Seventy-five years ago, the front page of The Guardian tells a different story about Island life than it does today.
The country was gripped in the Second World War. Many of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters were risking their lives overseas, defending and preserving our democratic way of life. And for family and friends still at home, the well-being of their loved ones overseas weighed on every moment of their daily life.
The front page of Saturday’s Charlottetown Guardian on Nov. 11, 1944, paints a picture of the war effort overseas. At the top of the page, in large bold letters, is the headline ‘Offensive spreads to 75mile front.’ The article from the Associated Press in Paris talks about the deployment of eight U.S. (or “Yank”) army divisions to support the fight against the Germans in Metz, a city in northern France. Other articles discussed the Japanese army sending reinforcements to Leyte, an island in the Philippines, and a report confirming that the Nazis were using a new long-range rocket – an obvious concern for Londoners.
The front page mainly covered the war’s big picture, so Islanders had to dig deeper in the newspaper to find information about locals overseas. For example, an update was printed regarding Pte. Joseph Francis Arsenault of Summerside, who had been missing in action since June 7, 1944. Initially, his wife was informed that Arsenault was a prisoner of war, but as it turned out, the prisoner was a soldier with the same name. There were also updates on wounded soldiers, such as Pte. John Charles Toole of Bonshaw and Pte. Joseph Freeman of Peake's Road. Freeman was wounded for a second time.
A remembrance for Sgt. Pilot Allison Bloyce McKie of Campbellton and Keppoch, P.E.I., also appeared in the newspaper that day. Sgt. McKie went missing in action on Nov. 11, 1941.
These were the stories Islanders read that morning as they prepared for Remembrance Day ceremonies. An advertisement in The Guardian outlines the plan for Charlottetown’s ceremony, which included speeches and wreath laying at the city’s monument and a parade leading back to the legion.
From 10:55 a.m. to “the eleventh hour,” the city’s fire bell tolled every 30 seconds. We can only imagine the heavy hearts and feelings of pride that residents must have been experiencing each time the bell rang, and the silence in between.
Little did they know that in less than a year, on Sept. 2, 1945, the Second World War would officially come to an end.
This year, Remembrance Day falls on Monday. Many of us haven’t served in conflicts, and those who have and fought on our behalf, are becoming fewer and fewer each year. But their legacies live on, and have to live on, especially with younger generations so the efforts and sacrifices of veterans aren’t forgotten or taken for granted. Without them, we wouldn’t have the freedoms we enjoy every day.
