fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
I watch a lot of WW II footage whenever I get the chance especially when it contains footage of battles that were participated in by men that I have known over the years such as the Italian campaign, Canadians in Holand and the Dieppe raid. I don't think I would ever recognize any of them because of the ageing process but still wondered if any of them were in some of the battle shots.
That was until two nights ago while watching a War Story episode on the Kapyong battle in Korea. I was watching with interest because the PPCLI was in the battle and I had a very close family friend (my dad's hunting partner for 55 yrs) that was in Korea with the PPCLI. I have a Webbly & Scott .38 tanker model that he brought back from Korea and gave to me before his death 3 yrs ago. The man was a medic in the Canadian forces and about 2/3 of the way thru the program they showed a wounded soldier receiving aid from a medic, when the medic stood up and turned towards the camera I couldn't believe my eyes...here was my dads best friend for all his life doing what he had been trained to do. From the story I got from him and two other Korean vets at his funeral he was very good at his job while over there.
So how did a WW II tanker model from British service become a Korean war bring-back belonging to a Canadian medic. The story I got, from the man himself (and corroborated by the vets at the funeral) was that the pistol was owned by a British tank commander that was issued to him while still in the second war, he was subsequently sent to Korea for that conflict. While there his outfit became entangled with a N Korean outfit and a U. S. Army outfit saved their bacon. The U.S. outfit was commanded by a Major and in gratitude for saving their day the British Tanker gave the U.S.major his sidearm.
Later in the conflict this major was wounded in battle and my friend the Canadian medic was first there (Canadian PPCLI were mixed in as part of the American XI corp and 24th U.S. Div.) and gave first aid...not only that after stabilizing the guy the Canadian carried him out of the danger zone, over two of those Korean ridges to a better equipped aid station. In gratitude the major gave my friend the pistol he had gotten from the British tanker. I have the paperwork that the Canadian Govt issued to him to allow importation & registration of the war relic.
Very gratifying to see the man doing what he did best to bring about a prized possession in my gun vault.
That was until two nights ago while watching a War Story episode on the Kapyong battle in Korea. I was watching with interest because the PPCLI was in the battle and I had a very close family friend (my dad's hunting partner for 55 yrs) that was in Korea with the PPCLI. I have a Webbly & Scott .38 tanker model that he brought back from Korea and gave to me before his death 3 yrs ago. The man was a medic in the Canadian forces and about 2/3 of the way thru the program they showed a wounded soldier receiving aid from a medic, when the medic stood up and turned towards the camera I couldn't believe my eyes...here was my dads best friend for all his life doing what he had been trained to do. From the story I got from him and two other Korean vets at his funeral he was very good at his job while over there.
So how did a WW II tanker model from British service become a Korean war bring-back belonging to a Canadian medic. The story I got, from the man himself (and corroborated by the vets at the funeral) was that the pistol was owned by a British tank commander that was issued to him while still in the second war, he was subsequently sent to Korea for that conflict. While there his outfit became entangled with a N Korean outfit and a U. S. Army outfit saved their bacon. The U.S. outfit was commanded by a Major and in gratitude for saving their day the British Tanker gave the U.S.major his sidearm.
Later in the conflict this major was wounded in battle and my friend the Canadian medic was first there (Canadian PPCLI were mixed in as part of the American XI corp and 24th U.S. Div.) and gave first aid...not only that after stabilizing the guy the Canadian carried him out of the danger zone, over two of those Korean ridges to a better equipped aid station. In gratitude the major gave my friend the pistol he had gotten from the British tanker. I have the paperwork that the Canadian Govt issued to him to allow importation & registration of the war relic.
Very gratifying to see the man doing what he did best to bring about a prized possession in my gun vault.
