The Forrester Family of Qualicum Beach (Part 4)

This is the fourth in a series of five stories describing the life of Ralph & Violet Forrester and their family; colonists from Lancashire (England), who chose Qualicum Beach as their home in 1913. The first story described their early life in England and the move to Qualicum in search of work; the second detailed the Empire gathering her sons for the Great War and the survivors’ long road home; the third described the interwar years and the new generation growing up in the few peaceful years between the lingering shadow of the past and the looming shadow of the future. This fourth story describes the events and impact of the Second World War.

The Second World War

On September 4th, 1939 Britain and France declared war on Germany, on September 10th Canada followed suit. On September 11th, Ralph junior joined the Seaforth Highlanders (Vancouver) and on the 15th, Jack joined the artillery. As with all new soldiers, a letter arrived from the King thanking them for joining. In addition, as part of the recruitment effort, Ralph appeared on the first page of the Vancouver Daily Province on November 2nd.

 
The King Welcomes Ralph to the Army

The mobilization wasn’t fast enough for Jack and many young Canadian soldiers, as he stayed in Camp Shilo (Manitoba) until August 1940 arriving in England in time for the Blitz and the Battle of Britain. He often wrote home and in October 1940 stated, after visiting family in England:

 “We passed through London on the way back. The damage wasn’t as bad as might be expected, but still it was bad enough. The poor section of town has caught it worst.

Some of the buildings are cut in half, with mirrors, and coats, still left hanging on the wall. One “cockney” told us, that he and his mate sent a note to “Jerry”, telling him to “lay off.” But he said, he wouldn’t, he bombed us out of the pub. He showed us a building that had been bombed. And said that they had been digging for six bodies, for three days. We stayed around for a while hoping, that they would find them, but they didn’t.

They dropped some eggs close to our barracks the other night, and killed a man on bicycle. One of the lads got panicky, and ran outside shouting for them to come down and fight like men... “

 
Ralph Forrester Jr. is shown second from right

The London Blitz

The languishing in Canada though only changed to languishing in England and Jack waited, with most other Canadian soldiers, until 1943 before they saw any action. After numerous attempts to transfer to active units, Jack was finally transferred into his brother’s regiment in May 1943 and left for Italy from Scotland in time for the invasion of Sicily in July.

 Before leaving though, Ralph lead the Seaforth Highlanders’ soccer team into victory over all comers in the Canadian Army Championships, winning the cup on April 14th in a 3-1 game over the Royal Canadian Engineers.

The championship team, Captain Ralph Forrester with ball between knees

The invasion of Sicily with 160,000 soldiers, of which 20,000 were Canadians, was a success though the long climb up the boot of Italy was difficult as they encountered significant German resistance. Both Ralph and Jack spent time in hospital in Algeria due to pneumonia (Jack) and a minor injury (Ralph) obtained when a motorcycle Ralph was driving skidded off the road to avoid an oncoming truck.

 News received at home was scanty and delayed. When the first message arrived about Ralph’s injury, the vague wording caused much anxiety as the worst was assumed:

 “SINCERELY REGRET INFORM YOU K52115 PRIVATE RALPH FORRESTER OFFICIALLY REPORTED WOUNDED IN ACTION SEVENTEENTH JULY 1943 STOP NATURE AND EXTENT OF WOUNDS NOT YET AVAILABLE STOP FURTHER INFORMATION FOLLOWS WHEN RECEIVED”

 It would only be 24 days later that a further telegram told them that it was only a minor bruise to the knee.

The Canadian Army continued to move up the Italian Peninsula until their greatest battle at Ortona on Christmas 1943. Their Christmas dinner on the edge of the battle in a shattered church has been well described. Padre Durnford blessed the boys and their meal, praying that they would all return to a peaceful home.

“I talked with many men. Most, I’m sure, are fearful of what lies ahead, but they are fine men and I know they will give the best that is in them. My heart grieved to see them, after their brief two-hour respite, turn their faces again to the battle.”

 That night volunteers were requested to go on a patrol into Ortona. Both Jack and Ralph volunteered however Jack, the elder brother, told Ralph that they both couldn’t go in case something happened.

 Back home in Vancouver, Christmas was over and family who had come home from their normal lives were now returning to their routines. Edith, a teacher in Victoria, later recalled those days:

 “I was teaching music and drama at St. Margaret’s School, Victoria, B.C. We were closing our term with the junior’s production of the operetta “Hansel and Gretel,” followed by dinner and dance. I was exhausted and after dinner excused myself from the dance. I flopped onto my bed and was soon in a deep sleep.

I dreamed there was a knock on my door and a telegram was handed to me. It read ‘Jack reported missing in action’. I mentioned this to the headmistress and later to my father who was a decorated veteran of the First World War. Dad was concerned and his ‘Don’t let your mother know of this’ was typical of his caring. On returning to school in January, I was met by the headmistress whose, “Miss Forrester, I have had a telegram delivered to your room” sounded like the toll of a fatalistic bell. I slowly climbed the stairs, and sure enough the exact words of my dream were in that telegram sent by Dad. I phoned Dad immediately and was told that they were waiting confirmation of Jack’s disappearance."

And confirmation did come; the patrol was lost when a mine went off in a booby-trapped school they were patrolling. Upon receiving this news, Ralph senior had his first in a series of heart attacks.

The padre then wrote to the grieving families with the letter to the Forresters being written on January 21st.

 “We have lost a good friend & a good soldier in that boy of yours & we shall be careful always to be worthy of his heroic devotion to duty. Our hearts go out to you who remain.

We, who must meet the enemy again, and you, who must face the future & all its oppositions, limitations & hazards, must go forward bravely to do the best that in us lies if we are to honour the name of men like your own boy.”

Ralph senior kept the padre’s letter on him at all times.

Ralph Forrester, Sr. (1944)

  But the notices didn’t stop there, the newspaper listed the dead, the funeral ceremony was covered, letters came from the Department of Defense, from the Minister of Defense, and from the King. Ralph junior again appeared on the front page of the newspaper, this time kneeling at his brother’s graveside.  And so it ended as it began, a photo in the newspaper and a letter from the King.

The King’s sympathy.
Once more on the front page

The photo caption read “In one of this war’s most touching pictures,
Pte. Ralph Forrester of Vancouver’s Seaforth Highlanders kneels in silent prayer
at the rough-hewn grave of his brother in an Italian cemetery.”
The photo was used by newspapers across Canada.

 In April 1944, the strain on the soldier’s heart was too much. In failing health, Ralph senior died in the hospital on April 22nd, at the age of 56, his final words being “They were good lads.” As a sad coincidence, Ralph senior’s wartime friend “Blondie” also lost his son in Italy in December 1944.

 Ralph junior tried to come home to be with his family, eventually returning in June 1944 on leave and working out of the Vancouver depot but not being discharged until June 1945. Now it was his turn to be troubled by his war memories and the loss of his brother. As in the case of his father, Ralph junior also suffered from nervousness and had trouble sleeping. The shelling of Ortona had unnerved him as the shelling in France had unnerved his father.  Upon his return home he threw away his medals.

Scroll in St. Ann’s Church, Parksville

 Another war and another scroll on the wall of St. Ann’s Church in Parksville, this one identifying both Jack and Ralph.

Copyright, Hugh Whitney, 2009,