What Was That War All About, Anyway?
The Army Life of Vincent Joseph Barnes
World War Two (1939-1945)
War stories are told from many points of view. Some write the horrors of war, some boastful, others braggarts. I have never been a war enthusiast nor have I ever glorified war. A great Chinese philosopher wrote, 2500 years ago; "The purpose of war is to make peace. Any other reason is unacceptable."
I tell my story truthfully, as I remember these happenings. It was World War Two when our fighting began on the beaches of Normandy, France. I was not a front line fighter, but being part of a second echelon workshop, followed the 4th Armoured Brigade of the 4th Division, Canadian Army, very closely. We saw the aftermath of battle before the burial crews arrived.
My Story begins with enlisting, going through basic and advanced training to make us front line fighters if necessary. This story is about the humorous side of a soldier's life as well as the tragic.
When I finished my instrument course at camp Barryfield, I said my last, tearful goodbye to Lillian, my wife and boarded the Mauritania for England. There I joined the 4th Armoured Brigade. We landed in France after D.Day. Our 4th Division engaged the enemy at Caen and Falaise and through Belgium to Holland, into Germany, April 1945 and the Germans surrendered on May 5th 1945. Repatriation took 7 months. I returned home a few days after Christmas, to a Lillian I barely knew. My future was about as uncertain as when I'd left for war.
Book Review
What Was That War All About, Anyway?
Your war book was nice reading, especially for me because of my own memories of the war. I say that you gave a very great contribution to eliminate the horror of Nazism. We will never forget!
Your descriptions of all happenings then are very nice reading. There after came that awful sea journey on the Mauretania. I got a bit sick myself while reading that sea journey.
Besides the horror of the front you have had good times in Europe with ladies with whom you had sex. These happenings were also funny for me to read. You describe ordinary things of all times and all places in a humorous way. Moreover it sure should have a place expecially in a book about a soldiers life.
I loved your story and the photos of our family. The story about the roasted rabbit needs some further explanation. Christmas Day was the most festive day of the entire year in our family. As long as I can remember my mother roasted a tame rabbit for Christmas Day only. This you may compare with your roasting a turkey.
In those days I did not know that you were living under canvas. German soldiers had always lived in houses or bigger buildings which they claimed everywhere. Reading what you mentioned about the V1 rockets brought me into remembrance that these frightening things crossed our house every day more than once from April 1944 until March 1945. On average every week the noisy motor of one of these rockets flying over suddenly fell into a horrible silence above us. This was a signal that within 2 minutes it would explode on the ground in our vicinity.
Your friend Eddy Engels. Holland.
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