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Breaking off both wings in the process
Thomas Vatcher
As a member of the Allied Forces, 4th Armoured Division,
invading occupied Europe, following a rough crossing of the
English Channel on board a LCT (Landing Craft Tanks) comrade
Vatcher landed in Normandy on D-day, June 6, 1944 as a tank
driver at the age of 20. Out of 5 tanks on board, only 3
made it to shore. His was one of them.
He served through Belgium on up to Nijmegen, Holland. Early
in 1945, as the bridge across the Maas River toward Nazi
Germany had been partially destroyed, the only way to the
other side was on a pontoon bridge. While driving across in
a convoy, his tank was hit by a heavy enemy shell. Next
thing he remembers is being treated by pretty nurses for a
severe left leg wound in a Brugge hospital. He thought he
was in Heaven. After a few days, he was boarded on a DC3
aircraft with other wounded soldiers strapped on stretchers,
being evacuated to England. On take off the aircraft lost
one main landing gear and spun to an uncontrolled stop in
the field, breaking off both wings in the process. Luckily,
no one was hurt in this incident. He managed to get to
England a few days later where he was treated back to health
by Canadian medical personal. He however was declared unfit
for combat duty and was repatriated to Canada about six
months later.
After the war, in Canada, he spent the next 43 years working
in the Kenogami, Quebec paper mill. Married, father of 3,
built and flew model aircrafts as a hobby. Now widowed,
Thomas lives alone in his own home and says that he is well
looked after by Veterans Affairs Canada.
Story collected by the Festival des Musiques de Création du
Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean
From District 03, Légion Royale Canadienne, 2691, rue de
Lasalle, Jonquière QC |
