| Rank | Gnr. |
| Service # | A28626 |
| Unit # | RCA |
Freeman was one of the first group of Western Ontario wounded veterans from the battles in Italy. Also included in the 31 returning for treatment in Canada included Sicilian casualties, repatriated POW’s and a few others from England recovered enough to go back for treatment.
CFF-FD44, CCI-RH, CDN 8/01/44.
2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt. (Moble) Gnr. Of 81 Degge St., Chatham, married with a daughter.
Earl enlisted in July 1941 and trained at Chatham and Petewawa, ON. He had been overseas serving in England for over two years. He departed England on 28 December, 1943 aboad the hospital ship “Lady Nelson”. It was a surprise to his wife and daughter since they knew nothing of his return until he was in Montreal, though both were ‘pleased and excited” he was in Canada.
Earl gave high praise to the ship, crew and medical personal abord the ‘Lady Nelson’. “There isn’t a Canadian who can praise then enough. The way in which they looked after the wounded and sick made you want to cry. Their kindness was beyond anything you could Imagine.”
Stationed in some of the hotest spots in England he had many close calls during German aircraft were attacking English, military and civilian locations. “I had the closest call at Brighton. A flock of 25 Messerschmitt ME109. It is a 20mm which failed to explode when it hit soft earthduring one od the raids in which the ‘Jerries’ were after their battery. He saw action in Brighton, Canvey Island in the Thames, Stanford-Lee-Hope, Orkney Islands and Northern Ireland.
The Chatham soldier’s battery handled 65 pound shells. He stated that he was deaf for two weeks after one night raid his gun sent up 284 rounds. Several hundred small children were killed by the Nazis in that raid.
Earl wanted to get back into the army as soon as he was well. He paid tribute to the manner in which coloured soldiers from Canada are accepted in England. He claimed that there was no colour prejudice there and he had plenty of good times. CDN 10/01/44
Earl had sustained a foot injury and a degree of shell shock and was being treated for these issues. CDN 19/01/44(P)
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