Doris Gregory - How I Won the War for the Allies: One Sassy Canadian Soldiers Story

HOW I WON THE WAR FOR THE ALLIES
Copyright 2014 Doris Gregory

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher, or, in Canada, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright (the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency).

RONSDSALE PRESS
3350 West 21st Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6S 1G7
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Layout and design: Jan Westendorp, Kato Design & Photo
Cover photo: The author swimming at Bournemouth, August 1944.
Photo by Jeanne White.
Photo on frontispiece: Studio portrait of the author, July 1942.
Author photo (page 201): Tamara Roberts, Studio Two Photography
Editing: Naomi Pauls, Paper Trail Publishing
Paper: Ancient Forest Friendly Rolland Opaque ( FSC ) 100% post-consumer waste, totally chlorine-free and acid-free

Ronsdale Press wishes to thank the following for their support of its publishing program: the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, the British Columbia Arts Council and the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Book Publishing Tax Credit program.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Gregory, Doris, 1921, author
How I won the war for the allies : one sassy Canadian soldiers story / Doris Gregory.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-55380-317-1 (print)
ISBN 978-1-55380-319-5 (ebook) / ISBN 978-1-55380-318-8 (pdf)

1. Gregory, Doris, 1921. 2. World War, 19391945 Personal narratives, Canadian. 3. Canada. Canadian Army. Canadian Women's Army Corps Biography. 4. Women soldiers Canada Biography. 5. University of British Columbia S tudents Biography. I. Title.

At Ronsdale Press we are committed to protecting the environment. To this end we are working with Canopy (formerly Markets Initiative) and printers to phase out our use of paper produced from ancient rain forests. This book is one step towards that goal.

To my children, Linda, Brian, and Wayne,
my lifes greatest joy

PREFACE

T HIS IS A MEMOIR , dependent on memory buttressed by mementos, personal military records, and letters from overseas. Although with editorial assistance I have tried to be as accurate as possible concerning matters of historical fact, I lay no claim to absolute veracity. This is simply a record of my war as I remember it.

Originally I intended to write only for family and friends. Most have heard bits and pieces of my war story over the years, but not the complete narrative. As time went on, however, I discovered that many people had never heard of the Canadian Womens Army Corps, although most knew of our American counterpart, the WAC (Womens Army Corps). Ironically, that corps, formed almost a year after our own, modelled itself to a considerable degree upon ours. Clearly the story of the Canadian Womens Army Corps, or at least one member of it, needed to be told, in a manner which might appeal to a broader readership than that reached by official accounts or by self-published memoirs currently on the market. To this end, I have tried to take the reader into the experience with me. I want readers to feel what I felt, the positives and negatives: the camaraderie, fun, excitement, suspense as well as the tedium, worry, and occasional horror.

Throughout my story I have used the language of the time, whether or not it might be considered politically correct today. To simplify things for the reader, I have omitted last names, with only occasional exceptions. In some cases, I have changed a name in order to avoid possible distress to individuals or their families. Readers wanting more detailed information concerning army regulations, life in wartime Britain, or other relevant topics may appreciate the extensive Notes section following the storys end as well as the sources listed for further reading.

When I took on this task, I did not realize how daunting it would be. It has also, however, been a great joy. In writing this book I am indebted to so many people I could not possibly acknowledge them all. Everything I have experienced and everyone I have ever met has played a part in this production. All have helped create the person I have become. Also, I must not forget to credit my ancestors for providing a decent enough set of longevity genes. But to keep things simple, I will restrict my acknowledgements to people who have directly eased my way through life: first, my parents, who gave me unconditional love and care in those all-important early years, and later as much love and care as they were able, and my brother Gordon, my only sibling, who provided needed moral support through difficult times. I am indebted to my family too for faithfully preserving some fifty letters I sent home from overseas. Those letters provided many details otherwise forgotten.

Next, I have to thank the friends and teachers who over the years kept urging me to write. I owe a special debt to Dorothy Mawdsley, Dean of Women at the University of British Columbia, who as my high school English teacher and later at university aided and abetted my journalistic aspirations. And then there are the current contributors, most notably my creative writing teacher, Ruth Kozak, whose enthusiastic support and wealth of valuable suggestions kept me slaving away at the computer for the past year or two. Without Ruths urging I would never have attended the writers fair where I met the genial and ingenious Ben Coles, whose suggestions added much to the final product. Of course, few writers can hope to succeed without the indispensable assistance of a first-rate editor, functioning as intellectual midwife. I count myself lucky to have had patient, long-suffering Naomi Pauls filling this role. Hers has not been an easy task, putting up with myriad last-minute changes and additions as various things floated to the surface of my memory. Her attention to detail and helpful suggestions have kept me from falling flat on my face and done much to improve the original script. I also must thank my daughter, Linda Gregory, for her excellent suggestions and careful reading of the manuscript in its later stages.

One person almost invariably remains unacknowledged by authors in sections like this. That is the books designer, unsung hero or heroine of many a volume. Yet the presentation, especially the cover, but also the choice of fonts, paper, format, arrangement of pictures, and so on contribute greatly to the books appeal. Im going to break with tradition here and thank talented Jan Westendorp in print. Her creative suggestions impressed me from the start and shine through in the many details of the books excellent design.

There is yet one more person who must be named. I offer heartfelt thanks to my publisher, Ron Hatch of Ronsdale Press, for bravely taking a chance on an unknown like me and gently prodding me to add important finishing touches to the final manuscript. Without his careful scrutiny and expertise, this book would not exist in its present form.

I owe much to all these people. However, in producing this book the final call has been mine. Any errors or flaws will have to be laid at my door. Mea culpa!