Warford, Jim

Jim Warford was in the Canadian army during World War Two. Born in England in 1922, Jim grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, against the backdrop of the Great Depression, attending school and very active in sports. Jim and a friend joined the militia before the war, knowing that war was on the way. When his friend opted for the navy, Jim decided that the army was the life for him, and he settled on the Canadian Service Corps, where he became a sergeant in charge of the ammunition convoys that kept the troops on the front lines supplied. Jim went overseas in 1943, and spent time in England before being sent across the English Channel a few days after D-Day. Once in France, Jim was active in the Battle for Normandy, and he followed the front line troops into Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany itself. With VE Day, members of the Canadian Service Corpos stayed in the Netherlands for a time, feeding the starving population and keeping the Army of Occupation supplied. Jim went home in 1946, reconnecting with his wife of one week, and settling in Hamilton, where they settled into the rhythm of civilian life and did their part in postwar Canada.
We met Jim in Burlington in August 2018, where he was interviewed by Scott Masters in his home. We would like to thank Bob Ankrett and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 for their part in helping to facilitate this interview.