The son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wade of Queen St., Wallaceburg, ON. He had reached England in February, 1945.

The WN 15/03/45 reported that Able  Seaman Wade arrived in England missing a few teeth  that was the consequence of a fight at sea between a detachment of “Zombies” and the sailors aboard ship.

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Curators Note:

The “Zombies” were so-called because they were soldiers who could not fight overseas, making them like the reanimated corpses from Haitian mythology were neither alive nor dead, but rather somewhere in-between. The “Zombies” were widely hated by the men who had volunteered for overseas service as cowards.^[7]

The “Zombies” wore a black tie and collared shirts as part of their uniforms while volunteers for overseas duties did not.^[7] In April 1945 when the men of the 1st Canadian Army were informed that henceforth they would now wear the Zombie black tie and collared shirt, Mowat serving with the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment wrote: “the black tie itself was known as the Zombie tie, and the resentment of the volunteers, who were now ordered to wear this symbol of shame was most outspoken.”^[7]

Wikipedia.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

W-RH, WHS-HR, WN (28/06/45)

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