A Miracle in History

When asked to name my biggest inspiration, the answer, always without hesitation, is my great-nanny Gertrude, and my great-grandpa Wellington (aka Wink), two extraordinarily strong and courageous souls who braved the hardships of World War II. Their story of hope and fortitude begins March 29th, 1943, the day that my great-grandfather enlisted in the war.

For some, it was just a typical day, though for many others, that day would mark the day that hundreds of soldiers would have to officially say goodbye to their families and beloved wives. In the case of Wink and Gertrude, they exchanged an optimistic “see you soon”, hopeful that their love story hadn’t yet reached its end, and believing that one day, they would be back in the comfort of each other's arms.

Several months of long hard days, full of intense training and travelling to multiple different regions proceeded. Wink and his troop, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, would finally set sail overseas that December 15th to an undisclosed location. There they would continue training for the next six months for a fight they knew so little of what to expect. During their overseas training, Wink had been selected to join the Black Watches (which was coincidentally the name of my group for the 2020 JMSS Europe trip). It was with this troop that my great-grandpa would storm in by ship onto Juno Beach, June 6th, 1944, the day we now refer to as D’Day. My great-grandpa was one of the fortunate soldiers who survived that tragic day in history. He then went on to battle in and around several towns in France, such as Graye-Sur-Mer and Banville. It was June 8th, 1944, two days into his fight, that Wink was taken prisoner by the Germans and suffered a gunshot to his leg.

Meanwhile, back home in the little town of Lennoxville, Quebec, my great-nanny worked hard days, doing her part to help the soldiers by sewing uniforms in a local factory. One sunny day in June, shortly after Wink had been captured, Gertrude answered the door to a young boy on his bicycle who delivered a telegram carrying the news that her husband was missing in action and presumed dead. She later received an official letter from the military confirming this horrible news. Everyone told my great-nanny to move on, that he was never coming home, and that it would be best for her to continue on with her life. Gertrude never believed any of their foolish words or advice, for she knew deep down in her heart that Wink was still alive, and she courageously held on tight to this flickering light of hope inside of her for the next couple of months.

Wink spent an entire month imprisoned by the Germans, resting among the other wounded prisoners in their Field Hospital, and later moved to a hospital in France. On August 8th, the Americans took over that hospital, and were then able to rescue and relocate him to a hospital in Wroughton, England. From there, Wink sent a telegram to his wife which read, “Alive and well in England, Wink”. This telegram was the flickering light Gertrude had been holding out for. After months of surviving her own emotional battles, her intuition had been right, and she knew she would be seeing her husband again soon.

It wasn't until October 30th that Wink set sail to a hospital back home, where he would spend the next 4 months, working hard to walk again and progressing towards recovery. February 9th, 1945 marked the day that Gerturde and Wink were able to happily reunite, together at last.

Wink received 5 medals for his services. Upon his discharge from the military he ran his own truck delivery business and worked as a school bus driver. They had four wonderful children, one of which I today call my nanny. He never spoke much about his experiences in the war, and would never refer to himself as a hero. His name can be found amongst the hundreds of others listed on a plaque at the Capital Funeral Home cemetery off of Prince of Wales Drive.

My great-grandfather passed away September 4th, 1988. Though I never got the chance to meet him, he has taught me so much. I was fortunate to have built such a loving relationship with my great-nanny, though sadly, she passed away on September 19th, 2015. Both she and my great-grandpa will forever be my greatest inspirations, making me the strong, caring person that I am today. Everyday, I wake up beyond thankful for their courage. If my great-nanny had taken her friend's advice, had she have moved on and found someone new, I wouldn't be here today, feeling honoured to be sharing this story with you. Miracles happen, and in my eyes, my great-nanny and great-grandpa will forever be a part of my miracle. I love you great-nanny and great-grandpa. Lest We Forget.