On Friday, Remembrance Day ceremonies were held in towns and cities across Atlantic Canada, honouring the nation’s war dead.
Many other towns, including Fredericton, where people gathered at New Brunswick’s provincial cenotaph to remember the dead, could be heard hearing gun salutes pierce the air.
In anticipation of shaking the hand of Angus Hamilton, a 100-year-old veteran who served in Southeast Asia with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, seven-year-old Caelin Milley rocked on his tiptoes.
Caelin’s mother, Heather, told Hamilton, “He’s been eager to meet you.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, she remarked. “We appreciate your service.”
Hamilton smiled and extended his hand to the little boy.
Looking at the veterinarian, Caelin remarked, “Thank you.
The main logistics hub for the war zone in Burma, now known as Myanmar, was Kolkata, India, according to Hamilton, a radar technician who served in the military.
Despite Hamilton’s desire to become a pilot, he was unable to do so due to poor vision. He claimed he did not experience much danger or action during the Second World War.
Hamilton stated in an interview that when the Japanese bombarded Kolkata, the Royal Air Force moved a portion of its Middle Eastern squadron to the city.
“A pilot was sent up, and the radar correctly positioned them the first night they were there. The airborne also worked. He was able to focus and position himself well behind the Japanese bombers, taking out three of them in under four minutes.
That was a highlight, then. I didn’t do it but it was a squadron that I was connected with.
Hamilton claimed that he was returned with a sizable draught that departed from Mumbai and arrived in the UK in time for VE-Day in May 1945.
He claimed that the war gave him malaria twice and lifelong friends.
The Canadian Press initially released this article on November 11, 2022.
New Brunswick witnesses large crowds for Remembrance Day ceremonies.
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