"Preserving our Past for the Future since 1973"
The Association & Museum of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) Inc.
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War Brides Part 2

7/27/2016

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War Bride Story of Great Grandmother Ivy Allaby

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Many stories of war brides have circulated around the 8th Hussars Museum as many of the veterans have war
brides or many of the visitors have family members who are war brides.
 
An interesting story by Miranda Morrison, one of our summer students.

"My great grandfather Lloyd Allaby enlisted illegally with the 8th Hussars at the age of 14 so when he arrived in Aldershot and married my great grandmother Ivy Allaby, he was only 16 at the time while she was 14. After they were married, my great grandfather sent her across the Atlantic, back to Canada and while she was on the boat, she heard the news of the war ending. However, it was months later before her husband  returned."
 
 "As many other war brides were, she was promised to come back to a big beautiful house with lots of land, money, plumbing, electricity, and many other exciting things, but this was not the case. Instead, she came back to her husbands parent's shack in the middle of the woods with an outhouse out back. She was young, alone and scared. Everything was new and strange to her, a far cry from her being a field hockey goalie in England. She herself told me of this just a few years ago. She said that my great grandfather's mother and sisters would say that she wasn't good enough and that she was just garbage so she would go behind the house everyday and cry," said Miranda.


"After my great grandfather returned to Canada, life changed for my Great Grammy in a positive way. He purchased their own home and they farmed. Happier days were ahead as the young couple grew their family of 5 kids and spent many hours on their farm. One of Great Grampy's daughters Suzanne married  , Eddie Mercer,  my grandfather, whom died at a young age. 
Grampy Eddie was  known as, "the Meat Man" in Hampton.  Great Grammy spent many hours working in the gardens and raising her children. She did not travel much , nor return to England . She is currently living at the nursing home in Hampton and is turning 91 in October."



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War Brides Part 1

7/27/2016

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World War II War Brides

A war bride is a woman who marries a man that is active in serving their country during the time
of marriage. In most cases, war brides were married during World War II. The reason why many European women became war brides (almost all of them being British) is due in part to Canada being among the first countries to assist Britain ("Canadian War Brides", 1999). Just 43 days after the war started, the first marriage took place between a Canadian soldier and a British woman in the Aldershot area ("Canadian War Brides", 1999).

If you would like to check to see if you have a family member that was at one time a war bride, you can check at: http://www.findmypast.com/ 


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Top left photograph: photographs of War Brides with Canadian Soldiers on their wedding days in World War II. On display at the 8th Hussars Museum.




Photograph to the right: This footlocker belonged to Rick Lockhart's  grandmother,
Catherine Eva Ross. She was married to Rick's grandfather, John and came to Canada with Ricks Mom in tow. She had been born in England.

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Most war brides were young but optimistic. Money was tight during war times, so people like Ruby Gray got creative. Ruby Gray is a war bride that resides in Sussex, New Brunswick. Her dress is displayed at the museum in the war bride case and the dress itself has an interesting story behind it.

Ruby created a dress out of a parachute. As stated, money was tight so women would use any material they could to create their own wedding dresses. One night, a German mine landed and the area was quartered off. Ruby snuck in late at night and stole the German parachute which she sewed into a dress. The dress comes with a horseshoe necklace that says "good luck" on it. 

Many war brides are still alive today to tell their own stories. If you happen to know a war bride with an interesting story to tell, stop into the museum. All stories are welcome!



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Tim Ellis

7/6/2016

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                                          Training Manuals Used by Tim Ellis

Harold Robertson Scarff (Tim) Ellis was born on April 18th, 1916. He joined the 8th New Brunswick Hussars in 1940, going on to serve for the entirety of the Second World War.

In July 1941, Tim Ellis came to Camp Sussex for training. In time, he was eventually deployed with the Regiment in the Italian Campaign and was promoted to Major in command of "B" Squadron before the battle at Coriano Ridge.

Ellis proved to be a successful commander, whose tactical skill and initiative earned him the Distinguished Service Order, which was awarded to him on September 14th, 1944.

After the war, Tim was Honorary Lt.-Col of the Regiment from 1992-1995; he died May 10th, 2011.

As an Officer in the Canadian Army, Ellis was required to enroll in the Canadian Officers' Training Corps. Ellis personally completed his initial training at the University of Toronto. Cadets completed various courses in a variety of fields depending on their branch of the Armed Forces. As Ellis was in the 8th Hussars, much of his training involved driving and maintenance of mechanical vehicles, both tracked and wheeled.

Other courses included Principles of Instruction, Elementary Military Law, Field Service Regulations, and Basic Military Tactics.

Once deployed, however, training did not stop, and officers were expected to keep up with new developments in warfare, and acquire new skills.

In his book, This Hussar Remembers, Ellis recounts one lecture given by a British officer in a tank instructors course. "One of our instructors, an expert on carburetion, was a Captain (who must remain nameless) from one of the old English Cavalry Regiments gone Armoured and was a source of much banter within our group. Middle aged, always immaculately turned out in shining leather and gleaming brass, strolling about in a cloud of aftershave, he had the florid complexion and watery eyes which made up what the English called an "expensive face" and this topped off with a forage cap pushed wall-back on his head, the visor angled heavenward."

At the 8th Hussars Museum, we are fortunate to have acquired many of the training texts Ellis used during his time in the 8th Hussars. They provide valuable insight into his time as an officer.

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Titled: "Lecture Notes for First Paper Part I Examination, 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant" this book contained a wealth of knowledge about day-to-day operations and duties of members of the Canadian Army. It is likely Ellis would have had to memorize a great deal of these notes for an examination.


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Along with the lecture notes, Ellis would have been required to have been familiar with the maintenance of tanks and other tracked vehicles used by the 8th Hussars.



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Titled "Exercise Book" Ellis used this to record notes while on an instructors course in Bovington in 1942, The book contains numerous hand written notes and hand drawn diagrams.



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A booklet from the War Office outlining basic standards required to be met by British and Commonwealth soldiers in 1943. Infantrymen were required to hit 2/3 targets with a rifle at 200 yards, machine gunners were expected to perform a reload drill in ten seconds, and the infantrymen was expected to run a mile in 5 minutes 30 seconds or less to achieve full marks. A grade of 84% on the test was considered "Special" whilst 48% was "Standard."



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June 2016 Newsletter

7/3/2016

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    Welcome to the 8th Hussars Museum
     The 8th Hussars Museum is located in the historic Train Station in Sussex, NB. The building has been restored to its original grandeur and is situated in the hub of the Town of Sussex. The Victorian-era structure houses many of the important artifacts of the museum and is accessible to the general public. Since the later part of the 19th century, countless Hussars arrived by rail to train at Camp Sussex and later to serve in the South African War, WWI and WWII.
    The collection includes many items representing the life of the Regiment with original uniforms dating back to 1881, original Routine Orders dating back to 1893, memorabilia from members who represented the Regiment at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, WWI, WWII, UN/NATO peacekeeping tours as well as the Afghanistan engagement. Of particular interest are the flags from each of these eras. The Museum also proudly holds the original accouterments of HRH The Princess Royal who is Colonel Commandant of the Regiment.

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