As Remembrance Day approaches, Irondale resident George Simmons reflects on stories he heard from his father, George Sr., a gunner in the sixth anti-tank regiment during the Second World War.
“He talked about the war quite a bit – mostly the hidden stuff that other people didn’t talk about… the shock of seeing Juno Beach. He could see all the dead and wounded on the front,” Simmons said. “What he saw stuck with him for the rest of his life.”
The elder Simmons was the inspiration behind a heartfelt memorial now in its third year. ‘Service, Courage, and Sacrifice’ commemorates known veterans from the First and Second World Wars and all other conflicts since, with photos, names, birth dates, and corps emblazoned on large flags, which, from Nov. 2 to 11, will be on display at the Irondale Church.
Simmons partnered with the Irondale Historical Society on the project, with his sister-in-law, Carol, taking an active role. They launched with 40 flags in 2022. This year, there will be 56 military personnel honoured.
“It’s for people that served in the war in some way, shape, or form, and has a tie to Irondale,” Carol said. “The people don’t need to have been born here, or even lived here. We’ve got cottagers that have been coming here for generations who had family that served. Some of them are included. Some are relatives or close contacts of people who live here. I put my grandfather on and he never set foot in Irondale.
“We feel it’s important to honour all who made the incredible sacrifice [to enlist],” she added.
George said his dad enlisted April 1, 1942 and was originally stationed, and trained, in Petawawa. When he got word he was going to Europe, George Sr. travelled first by bus to Montreal, then train to Halifax, and finally on the Queen Mary to England.
His dad would have been one of 20,000 soldiers on the boat, which famously took British prime minister Winston Churchill across the Atlantic three times during the war effort.
George Sr. was present during the D-Day landings and pushed further in-land. George isn’t sure where his father ended up, but heard about an encounter with a German soldier, who was taken as a prisoner of war. Simmons’ father confiscated film from the captive, which contained horrific images of fallen Allied soldiers.
“That was the thing that stuck with him most,” George said.
His dad was in Europe for the German Instrument of Surrender, on May 8, 1945, and was discharged from service a month later. When he returned home, the elder Simmons went to work for his father – also called George – who owned a sawmill in the community.
Simmons felt initiatives like this are important, so that newer generations can learn about the sacrifices of their ancestors.
“Those guys are almost gone. I don’t want what they did to be forgotten. I think the stories need to live on,” Simmons said. “One big remark we’ve got since starting this, is how we’re putting faces to the people. These are Irondale’s biggest heroes and deserve to be recognized.”
The flags will be in place at the church for 10 days – the parish will be open, too, with war-era antiques and family heirlooms on display. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. there will be a presentation from Belinda Wilson, who participated in a 15-day pilgrimage across northern Europe in 2013, visiting battlefields in France and Belgium where thousands of Canadian soldiers fought and died.
After seeing how popular the initiative has been in Irondale, Carol is encouraging other townships in the area to do something similar. She’s also urging people with ties to the community, who have had family serve, to reach out and have their loved ones featured in next year’s event.
Families are asked to contribute $50 – which covers a large flag, kept by the society, and miniature versions they can take home. Anyone interested can reach out to historical@irondaleontario.ca.
“By doing this, I think we’re bringing history alive a little bit. We’ve had multiple generations come and have their picture taken with flags, which is really nice. Little kids coming and learning about what great grandpa did. It’s emotional for lots of families,” Carol said.
