From the May 7, 2022, CBC News "He survived the Second World War, but this Nova Scotia airman never made it home" by Richard Woodbury.
Ray Hilchey enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and died just days after the war ended in Europe at age 22 helping repatriate prisoners.
Stanley and Loretta Hilchey were on their way home from church on Mother's Day 1945 when they noticed somebody on their veranda at their west-end Halifax home.
The date was May 13, just six days after the city erupted in a two-day celebration of the end of the war in Europe after Germany surrendered that turned sour when more than 200 people were arrested when mas looting occurred. Over 500 businesses were damaged.
They had three sons. Two were serving as part of the war effort. With the war over, they had felt that their sons were finally safe. The person on the veranda was there to deliver a telegram. Stanley signed it and opened the envelope and read it and a stunned look came across his face.
It read: "Regret to advise you that your son Flying Officer Ray Bertram Hilchey missing believed killed, result of flying operations overseas May ninth."
--GreGen
No comments:
Post a Comment