Ron Beal was born April 5, 1921. Growing up during the depression, he enlisted because he was part of the regiment already as a bugler and it was expected of him. After training and the overseas journey and several months of waiting, , he was sent to Dieppe. Ron’s division was given the task of clearing the field battery that had a firing position on the beach The training received and resources allowed to the mission were not enough and the Canadians suffered a horrendous defeat. Ron and his comrades surrendered after their officers decided that more bloodshed was useless. Ron was taken to Lamsdorf, Germany and placed in Stalag VIIIB. Boredom was very present for prisoners in POW camps: they constantly thought up with creative ways as to how to keep themselves busy. After prisoners were liberated some celebrated but most were too weak to move and were transported to Britain for care. Ron was put into the hospital with all the other injured soldiers while he was regaining his strength and planning his return to Canada.
Ron presently lives in the Suynnybrook Veterans’ Wing, where we were privileged to visit him in November 2011. Students Richard Laramie and Duncan Gilfillan interviewed Ron for this project.
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