# All world war two guys read please?!              Patrick Pattenaude



## NadineR (15 May 2006)

hey my name is nadine and i didnt know where exzactly to put this or if im writing non sense cuz i dunno if anyone on here fought in WW2 
so anyways to get to the point ....did anyone know a patrick pattenaude?? he fought with the royal winnipeg rifles 
and he was just a gunner and i have RARE footage of him...so im lucky because he is my grandfather ...and 
if it wasnt for him or the canadians im sure hitler would have had control or something 
so thank you for everything 
and hopefully some one can help me with this ...it would mean alot 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (15 May 2006)

NadineR said:
			
		

> hey my name is nadine and i didnt know where exzactly to put this or if im writing non sense cuz i dunno if anyone on here fought in WW2
> so anyways to get to the point ....did anyone know a patrick pattenaude?? he fought with the royal winnipeg rifles
> and he was just a gunner and i have RARE footage of him...so im lucky because he is my grandfather ...and
> if it wasnt for him or the canadians im sure hitler would have had control or something
> ...


hello nadineR
there's some of us here that were with the rifles.but we can't remember him.Don't take that has anything other than we are pretty old guy's,and that's a long time ago.that's one of the hardest things to remember.is names.But,please don't say he was just a gunner,he was far more than that to you,correct?  Sorry we couldn't help.


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## NadineR (15 May 2006)

now i feel bad ...i just meant he was a gunner thats what he did....
but he was a hero too 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (15 May 2006)

sorry.Don't feel bad about it,I wasn't implying that you weren't proud of him. has long has he's your hero that's all that really matters to you isn't it.I can tell you by knowing most of these boy's by spending time with them, that your thoughts of him are all that really matter. we want to be hero's to those that love us.
                                                    Take care jack


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

hey jack... 


its ok i didnt really read it ..propper i guess 
but im desperatley trying to find anything about my grandfather 
and its hard...i mean i found rare footage of him but im not sure where :-[ 
im figuring england or netherlands  
so at least i have one lead...and id like to say once again thank you so much
to you and the other soldiers who fought 
anyways i might write a book so if u have stories send them to me ...pm ur address 
id love to write this in books b4 everyones gone 

Nadine


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## parkie (16 May 2006)

nadine
keep your eyes on.a soldiers story,Jack will tell whatever he can in there, when he feels at ease enough to talk about it, please keep in mind it's a very.very hard subject for him.
                                                                          parkie


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

hey parkie 

i shall do that and i totally understand...is ok to ask questions or ..?? 
should i just let it be ? 

Nadine


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## parkie (16 May 2006)

NadineR said:
			
		

> hey parkie
> 
> i shall do that and i totally understand...is ok to ask questions or ..??
> should i just let it be ?
> ...


ask away.Jack lives right next door to me.If he clams up,no big deal,eventually he might answer.


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

hey, 

Well thats pretty cool that you have a war buddy next door i guess.
you guys can laugh about some good times...
you know i could spend hours upon hours listening to you or jack
and not get bored ;D 
hey have you guys ever seen yourselves in war footage they have on dvd now or anything ?? 

Nadine 

p.s. if only there was a lead to my grandfather but im never giving up until the day i die


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## parkie (16 May 2006)

There is film out there with jack on it,somewhere,he thought there were some cameras going when they landed on Juno.He has never attempted to look for them,He told me once that all he can see are bodies,floating and lying in the sand.


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

yeah...i don't think jack would want to see it then, 
juno was a nasty fight....
i learned about it, back in high school.
the video that my grandfather is on, 
its called world war two and canada and hes on during the end carrying a box.
www.classroomvideo.net is the link u have to go look for it through search video or something.
so was it the media press that had camera's? or just soldiers?? 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (16 May 2006)

Nadine
This is jack; I see that your searching for something to tell you what it was like for your grandfather. I give you this. to remember him by.
A cool breeze blew off the shore; spray from the front of the landing craft was making a solemn, almost peaceful rhythm has it slapped on the sides, Fear? Some. And Anxious. To see what lay ahead. To get it over with. Men praying to themselves, some exchanging words of heart, Some giving words of bravery “Give em hell, today boy’s’. Let the Bas*ards know the Canadian’s are here. Enemy Fire coming in from the shore, And the touch of your brother in arms standing beside you, Sharing your fear or sharing your bravery. So many fell has we hit the shore, But still, they were right there with us when we made the enemy pay with their lives. For every soul we lost trying to make the beach head, we made them pay double, You couldn’t have stopped us that day, If Hitler had twice has many men on that shore.
That is where your grandfather was. That’s who we were.
                                                                       Jack


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## Michael Dorosh (16 May 2006)

NadineR said:
			
		

> yeah...i don't think jack would want to see it then,
> juno was a nasty fight....
> i learned about it, back in high school.
> the video that my grandfather is on,
> ...



The Canadian Film and Photo Unit was charged with recording events in the Second World War, but many soldiers also had their own cameras despite regulations in some cases against taking pictures. Cameras then were bulkier and more expensive so most soldiers did not have them, or if they did, not high quality ones. Wealthier soldiers may have had access to better cameras, some even to colour film which was not in its infancy but rare nonetheless.

The CFPU shot tens of thousands of still photos and millions of feet of cine-film footage.
Some info here:
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/index.php?title=Canadian_Film_and_Photo_Unit

The CFPU were all trained soldiers; the media was not given as much access to military operations in those days. Military film and pictures were shared with the media, and civilian reporters did go on operations, but photos were all cleared by military censors before being distributed for publication (which is why you often see big white blobs in wartime photos where the cap badges and shoulder titles should be on the uniforms).

Radio was a popular media for getting news in the 1940s, and many civilian reporters were also on operations, though the recording devices then were primitive - they were making recordings on bulky tapes or vinyl (?) discs - I think Peter Stursberg talks about this in one of his books.  Matthew Halton was another famous Canadian radio reporter for the CBC during WW II whose son is a famous CBC TV personality.


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

hey 

Jack i liked what you wrote 
thank you 
and i looked at that website its awsome.
Jack why did you go to war ?? was there other reasons ?
if you don't mind me asking  

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (16 May 2006)

Why did I go to war? I hung around with a guy who was like my big brother growing up,(parkie).If he was going to war, Then I was going to war also.Him,Buster and I made a pact that we would all come back or none of us would,And has fate would have it,we all came back, but we lost a lot of our friends that we grew up with.
Our reason for going,we knew from the talk going around and from what news we could get,that this guy who was running the show in germany was a bad one,and knowing the way that old guy’s who had been in the first world war talked,that if these guy’s got away and were allowed to take over Europe,they wouldn’t stop there, So ,somebody had to go and stop them.And somebody did.


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## NadineR (16 May 2006)

hey, 

Well i think you are all brave for that choice...at least you came back with your two friends but im sorry you lost your other buddys
and thank god hitler did'nt take over...i can't even imagine what could have happend...
thanks for stopping hitler...did you ever see him in person??? 
and did you ever come in contact with a nazi?! 
your brave you know and thanks again  

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

Nadine
Yes,we can thank god,that he didn’t take over.god and a lot of very young boy’s,not  full grown men.Boy’s. We were no older than you are,when we faced them,I guess if we take a look at what they did in every place that they took over,That ,is what was waiting for all of us.They would have taken over everything they could,and the only one’s who would have survived is those that joined them.And that would have meant forgetting everything that we ever believed in Peace,Freedom,Love,And all that we consider to be the good things in life,And we are just not like that, we are a peace loving people by nature,and we will fight tooth and nail to protect it.sounds strange doesn’t it,but if you don’t fight for it, somebody will take it away from you.
No.I never saw Hitler,Thank God.he was a disgusting,vile man.Full of hate and wickedness.
But,I have faced Nazi’s,The worst of them.I have had to face the worst that human nature has to offer. Hard men.with bad ideals.They were hard to put down. But we did.
Don’t spend your youth thinking of them.Think of your grandfather,And who he was to stand up to them.Think of who he must have been,And be just like him.
                                       Take care- Jack


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

hey, 

i agree with that!, yeah they were dirty rats..and if it wasnt for you we'd be speaking german i suppose...
and im alot like my grandfather according to my nana 
so adventurous and brave like him too 
nazis r evil...still around today and i try not to think of them just of my grandfather mostly
who wants to wastes thoughts on hitler ... 
hmmm did you get to stay in peoples houses?? because when my grandfather went to netherlands he spent time with a family...
and they gave him food and treated him real well 

Nadine


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## Pea (17 May 2006)

Nadine,

I love reading what Jack has to say to all of your questions. It is really neat to hear from someone who was in the war. However, I find your posts quite hard to digest because of all the msn speak and periods all over the place. I am sure I am not the only one having this problem. Could you PLEASE spell the entire word out too. (it should be "are" NOT "r") It will make it a lot easier on the rest of us, and your questions will look more intelligent.

Thank you, and Thanks Jack for sharing your stories.


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## jimb (17 May 2006)

Cuts.

That was one of the clearest and most honest answers     to that question. You said in a couple of sentences what others have taken a whole hard cover book to say. And as I have all ways said, the guys that you served with were the ones that you fought for, not the country nor the high ideals of politicians.

Thanks for coming home again. Sorry that all the guys with you did not.

Jim Bunting. Toronto.


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

hey, 


 Pea, i feel bad I am trying to type proper 
sorry for the typing errors. 

Nadine  :-[ 

p.s. All the answers i get on here are well done


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## Pea (17 May 2006)

No need to feel bad. It would help to take some time to re-read your posts and use the spell check function, that's all.


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

i will do that  
so whats everyone doing this weekend ??

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

nadine
I did stay in some houses, in France,though many had no one living in them.Mostly though I slept on the ground rolled up in a sheet that was made from a kind of rubbery stuff. That's when we could sleep,The German's were always on us trying to push us back.so you sort of slept with one eye open for two years,I don't know how much they teach you in school about such things.but,people in France and Holland and all those countries,Belgium too. those people were very hungry,it was terrible for them, they ate whatever they could find,which wasn't much,because everybody was out looking for food too. those times watching those people suffer,they still haunt me.
                                                                                         Jack


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

jack, 

 i learned alot in highschool and what we see on video is really sick and twisted 
concentration camps and people going hungry...i had a hard time watching that stuff 
but its good to know about it. 
How did you get food? did you look as well? or no? 
my grandpa said they had cans of food supplyed 
in thier rucksacks or army bags i guess you call them.

Nadine


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## paracowboy (17 May 2006)

NadineR said:
			
		

> i will do that
> so whats everyone doing this weekend ??
> 
> Nadine


 Nadine, you have been asked twice to use proper English, now. Both times you have stated that you would comply. You have not. Please do so. Thank you.

para-mod-boy


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

well,I suppose it is good to know about,that we learned that too much power in one man's hands can be a terrible thing.if he can get people to follow his ideas,it can be a dangerous thing. Hitler made sure that everybody knew of his hollow promises,he made every couple that got married own a copy of his book that he wrote while he was in prison,Mien Kampf, He prayed on his own people by doing this,because they were hurting from the debt they had acquired from the first world war,So,he made them all these promises about  what life could be like for them, But,they shouldn't have taken from everybody else to make that dream come true.That's kind of like somebody promising you a whole bunch of stuff,then going and robbing your neighbor to give it to you.
Yes,we had canned rations.when you could get to them.or when they could get to you, it's hard when everybody's on the move,supplies have a hard time keeping up.And you can't go back to get them.because the German's will just come in where you left.Then your right back where you started.we,hardly ever looked for food,how,can you take from those that don't have.we did eat some that was given by the people,but it made you feel awful,eating their food,But.they just wanted to do something for us,because we saved their lives.


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

nadine
Just slow down,and take your time,dear,there's no big rush.If this old guy can type with two fingers then you can type too,Right?
Just pay attention and you'll be fine.


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

Jack, 

I read your last post, And I think Hitlers book was stupid I have seen it but I haven't 
Read it all and I don't really want to. 
I hope there is never another "Hitler" 
And I'm guessing the canned rations were not that good ?  
what was in them ? 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

If we couldn't make it to where they could feed us,we had emergency rations,Biscuits.chocalate.There was a tinned meat that we had, but they didn't really give that out for a one man ration,one can would be meant to feed two or three.I guess they call it spam.we use to ask what it was,the bullies(cooks) use to say,you know that part of the pig between the tail and the nose,well,it's none of that.


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## NadineR (17 May 2006)

hey, 

Well at least You had chocolate and some biscuits.
And yes i believe it's called Spam, 
What about writing letters, Would your Mom or Whoever you wrote to 
send food? could They?  

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (17 May 2006)

A soldier could write home,if he had a moment to sit and write,some wrote at night if they had the paper,But writing at night was very risky,A sniper could see you,see a small light or movement and you would be dead.Paper was sometimes hard to come by.And letters were censored so badly,some never bothered to write.But,you always tried to write,even a hello,and send it,so that people would know you were alive.
 For people to send food,it took so long to make it to you,it might not be worth eating,when you did get it,And sometimes,you got a package,with a note that said,enjoy the cookies from home,But,there was no cookies.And that made Jack sad.Sad and mad. I carried the paper off that package for weeks,because I could smell the cookies in the paper,I use to sit at night when it was quiet and smell that paper and those cookies and drift home.It was heaven.if only for a short time.


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## NadineR (18 May 2006)

Jack, 

That is scary, and they were censored? I guess so the Nazi's wouldn't get to where 
you were right?
and yeah I'd Be sad and mad about cookies to!
Did You stay in the trench's or just walked all night and or stayed in houses? 
depended right?? 
I have so many questions i don't usually know what to ask. 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (18 May 2006)

Nadine
In a war the size of that,who do you know to trust,If someone were to write a letter home and it said,for example.hi this is Fred , from  a certain Canadian regiment,I'm sitting in Paris right now. If the information fell into the wrong hands. Just a small misplaced word could be used to track troop movement.And there were spies everywhere in England, So,you had to be careful what you wrote.This is where the old saying, loose lips-sink ships comes from,that's why many just sent a note when they could saying they were alive. No.We didn't have trench's,we had foxholes sometimes.You would dig a small dip down in the ground,so that if a mortar landed close to you,the blast would go over you,unless it landed in the hole with you,then the boy's would just cover it over.A trench is more for a defensive position,and we were on the offensive,We fought in towns and in what they called the hedgerows.rows and rows of hedges that people had around their properties.It was terrible for sniper's and hidden tanks and enemy machine gun nests.We didn't walk at night,That would be very risky,you could walk right into the enemy,without seeing them.And snipers operated at night,because a light can be seen for miles.A man lighting his cigarette at night,not being careful,was dead.
Get yourself a piece of paper,and write down what questions you want to ask me,and when you have a bunch that you know you want to ask, ask me. I won't be around until later today,so have them ready.
                                              Jack


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## NadineR (18 May 2006)

hey, 

Here are some questions, 

1. Did You have walkie talkies to communicate? 
2.Did You have codes (Morse ..etc)? 
3. Have a faverite weapon? 
4. What was your faverite place to go to when You were not fighting  
5.Who is the first person You saw after the War?

Well I hope these questions are alright to ask talk to You later. 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (18 May 2006)

Nadine
We had a wireless walkie talkie, that the companies used to communicate with the headquarters, but we had people who’s job it was to operate them and to carry them because they were quite heavy, But they didn’t reach far, just a couple of miles, I think about 3- 4 miles if I remember correctly.
I don’t know if they had a code, I suppose they did for some things.
I used a Lee-Enfield Rifle, Bolt action 303 calibre. But, I loved the Bren 303 machine gun, but I was never able to use one when we were fighting.
When I wasn’t fighting, I liked going into the towns and Relax and laugh with the other guy’s, to try and leave our problems behind, talk about life back home. Talking about it, made you feel like you were there. If you were near the rear echelon, you could relax and sleep, Boy.I could never get enough sleep.
The first person I saw when I got home was parkie’s sister, she met us at the train and took us all out to the farm, and we ate and slept and ate and slept, for a week.

                                                   Jack


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## NadineR (18 May 2006)

hey, 

Well that sounds pretty cool, 3-4 miles isn't far though 
And my Grandfather knew Morse code, Don't know what he used for  
The Bren 303 is a nice gun too. 
Sleep would have been nice id rather sleep then fight. 
That's just me though! 
What did you have for food when you got home? 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (19 May 2006)

many knew morse code.it was a way of communicating if the radio was unable to transmitt voice,By using on-off a person could communicate.
When we got home we had whatever we wanted ,has long has it was moose meat and potatoes.parkies family was pretty hard up,but his sister was a very good cook,I guess she had to be looking after about 10 or 11 kids on next to nothing,parkies mother died giving birth to his youngest sister,and his older sister had to raise the whole bunch.and she was only 16 years old,Such was the hardships of many back then,since the young men were going off to war, It left  those who were left behind,a lot more work,and people still had to eat, so it wasn't just the soldiers overseas who suffered with hardships.


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## NadineR (19 May 2006)

Hey, 

Aw that sucks I am sorry about parkies mom 
and his sister is pretty brave. 
11 kids is alot though. 
I like potato's ha ha 
but I'd want steak when i got home.  


Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (19 May 2006)

Nadine.
Yes, she had a strong will. To be able to look after everyone, six of them were older, but she had five kids that were all about six and under, and one set of twins in there. One of the hardest things I had to do when I came back, I had to go and see Mrs.kyle.Her son had joined up around the same time has I did, we were good friends growing up.
I have debated telling you this, I felt that young people shouldn’t have to listen to stuff like this, But, this is important what I pass on here, remember this what I tell here. Because I have no doubt that your grandfather knew them or of them. And you should know who your grandfather served beside and maybe shared a laugh with.
 Mrs Kyle’s son was one of the boy’s that the Hitler Jugend shot at the chateau d’audrieu on June 8 1944.And to have to tell her how her son died was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I could not lie to her. He was a very honourable young man. Very soft-spoken and kind of shy, a typical farm boy. He deserved better than to die in such a way.
When we landed on the beaches at Juno, and fought tooth and nail to get that beachhead and secure the positions for our friends to follow. We never dreamed that what was to follow were days, that would haunt us for the rest of our lives, Our enemy that the nazi’s put us up against were the Hitler jugend, the Hitler youth,The dreaded 12th SS. They were young boy’s that the nazi’s had raised to be devote followers of Hitler. They swore oaths to him. And they held up his image very well, they killed without mercy, and little or no remorse. They had taken children and brainwashed them, into being the same has Hitler, full of hate and wickedness, such, was the nazi dream to turn the whole world into followers such has this. I am haunted all the days of my life having to face children in battle, and I hope that god has mercy on my soul. But, Such is the horror of war. They would not surrender, and they fought like possessed maniacs. It was terrible, thousands of them fell to us, but, no matter how many fell, it did not stop the rest from coming.
I curse the ground that raised such a person has Hitler, to have done this to me. He took the farm boy that I was and turned me into a killer of children.


                                              Jack


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## NadineR (19 May 2006)

hey Jack, 

That story was really moving and it made me sad. 
Anyways i don't think my grandfather was in Juno but i was wondering Did you go to casino 
in Italy?? (he got the Italy star) and he also went to Africa too. 
i feel really bad that you had to tell Mrs kyle about her son. 

*hug* 

Nadine


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## Jacktheknife (19 May 2006)

nadine
No,your grandfather,wouldn't have been at Juno.but he would have either known these boy's,or of them,he would have been with buster,but,buster can't speak of the war at all.we have tried,he just can't do it.No.I wasn't at cassino.parkie was near there,he has the Italian star also.He has eight medals.with other things, but he doesn't show anyone,except his granddaughter,I'll talk to you later today, little one.I need  some time alone. Then I'll be okay.
                                                              Jack


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## NadineR (19 May 2006)

hey, 

It's ok. i am going to see how many medals grandpa has because i cant remember
Anyway i will talk to you later jack be well. 

Nadine


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## NadineR (23 May 2006)

hey, 

I am getting closer to knowing some things About grandpa!!
And im sending proof off to archives today mabey. 
I've been listening to jack and parkie and buster's storys and it really  
makes me happy that they would share them with me and everyone else 
and i thank them for telling me everything They remember! 
And i also thank them for being brave guys that they were in world war 2  
thats what i have to say and if no one agrees well blah! hehe.

nadine !!!


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## NadineR (9 Jun 2006)

hey, 

i feel so bad for everyone who knew parkie ...he had some good tales to tell 
and i also just lost my cousin so sad times for both sides here 
nadine


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## Rice0031 (9 Jun 2006)

This may be an inappropriate posting for this thread, as well it has already been metioned so, moderators, delete this post if you must. 

I would also like to thank Jack (and Parkie) for his retellings. War is horrible and it does terrible things, but if we forget what was fought for the chance for history to repeat itself becomes greater. I hope the world never forgets the atrocities of war.

Thank you to all WWII veterans for your sacrifice that we can barely imagine these days. The world wouldn't be what it is today with out you.


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