Kerr, John

John Kerr – or Jack – was born June 1, 1925 in Chatham, Ontario.  His father was a Great War veteran who also served in the Second World War, and his grandfather was a judge, so the family grew up in relative affluence, insulated from the effects of the Great Depression.  The war of course started in 1939, and Jack recalls that it did not make too much of an impression on him at first, though he was well aware of events going on around the world. He was able to attend the University of Western Ontario, where he joined the army cadets, and after two years there he left to join the service himself, joining the Royal Canadian Navy.  Training took him to Ste-Hyacinthe, Quebec, where he was selected to be trained on the developing technology of radar.  He was sent to Halifax from there and he managed to fit in a quick trip to New York and Washington before he went overseas in the summer of 1945, arriving in Glasgow – where he was assigned to HMCS Ontario and celebrated VE Day in short order! The decision was made to send him to the Far East, so he boarded a ship and headed for the Pacific War, by way of Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, and Ceylon. While in Ceylon they heard the news of the atomic bombs and Japan’s surrender, so again Jack was able to avoid having to fire a shot!  They went on to Hong Kong, where they spent time as the war had ended and they were waiting for orders; Jack was diagnosed with Tb at this time, though he was fortunate to get proper medical treatment.  The ship returned to Canada via Pearl Harbour, and soon enough Jack was discharged and on his way into civilian life, ready to play his part in postwar Canada.  Jack Kerr was interviewed by Zach Dunn of Global Veterans’ Stories and Scott Masters in February 2026.