War goes beyond the frontlines.
Those living during those times had a battle of their own, on the homefront.
Pauline Marchand was 13-years-old and living in Saskatchewan when she lost her brother in the Second World War.
“I guess maybe that's why it's so close to me. It affects me a lot differently than those who haven't been connected with it at all. They don't realize the importance of remembering why they have these opportunities in Canada, and what it would have been like had we lost the war,” Marchand said.
Her brother, Alexander Dunae, was 24 at the time of his death.
He was a bombardier for the Royal Air Force, and had been sent on a mission to Germany.
“He was in a Lancaster, which is a big bomber. They were coming back from a mission. On the way back to England, it was a real blitz. Other bombers were leaving England at the same time, and they crashed right over England,” reflected Marchand.
The year was 1944, and “mishaps” like this were common.
“There were thousands of bombers in the air, flying at night,” Marchand explained.
Alexander was one of six of the crewmembers killed.
“We got the telegram that he was gone,” Marchand added. “Knowing he was killed instantly was one consolation of course. I often think, the infantry, the hand-to-hand combat, must have been terrible.”
Marchand's brother did receive one short leave before taking off for the war.
“Embarkation leave was the last one they could have before they were sent overseas. I remember the one that my brother had. It was around Christmastime. We tried to make a special meal then, as poor as we were. We pooled our resources and bought extra things to make a cake and trimmings for a Christmas meal. That was probably the last real festive meal he ever had,” she noted. “He never came home from overseas.”
She remembered the last day she saw her brother clearly.
Marchand had been staying at one uncle's house in Alberta, while her brother had been staying at another.
“I remember him coming to say goodbye. He was wearing this red leather jacket,” she remembered. “He was leaving for the war.”
She didn't know it would be the last time she would see Alexander.
While her brother had been fighting in the war, her family was facing their own struggles at home.
The lack of food, money, and the constant wonder of when the war would pass, was some of the thoughts that often crossed the family's mind.
“We had ration card books, and there was coffee or tea, jam, and sugar,” Marchand continued.
To support the troops overseas, women would pack boxes to send. But, they were restricted on the size and weight of the parcel.
Marchand's mother had a unique method to packing her son's parcels, one that was favoured by the men at war.
“Instead of filling the spaces with paper so it wouldn't rattle, she put in puffed wheat. When my brother would open his parcel, all of that puffed wheat would go all over the floor and his friends there would dive into it… This is how serious it was over there with food.”
Marchand and her mother would include canned sausages when they could, knowing they were her brothers favourite.
Cigarettes, chocolate, and socks were common requests from soldiers. But, things weren't easy at home; so obtaining some of the items was trickier than others.
“At one place I worked, we only gave out special things for special customers. I know the chocolate was kept in the office and the canned tomatoes were under the counter when I was working in the store during the war,” Marchand expressed.
Other staple items that were “hard to come by” were elastic and liquor.
“Weddings in those days, refreshments such as wine and things in the liquor store, required a certain permit,” she added.
Letters, when they did come, were highly censored.
Cathie Smith, who's brother-in-law was sent to war, described any interesting details as being “scratched out.”
“Not too much was in the letters, because things were censored so badly,” said Smith.
Aside from what little information they received from letters, families were glued to their radios.
Marchand's family was one of them.
“I remember listening to the news,” she reflected. “The radio was a precious thing in those days. That was the only way; we didn't have newspapers in our home. The radio was the only way we got any news, and that was very important.”
They were tuned-in to BBC News, direct from London.
The station was their only daily source for information about the war.
“I can still hear that voice,” Marchand said.
Although she had three other brothers, none of them were eligible to enlist. One was honourably discharged for having flat feet, while another was rejected due to health concerns.
Her youngest brother was too young at the time of the war to enlist, however, he joined the reserves and later became a member of the air force.
Men or boys who wanted to be soldiers were often rejected if they were necessary to the sustainability of a farm.
“One thing I remember, is farming. It was quite important because they needed the wheat and grains to feed the troops. If a farmer had a son who was important to keep the farm going, he was dispensed from service,” Marchand noted.
One of her cousins was on the brink of being sent to war. Instead of seeing his older brother go, his 17-year-old younger brother lied about his age and went in his place.
“He said he was in the frontlines in Italy crying like a baby, but it was too late,” shared Marchand.
Smith's husband was a farmerat the time. They grew wheat, barley, hay, and oats.
Her husband was rejected from enlisting, but continued to do his part by growing crops necessary to feed the troops.
“He was quite a good farmer,” Smith said. “We knew that was very useful.”
Marchand's brother is buried in England, something she is grateful for to this day.
“A lot of people don't have this opportunity. So many were lost in the sea,” she said.
On Remembrance Day, Marchand hopes people will take the time to remember the price some paid for the freedom of others, more specifically, her bother.
“A lot of the people that do crime here in Canada, I often wonder, is that what my brother was fighting for, among all of the other thousands of soldiers?” she asked. “I really wish they would realize how lucky we are here and what it cost.”
