33
We were sitting in a barn one evening when this guy came running down the road, jumping, whooping, and hollering, "It's all over. The WAR'S OVER!"The Sergeant says, "Well, what are you going to do now? We're out of a job boys."
------------------
I never received a scratch while in battle but, as luck would have it, I was injured while going on leave. I was in Holland, in a truck on my way to catch a ship to England. There were at least a dozen men in it, in the back, a big truck with a tarp over the top and bars holding the tarp up. I was standing up holding onto these bars, it just had wooden benches to sit on and after an hour or so it gets kinda hard, so I was standing up. I was the only one standing up when the truck went around the corner on two wheels, and then the driver got straightened out, and everybody breathed a sigh of relief. Then bang! it kicked over to the other side, and I flew the farthest, I guess because I was standing up. I landed in the corner, hit my shoulder on a pipe, had my face pressed against the tarp with about ten guys on top of me. It felt like a thousand pounds, and the truck was going down hill yet, and the truck was sliding, sliding, sliding, and I could feel every little pebble in the road. The tarp tore in some places but it didn't tear around by my face or I wouldn't have had any skin.
34
Albers Honeymoon destination, Broadstairs1945
England
35
When I got to the hospital, my arm was x-rayed and it was discovered that the bone had a one-inch split. I was sent to a hospital in Hoarly, England for about a month and then moved to Aldershot.I was to be married in September 1945. Florence and I corresponded by letter throughout the war while I was stationed in Italy and Holland. The wedding was postponed while I recuperated in the hospital, and in October 1945, I got leave again to get married. Florence and I honeymooned in Broadstairs.
36
After the wedding, I wanted to return to the regiment but they couldn't be bothered with sending me back to Holland. I had been overseas too long and the regiment was soon going home. I found a good job for the winter in the senior officers' quarters. They had a hot water heater that needed to be fired; I think that I had the only warm place in England that winter. I didn't mind a bit. I could sneak into London once in a while and every so often Florence would come down to Aldershot. That's the way it went until February and then, finally they said I had to go home.37
We took off for Canada about the middle of February 1946 from Southampton on the liner, Queen Elizabeth. It took only four days to get to New York and we had a bunk to sleep on instead of hammocks. No danger of submarines.We disembarked, crossed the harbour on a ferryboat and boarded a CPR train bound for Canada.
38
Harry Albers discharge certificate10 September 2004
39
I received my discharge from the army March 8, 1946 when I was twenty-seven years old and returned home to stay on March 12.My Uncle Pete had owned a half section of land when he passed away and it was still for sale. I decided to buy it for six thousand dollars with six hundred dollars down (money that I had saved from my service pay) and with a loan through the Veterans Land Act. I started clearing bush and began farming in partnership with my brother Jim.
40
Harry Albers and his siblings1949
41
Harry Albers on the farm1946
Waterglen, Alberta
42
Florence came to Canada in the summer. She traveled to Ferintosh, the closest town, on a train we called the "Hog Special." I borrowed a car and went down to the station to meet her. She was a little shaken but she looked okay. "Smashing" was the way she described the trip.Florence stayed at my sister's house until I moved a two-room house onto the property. The first winter was pretty hard, lots of snow and fifty below. No electricity, natural gas, indoor plumbing and impassable roads. We had to keep the fire going day and night. I was up half the night taking care of the fire. Florence would get up early to keep it going and then I would go to bed.
It was 1952 when we moved out of the dark ages and we got electricity at last. We just farmed and farmed and farmed and kept getting hailed out.
43
Harry Albers and daughters1950
44
We had three children: Janet, Keith and Marlene. Keith passed away when he was forty-three years old. Janet and Marlene and their families are doing well. The land still belongs to Keith's wife; she rents it out. Maybe one of the grandchildren will go farming someday...45
Harry and Florence Albers and family1995
Waterglen, Alberta
46
I went back to England only once. I wanted to see what it looked like with the lights on. Well, it was quite a change. I went to Brighton and the beach was covered with people and the streets were filled with cars. The last time I saw it was in 1943; the beach was covered with barbed wire and mines buried in the sand. Nobody in sight, except for soldiers on guard. |
 |
 |
 |