Rank	Private
Service #	A116394
Unit #	30th Recce. Regiment, Argyll & Sutherland Regt.
Resident	17 Beatty St., Chatham

Harry was born in Dover Township on April 30, 1922. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mills of 17 Beattie St., Chatham, ON. Before the war Harry worked at Shultz Die Casting in Wallaceburg, before he enlisted.

Harry enlisted in No.1 District Depot at Windsor, ON. 22 October, 1942.

The husband of Mildred ‘Marg’, they were married in October of 1943 and one month later Harry enlisted in Windsor, ON., he felt he had to serve.

Enlisted in November of 1943 in Windsor and trained in Windsor and Dundurn and Dunkirk, Saskatchewan with the Southern Highlanders, before joining the 39^th RECCE Regiment Trained at Saskatchewan, Camp Borden in June of 1943, and Nova Scotia. Went overseas July 27th, 1943. “We were still on our honeymoon”, Marg said, “I thought perhaps he was already tired of me. He laughed at me and said no but he felt he had to serve.” Harry and Marg’s first child, a daughter Barbara was only two months old when he ‘shipped out’. Address at Enlistment was Blenheim, Ontario. Harry received a CN Telegram Nov. 25, 1944 “HAVE BABY GIRL MILDRED IS DOING NICELY’, at the time Harry was stationed at Dundurn, SK. In December of 1943 Marg was living at 17 Beatty St., Chatham, ON.

“He wrote home regularly”, Marg reported and she wrote all of the time to him, wishing he were home to help her and always worried that he would not come back. Harry shared his letters with his mates and always carried Marg’s photograph with him.

He spent the last two years in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. According to Marg it was while in Europe that he began to show signs of battle fatigue and he transferred to the postal Division and was stationed in Amsterdam, Holland. Harry is reported as sending souvenirs from his time overseas to his parents including European bank notes, wooden shoes, a German cigarette lighter, various German belts, badges and buttons, a model airplane and a German officers cap. CDN 14/08/45.

The CDN 31/12/45 reported that he returned to Canada aboard the S. S. Mauretania. The next of Kin: Mrs. H. L. Mills, (wife),17 Beatty St., Chatham, ON. Arrived in Halifax aboard the S.S. Moritania docking 1/01/1946.

Harry returned to London by train and Marg went there with Harry’s brother. “Harry was wearing a bright red badge and when I saw him I grabbed him, crying and shaking as I could finally believe he was home with me and our daughter,” she said. “Harry didn’t recognize me. The war had taken him.”

Harry spent some time in Westmnister Hospital in London suffering from shell shock. Harry told Marg that they thought he was crazy, “Bomb Wacky” he said “But I’m not. Harry was discharged from the Army 13 February, 1946 per his Discharge Certificate. Harry did recover and returned home to his family and like so many other service men, picked up with their lives. Marg and Harry would have three more children, Bonnie, Brenda and Brian. He worked at the Ontario Steel plant in Chatham until he retired.

Arrived aboard the S.S. Mauritania from overseas docked at Halifax NS. 1 January, 1946.

Discharged February 13th, 1946.

Harry died 30 November 1984. GOH would like to thank Mildred Mills for this interview and The Chatham Voice for publishing it in their 11 February, 2016 issue. JRH. 28/02/16

GOH would like to thank Mildred Mills for this interview and The Chatham Voice for publishing it in their 11 February, 2016 issue. JRH. 28/02/16