Memories of a WWI veteran

By Joan Janzen

Stories from veterans are often passed down through the generations. 92-year-old Kindersley resident Elma Thompson recalled stories her father, Harry Carr, shared about his service during the First World War. Elma grew up on a farm in the Unity-Cut Knife area.

Harry was wounded while fighting in France. His foxhole companion wasn’t as fortunate, sustaining fatal wounds. Elma’s son still has his grandfather’s uniform and dented helmet as evidence of his wartime experiences. Harry earned numerous medals during the war, including a Purple Heart for bravery.

List of those who made the supreme sacrifice from the Kindersley Area sits in front of the Legion Branch #57 Hall. Photo by Kate Winquist

Elma’s dad shared stories of his time in the hospital, where the patient across from him had died. One of his most vivid memories was seeing a soldier pass by, stop and remove the deceased soldier’s boots, and exchange them for his own worn-out boots before exiting the building.

Harry met his future wife, who was also a patient at the hospital. Elma’s mother, Annie Jones, lived in England. She had recently been widowed after her soldier husband had been killed in an aircraft. Annie was working in a shell factory when it was targeted, and the blast threw her out of the building. Due to her injuries, Annie had a plate in her hip, which caused her to walk with a limp, and required dentures.

The two patients met at the hospital and would marry sometime after the war had ended. Years later, Elma was a teenager during the Second World War and too young to enlist, although she was eager to do so. However, her father, whose wartime experiences were still vivid, was unwilling to see his daughter participate in another war.