Herb Pike is a Canadian veteran of the Second World War, and a proud member of the 48th Highlanders. Herb grew up in prewar Toronto, where he remembers living a relatively good life, even against the backdrop of the Great Depression. When in Toronto, Herb attended Bowmore Road Public School, and then Central Tech; he also spent time in the United States, when his mother moved there for work for a few years. Back in Canada, Herb enlisted early on, hoping to secure a spot in the RCAF. Unable to join their ranks because of age, Herb was undaunted and found an army recruiting office a few blocks away. He signed the papers, and was soon off to training in Guelph and Kitchener. Not too long after that, he made the trip to Halifax, and a troop ship took him to England, where a short stint in Aldershot was followed by a trip to Sicily, where he went into action for the first time. Italy was the next destination, and here the 48th got into the thick of it, fighting through Ortona, Montecassino and the Hitler Line; Herb was wounded by shrapnel on one occasion, but he was back to his unit quickly. In 1944 the 48th was redeployed to the northern Europe campaign, where they took part in the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands. Many of Herb’s fondest memories and proudest moments come from this part of the war, especially the city of Appeldoorn. With VE Day, it wasn’t long before the 48th returned to England, and then to Canada. Welcomed home by family, Herb went to work, and began to play his role in Canada’s postwar rebirth. Within a few years he was married and had a family, happily falling into the rhythm of civilian life.
We met Herb Pike courtesy of the Memory Project, and Scott Masters interviewed him in his home in May 2018.
Videos
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- 1. Introduction; Early Life in Toronto
- 2. Expectations for War; Family in the 30s
- 3. Return to Canada; Enlisting and Training
- 4. The Troopship; Onto Sicily and the Italian Campaign; Loss
- 5. The Battles - Ortona; Close Calls
- 6. Civilians; Montecassino
- 7. Down Time; Keeping in Touch with Family
- 8. Belgium and Holland
- 9. From Normandy to Holland
- 10. The End of the War; VE Day; Return to Canada
