What came After

Payback Time

One of my sore points of veteran treatment.

When I left after 12 years in the service I was hired by The Defence Research Establishment in Victoria British Columbia. Several years later I learned RCMP personnel who had participated in duties overseas during WW II had the time added to their Canadian service towards retirement.

Learning this, I applied and was told it only applied to the RCMP – WELL !!!!! I felt what I did was a little more dangerous than police duties somewhere back of the front lines if in Europe at all, so I fought and argued till I was ordered not to bother our administrative staff and Superintendent any more. FINALLY about 2 years later it was made known to me that I may now apply!

A silent victory for me, until I learned the terms. I had to pay $14,487.01 for clothing, rations and quarters, provided by the British Airborne as we were attached to them shortly after arriving in England until we departed for Canada!

Imagine my indignation – paying for holes I dug for protection, underclothing I stole from bombed out homes as we passed through villages and towns and finally for the baby food I found on shelves and other preserved food stuff. I could not read German so I put my trust in the picture of a baby on the front of the containers. It was yellow and I didn’t think it was dusting powder. I also scrounged in basements and had liberated eggs which I carried hard boiled in my basic pouch alongside my ammo. This scrounging for food was necessary as we received no food rations from the 24th of March until approximately 3rd of May, 1945!

Oh well. I retired in 1979, with 37 years service when my service time was included, and received a full pension. Unfortunately wages rose exponentially a year or two later so they got me in the end ha ha. Today, I am still happily enjoying my retirement.

It did make it quite taxing for my wife Kaye to raise two boys on my reduced income for ten (10) years, but she met the challenge! I wonder if the eligible RCMP had to pay for their R & Q while overseas? I plan on living and drawing a pension forever to get even with them.

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