“S.S.R. arrived home … 10,000 people in town.” Saturday, November 24, 1945
18 Sun. Beautiful Hoar Frost this morn. Set my hair. Celeste Fellner’s came over before 3 o’clock. We had a fairly nice afternoon. Had supper, they left before 8, and I went to bed early.
19 Mon. Had a grand sleep last night. Dad brought us to town. Have a Mr. Hindley in our Hardware Dept. now. The rest of the kids went skating, but I stayed home, listened to Lux, and did my knitting. Brushed up on my Educational for tomorrow night.
20 Tues. Went into a few stores when going back to work at noon. We all went to C.C.Y.M. tonight. I was on lunch committee, as well as in charge of the Educational. The meeting was disgusting. We didn’t get anywhere, as they didn’t have music for the dance & spent most of the evening trying to get some. I had to cut my Ed. short, so couldn’t have the discussion.
21 Wed. A bitter cold wind. I went to Doris Beggs Wedding in the Baptist Church. Very nice. Came home & washed & mended stockings. Slept for an hour before supper. The girls went to visit Doris Goranson, & Doris was out, so I stayed home & did my knitting.
22 Thurs. A nice day. Doris, Arline & I bowled a game before eight. I bowled 168. If I could only do that in the League! Doris & I then went skating at the rink. Went down town and had lunch afterwards.
23 Fri. Took off a balance after dinner. Checked my addition, & got it down to being 1 cent out. Just about had a conniption, but checked day by day, and found it right away. Bowled tonight against North Star. We got three points. Went to the C.C.Y.M. Dance afterwards. I left early cause I wasn’t having a very good time.
24 Sat. S.S.R. arrived home so store was closed from ten to two. 10,000 people in town. Met train etc. 578 men marched. We saw Uncle Allan for a few minutes. Stood at the Legion for the ceremony. Did a roaring business this aft. Stutts went home with the folks & left the truck for us. We went to the Legion’s Dance. Just had a fair time. Most attractive man I danced with was J.D. Robinson. Home about 12.20. Roads rather slippery.
24 November 1945.
The train was due to arrive at Weyburn at 10.30 hours and by that time a last polish had been given to all brass and leather, ready for the last parade. The train pulled into the station where thousands of cheering people voiced their welcome. After arrival, one half hour was allowed for hellos to wives, sweethearts and families, before the regiment fell in for the big parade. The March Past was led by the S. Sask. R.’s own band under Sgt. Munday, through 15,000 wildly shouting, cheering crowds, through streets hung with banners, decorated store windows and lamp-posts with placards of the regiment’s battles, to the Canadian Legion Hall where the Salute was taken by Mayor Joe Warren.
Lt. CoL G. B. Buchanan,
The March of the Prairie Men.
Chris’ Note: the store on the near right of the picture is where my Mom would have been working when this picture was taken. In fact the doorway to the extreme right led to a direct stairway to the Co-op office where Mom, and subsequently Aunt Isabelle, worked.
Click Here to view a scan of the handwritten original
These are the diaries of a seventeen-year-old teenager from a farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Her name is Lorraine. She eventually was a church organist in Colgate. In 1944 she was the piano player for a dance band in Weyburn. In these days before school busses she, and her sisters, each had to move from the farm into town to attend school for Grades 11 & 12. This is the darkest time in World War II. Weyburn hosted an airbase for BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). In other words, the town is filled with eligible young airmen from all over the world …
For more information on BCATP see a blog site dedicated to “Paying homage to those who stayed behind to train those who fought overseas.
It is awkward to be reading over a young lady’s shoulder while she is writing about living every day life during the upheaval of WWII, which I know only as a major historical event.