Retired Capt. William Wilson jetted off to Florida for some sun, fun and yet another party to celebrate his November 5th, 100th birthday.“We’re gonna go downtown and have a big dinner. I’d rather have a glass of scotch than a birthday cake,” confided the decorated Second World War D-Day veteran in a lengthy telephone conversation the night before he left.“I really haven’t stopped to think about being 100. It’s just another day.”The deeply respected member of the naval community, affectionately known as Capt. Bill, thoroughly enjoyed a birthday bash thrown for him October 25 at HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary. Among the many guests was Premier Danielle Smith.“That was a complete surprise to me,” said Wilson who had expected a little get-together at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 in High River where he lives.Wilson participated in the massive D-Day invasion by allied forces on June 6, 1944, and throughout his life has continued to contribute to both military and civilian projects and causes.That includes being instrumental in creating the Naval Museum of Alberta and helping to create The Military Museums of Calgary.When the war broke out, Wilson was 14 and living in Winnipeg. He was anxious to follow in the footsteps of his father Thomas Wilson, a decorated soldier who served in the First World War.Recruitment limits prevented him from joining the local Highlanders so he joined the Sea Cadets promising his mother Marion he wouldn’t enlist until he was 18.“I signed up to join the Navy on my 18th birthday,” said Wilson who enlisted with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1942.“My mother was really upset. My dad said, ‘Don’t worry, we beat the Germans once, we’ll do it again.’”“I grew up in Winnipeg, the north end. There was a complete mixture of nationalities. I was a Scottish minority. But everyone in my class — we were all Canadians. And we all served during the war. Every kid in my room joined the Forces.”Not everyone came home.“They were all kids that died,” said Wilson who vividly remembers many parts of the long-ago war.About 1.1 million Canadians — one-10th of the population at the time — served in the Canadian army, navy, and air force. About 42,000 were killed and another 55,000 wounded.Wilson attended Juno Beach remembrance ceremonies this year. Canadians were responsible for the 10-kilometre portion France’s coastline. It was one of five beaches in the Normandy landings the allied forces stormed in German-occupied France.“I received an email from a civilian chap who was there. He got a picture of me in the cemetery looking down at the grave of a kid who was my friend in school, Joe Shack,” he said with a heavy sadness in his voice.Initially, the Royal Canadian Navy’s primary role in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-45) was to escort convoys transporting troops, food and supplies across the ocean being targeted by German U-Boat wolf packs whose torpedoes simultaneously hit ships.“I guess it was my second trip on the convoy I ended up in my ship training for the Normandy landing. That changed things dramatically for the navy because until that time our only role was convoy. We were now going on the offensive,” said Wilson who was a seaman gunner in the HMCS Ottawa 2..“We were all young on the ship. Having said that, I’d put the Canadian seamen up against any in the world. Our guys did a real super job.”Wilson was discharged in late 1945 and awarded the Atlantic Star. He joined the post-war naval reserve in 1945.“I didn’t take off the uniform until about 2014 officially. I’ll be buried in my uniform.”Post war he attended business college and worked for Canadian Pacific Rail.In 1976 he moved to Alberta and worked on pipeline projects. He was general manager of transportation at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. That year he became president of Transnova Transportation Consultants until retirement in 1993. He had a long association with St. John Ambulance.Along with numerous military medals and awards, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and holds the Queen’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. Wilson laments the direction the Liberal government has steered Canada in.“I can’t say it’s good. Change is inevitable. But what we’ve been through in the last three elections, what the Liberals have done to this country in the last eight, nine years.”To say he’s no fan of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be an understatement.“I’d probably string up the prime minister. Really, what he’s done to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF.) What he’s done to the economy.”Wilson stays up to date on the operations of the CAF.“I’m fairly current, much more so than the average citizen. I see what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do and what we’re not doing.”“There’s climate change but they turned off the taps to the men and women in uniform to the point where we can’t recruit. We’ve had to work to recruit.” “I remember the prime minister saying that Canada would never, ever reach its two-per-cent NATO commitment. He’s just not interested.”Canada’s military is understaffed, underfunded and demoralized.“There’s lots to worry about. The (North) Koreans are now in Russia. And they’re going to start to get killed. They’ll say, ‘They’re killing our boys, we’ve got to go to war.’”Meanwhile, the Canadian flag is being stomped on and burned.“It churns my stomach. I’d grab a hold of them by the throat. They should be arrested. It’s a free country, all that sort of stuff, but when they do that, how do you think any veterans would think?”“What are their parents teaching their children that would encourage them to burn the Canadian flag?”He believes much of the the problem stems from lack of knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history.“What bothers me is that they don’t teach Canadian history at schools. Particularly for immigrants, never mind my grandkids.”“If they do that, significant parts of that history will be the contribution of the Canadian men and women in the forces.”“If we don’t teach our kids what’s going to become of our country? They should learn. It has to be done in the schools. The odd person can do it at home. But you’ve got to explain to the kids in school why we do things.”“That’s deliberate. That’s not accidental. The educators municipally, provincially, and federally, they’re not interested.”Wilson has often appealed to educators on “so-called boards of education” and politicians to change course.“Like we say on the lower deck, ‘It’s like farting in a thunderstorm.’”“It’s up to vets like us,” said Wilson who wants future generations to understand the sacrifices others made for them and country.He became a founding member of the Naval Museum of Alberta Society in 1984. It opened four years later. The building is there to educate Canadians about the contribution made by the Navy before the war, during the war and after the war.In 2001 he became general manager of a campaign to raise $26 million for a tri-forces museum. The Military Museums opened eight years later.Wilson first wife Patricia passed away. Then in 1975 he married Phyllis Young. They’ll celebrate their 50th anniversary in January. They share a blended family of five children and have eight grandkids and six great-grandkids.Right now, besides wanting to string up Trudeau and grab flag burners by the throat, Wilson’s got a few other productive things on his plate, including “writing a little story about a submarine that we sank during the war.”“I don’t sit and watch television all day … I’m doing something all the time.Any more snippets of sage advice acquired over a century that he’d care to share?“No, too old.”Happy birthday sir. And cheers. Enjoy that scotch. You sure earned it. Canada is deeply indebted to you, the other boys who came back, and the boys who didn’t.
Retired Capt. William Wilson jetted off to Florida for some sun, fun and yet another party to celebrate his November 5th, 100th birthday.“We’re gonna go downtown and have a big dinner. I’d rather have a glass of scotch than a birthday cake,” confided the decorated Second World War D-Day veteran in a lengthy telephone conversation the night before he left.“I really haven’t stopped to think about being 100. It’s just another day.”The deeply respected member of the naval community, affectionately known as Capt. Bill, thoroughly enjoyed a birthday bash thrown for him October 25 at HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary. Among the many guests was Premier Danielle Smith.“That was a complete surprise to me,” said Wilson who had expected a little get-together at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 in High River where he lives.Wilson participated in the massive D-Day invasion by allied forces on June 6, 1944, and throughout his life has continued to contribute to both military and civilian projects and causes.That includes being instrumental in creating the Naval Museum of Alberta and helping to create The Military Museums of Calgary.When the war broke out, Wilson was 14 and living in Winnipeg. He was anxious to follow in the footsteps of his father Thomas Wilson, a decorated soldier who served in the First World War.Recruitment limits prevented him from joining the local Highlanders so he joined the Sea Cadets promising his mother Marion he wouldn’t enlist until he was 18.“I signed up to join the Navy on my 18th birthday,” said Wilson who enlisted with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1942.“My mother was really upset. My dad said, ‘Don’t worry, we beat the Germans once, we’ll do it again.’”“I grew up in Winnipeg, the north end. There was a complete mixture of nationalities. I was a Scottish minority. But everyone in my class — we were all Canadians. And we all served during the war. Every kid in my room joined the Forces.”Not everyone came home.“They were all kids that died,” said Wilson who vividly remembers many parts of the long-ago war.About 1.1 million Canadians — one-10th of the population at the time — served in the Canadian army, navy, and air force. About 42,000 were killed and another 55,000 wounded.Wilson attended Juno Beach remembrance ceremonies this year. Canadians were responsible for the 10-kilometre portion France’s coastline. It was one of five beaches in the Normandy landings the allied forces stormed in German-occupied France.“I received an email from a civilian chap who was there. He got a picture of me in the cemetery looking down at the grave of a kid who was my friend in school, Joe Shack,” he said with a heavy sadness in his voice.Initially, the Royal Canadian Navy’s primary role in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-45) was to escort convoys transporting troops, food and supplies across the ocean being targeted by German U-Boat wolf packs whose torpedoes simultaneously hit ships.“I guess it was my second trip on the convoy I ended up in my ship training for the Normandy landing. That changed things dramatically for the navy because until that time our only role was convoy. We were now going on the offensive,” said Wilson who was a seaman gunner in the HMCS Ottawa 2..“We were all young on the ship. Having said that, I’d put the Canadian seamen up against any in the world. Our guys did a real super job.”Wilson was discharged in late 1945 and awarded the Atlantic Star. He joined the post-war naval reserve in 1945.“I didn’t take off the uniform until about 2014 officially. I’ll be buried in my uniform.”Post war he attended business college and worked for Canadian Pacific Rail.In 1976 he moved to Alberta and worked on pipeline projects. He was general manager of transportation at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. That year he became president of Transnova Transportation Consultants until retirement in 1993. He had a long association with St. John Ambulance.Along with numerous military medals and awards, he received the Alberta Order of Excellence and holds the Queen’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. Wilson laments the direction the Liberal government has steered Canada in.“I can’t say it’s good. Change is inevitable. But what we’ve been through in the last three elections, what the Liberals have done to this country in the last eight, nine years.”To say he’s no fan of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be an understatement.“I’d probably string up the prime minister. Really, what he’s done to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF.) What he’s done to the economy.”Wilson stays up to date on the operations of the CAF.“I’m fairly current, much more so than the average citizen. I see what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do and what we’re not doing.”“There’s climate change but they turned off the taps to the men and women in uniform to the point where we can’t recruit. We’ve had to work to recruit.” “I remember the prime minister saying that Canada would never, ever reach its two-per-cent NATO commitment. He’s just not interested.”Canada’s military is understaffed, underfunded and demoralized.“There’s lots to worry about. The (North) Koreans are now in Russia. And they’re going to start to get killed. They’ll say, ‘They’re killing our boys, we’ve got to go to war.’”Meanwhile, the Canadian flag is being stomped on and burned.“It churns my stomach. I’d grab a hold of them by the throat. They should be arrested. It’s a free country, all that sort of stuff, but when they do that, how do you think any veterans would think?”“What are their parents teaching their children that would encourage them to burn the Canadian flag?”He believes much of the the problem stems from lack of knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history.“What bothers me is that they don’t teach Canadian history at schools. Particularly for immigrants, never mind my grandkids.”“If they do that, significant parts of that history will be the contribution of the Canadian men and women in the forces.”“If we don’t teach our kids what’s going to become of our country? They should learn. It has to be done in the schools. The odd person can do it at home. But you’ve got to explain to the kids in school why we do things.”“That’s deliberate. That’s not accidental. The educators municipally, provincially, and federally, they’re not interested.”Wilson has often appealed to educators on “so-called boards of education” and politicians to change course.“Like we say on the lower deck, ‘It’s like farting in a thunderstorm.’”“It’s up to vets like us,” said Wilson who wants future generations to understand the sacrifices others made for them and country.He became a founding member of the Naval Museum of Alberta Society in 1984. It opened four years later. The building is there to educate Canadians about the contribution made by the Navy before the war, during the war and after the war.In 2001 he became general manager of a campaign to raise $26 million for a tri-forces museum. The Military Museums opened eight years later.Wilson first wife Patricia passed away. Then in 1975 he married Phyllis Young. They’ll celebrate their 50th anniversary in January. They share a blended family of five children and have eight grandkids and six great-grandkids.Right now, besides wanting to string up Trudeau and grab flag burners by the throat, Wilson’s got a few other productive things on his plate, including “writing a little story about a submarine that we sank during the war.”“I don’t sit and watch television all day … I’m doing something all the time.Any more snippets of sage advice acquired over a century that he’d care to share?“No, too old.”Happy birthday sir. And cheers. Enjoy that scotch. You sure earned it. Canada is deeply indebted to you, the other boys who came back, and the boys who didn’t.
