memories of my family members.
I learned that my great uncle Adrien Tremblay died on December 17, 1944 in Holland. He was a member of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal.
Two of my wife’s uncles went to Europe. One was wounded on the beaches of Normandy and the other was a sailor on the Athabaskan that sank on April 29, 1944.
He didn’t want to talk about it like so many veterans do, so I decided to talk about it for him. Then, as the days and weeks went by, people entrusted me with the wartime memories of their loved ones so that I could tell you about it.
I write to keep remembrance alive…
On my blogs about WWII, we don’t glorify war, we talk about the men and women who served their country. Few of these veterans want to talk about it. I do it for them, as do the people whose sites I link to.
So, for all those unknown heroes who fell one by one in the field of honour, and for those who survived the battles to fall one by one into oblivion… I dedicate these pages.
They will remain only a vague memory when they die, or… they will be the strangers we honour on Remembrance Day when, to clear their conscience, those who send our soldiers to the battlefields will lay wreaths on the grave of the unknown soldier.
The more I remember, the more I want to remember…
Lest We Forget 
Correct please: My dad is in the other barracks picture, the white shirted guy on the far left.
Hello from old Europe,
I’ve discovered your web page coming from the Pierre Lagacé’s one.
And I would like to express my gratefully thoughts about your work there along these pages.
(I am a French writer working actually on a novel, the story of a Pacific ww2 pilot veteran in Hawaii.
Midway, Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands…. are the theatre of the book.)
These few lines to tell You that I work with veteran photographers from this period, have some relations with families too.
That’s why it’s a pleasure to share with you through the distance, the same emotion for preserving the memories of the ones who gave a part of their life for the future generations.
Sincerely,
Jean Michel RiHET
(pardonnez d’avoir écrit en Anglais, mais j’ai cru comprendre que Votre site est davantage anglophone que francophone – toute ma considération. Jm)
Hi
The reason for joining is my Uncle trained at No7 in 1942 and I have just found his log book and photo album.
The names of some are Emma Gustafsen (Time Keeper) A team photo of all on course 77A. On his log are the names P/O Hampshire, F/O Wilson, P/O Lisham, F/LT Cormack, P/O Thornton & F/O Galbraith.
Can any one help with this information.
Regards
Graham Jones
You might read my Web Page at http://www.rpperry.com which has a section dealing with my RNZAF Career as well as other items of interest. I do keep it up to date with interesting items. For the last 15 years a group of us have been fighting the “powers that be” in England, demanding the issue of the Bomber Command Medal. This medal was actually struck, but was finally issued as the War Medal, after the uproar on the bombing of Dresden. We have now reached the stage where the British Government has formed a committee to look into this item as well as the issue of any other medals which should have been awarded along the way. It is our contention that the families of all those who died in Bomber Command, should have this small token in memory of the supreme contribution. Both the Australian and New Zealand Governments are backing the issue of the award.
You are very much understood in English, keep up the fantastic posts and re-uniting the people out there with relatives.
I am looking for information about Hauptmann Walter Grommes of the JG77. Luftwaffe. He was a group commander Feb 41-June 41. Thank you for any direction you can give me. Janet Wessling. Falmouth MA.USA
I have never hear of him. Sorry.
A quick search. His name is here.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jagdgeschwader_5
Very little about this airman on the Internet.
I am the son of George Deeth (Death), 2nd pilot on NB811 when it crash-landed in Norway in Sept 1944. Would love to have a chat with you about your blog on that plane.
I will write you a personal email.
I have contacted you on your website contact.