Roy Gale celebrates his 100th birthday on Sunday with a drive-by parade at South Country Village.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
A local resident who spent five years serving in Europe during the Second World War, Roy Gale, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday.
“He’s honest, direct, everything he says is right and he’s never been afraid of work,” is how his son Stan Gales sums up his dad. “He’s an inspiration to the whole family.”
Roy was born in Canora, Sask., and the family moved to Medicine Hat when he was about six years old.
At the age of 19 he enlisted in the war with the Calgary Highlanders on April 9, 1940. After four months training he was on a train to Halifax and about to have some incredible experiences.
He’d never seen the ocean before and soon he was among 1,000 troops on their way to Europe on the SS Pasteur, a turbine steam ship.
Ocean voyages would not become pleasant memories.
Roy had completed a clerk’s training course in London and was assigned to the Fifth Division Artillery Head Quarters in Italy in September 1943. On his way there sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar, his ship, including a whole convoy, came under direct attack from the enemy. Roy remembers the attack lasting at least a couple hours.
The ship had its own crew to man the guns so non-crew members were told to stay below deck. Without being able to see what was taking place, it is the intense noise and fear he felt that has stayed with him.
On his arrival in Naples his squadron joined Montgomery’s Eight Army in time to experience a bitter winter on the battlefield.
“Between the mud and snow, vehicles could not move,” Roy told the News in an interview a few years ago. “Supplies had to be brought in by mules and we were living in tents.”
As troops fought battle after battle and broke new ground, trucks carrying clerks like Roy would come on behind. Clerks were responsible for typing up battle orders, reports on what ammunition had been used and what was needed to replenish supplies.
Even clerks were never too far from the battles taking place, including the massive bombing that destroyed the Abbey of Montecassino on Feb. 15, 1944.
The Canadian army then disengaged from the British army and went to Holland, which had been mainly liberated by then.
It was not until Christmas 1945 that Roy would finally return home to Medicine Hat. One thing he was sure of, he did not want to be in the army.
“I’d had enough of the army, enough of taking orders that were often stupid orders.”
He bought a general store in Dunmore, which included a post office and had a pump for selling gas. Stan says he also delivered gas to farmers. Roy also started a tractor scrap dealer business.
He married Anna Wiedeman from Irvine in 1948 and they had six children.
Stan says most of them will be in Medicine Hat on Sunday to celebrate their father’s birthday.
Stan says his dad is in remarkably good health but then he was hardly ever sick anyway. Roy still had a driving licence and was driving until last year.
