211316 Eric Barton Howard Canadian Army 5th Battalion Black Watch from:Montreal, Quebec My Dad, Eric Howard was young, 20 I think and the son of Colonel A.T. Howard, Canadian Black Watch. He joined the Black Watch underage in 1941 at age 17, went into training in Canada. The war came and in 1944 he signed up for a project called Canloan, where Canada loaned our men to the British. He made it through 36 straight days of fighting with very little sleep. I found that information in his Military file. This is what the man who took him off the field of battle wrote, "that he was in bad shape mentally, was found under two dead bodies, not able to see anything, He was so shell shocked he could not stand to see anymore dead bodies". The mustard gas got to his eyes. They were not sure which, the notes the ambulance guys wrote was amazing. I have seen photo copies of the actual notes the man who took my father to safety wrote. He was so kind in his notes, making sure the hospital knew what this kid had been through. 36 days he wrote with not much sleep, as all the rest areas being bombed and shelled. He didn't want them to think this terrified kid was a coward. He did his duty, till he could do it no more. My father begged them to return him to his unit at the front in Collembelles, France, where he was taken out of battle. He was so shaken they could not send him back so his fighting days ended on the 13th July 1944. He would not want his old man the Colonel back in Canada to think him a coward with shell shock. He came home a broken man, but he then joined the navy for two years, then on to the RCR from 1949 to 1967. He returned to battle in Korea, he should not have been sent there, nor should he have still been in the army. He was very, very sick in the mind and each new battle took him more and more into a dark, dark place. But he did his duty, he served our country and the British. He did his best, he said the Brits were fine men to fight with, and that was a bit weird, as my father was the most prejudiced man on earth. Catholic and white was all he tolerated in my lifetime. So those were huge praises to the British soldiers, cause they were Limeys to him and his father. My father made it home from both those actions, WW2 and Korea. Many thanks to those who got him back to Canada, because without you, I would not exist, and my country may not have been free as it is today. For the best part it is free. Thanks to those who serve and help their fellow man.
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