Page 12 - Book Eleven Havelock

Page 10 SPY Written December 19 2009
Much of my growing up period in Havelock was during World War II. I vividly remember my Father listening to the daily progress of the war against Hitler. I remember many war-time songs that were used to rally the troops, their families left at home and all the rest 􏰀f 􏰁􏰂􏰃 I ca􏰄 􏰂􏰅i􏰆􏰆 􏰂i􏰄g a􏰆􏰆 􏰅he 􏰇􏰀􏰈d􏰂 􏰀f a 􏰆􏰀􏰅 􏰀f 􏰅he􏰉 􏰆ike􏰊 􏰋Thi􏰂 i􏰂 􏰅he A􏰈􏰉􏰌 M􏰈 J􏰀􏰄e􏰂􏰍􏰎 􏰋I􏰅􏰏􏰂 a L􏰀􏰄g Wa􏰌 􏰅􏰀 Ti􏰐􏰐e􏰈a􏰈􏰌􏰍 􏰑a World War I ca􏰈􏰈􏰌􏰀􏰒e􏰈􏰓􏰎 􏰋The GI Ji􏰒e􏰍􏰎 a􏰄d 􏰉a􏰄􏰌 􏰀􏰅he􏰈 􏰐a􏰅􏰈i􏰀􏰅ic 􏰂􏰀􏰄g􏰂 􏰀f Ca􏰄ada􏰎 B􏰈i􏰅ai􏰄 a􏰄d USA􏰃 I even remember Winston Churchill delivering 􏰅ha􏰅 fa􏰉􏰀􏰁􏰂 􏰆i􏰄e􏰎 􏰋Some chicken. Some neck.􏰍 responding to Hi􏰅􏰆e􏰈􏰏􏰂 􏰅h􏰈ea􏰅 􏰅􏰀 􏰋Ri􏰄g B􏰈i􏰅ai􏰄􏰏􏰂 􏰄eck 􏰆ike a chicke􏰄􏰍. Our radios then were pretty scratchy and we did not understand that long standing ovation they gave Churchill. We thought it was radio static.
We were warned that spies might be right there in our midst even in Havelock. We were never told what spies really looked like but we were all informed clearly what they did not look like. A very large poster was displayed in the Havelock Post Office with the loud caption announcing f􏰆a􏰅􏰆􏰌􏰎 􏰋SPIES DON􏰏T LOOK LIKE THIS􏰍􏰃 The 􏰉a􏰄 on the poster was very evil looking and he looked a bit like The Lone Ranger with his black mask and a bit like Dick Tracy. His fedora was pulled down low and his collar turned up to hide his real features as much as possible.
He looked like a 􏰔 and I am embarrassed to admit it 􏰔 a German spy.
One summer early in the war a man named Mr. Carlton came to Havelock with a new marvel, a movie camera that could produce movies taken right here in Havelock! Everybody in town soon joined in the excitement of the possibility of being included in black and white movies of 􏰋Our Home Town􏰍. A lot of us sought immediate movie stardom by crowding into the action pictures he began to
shoot. I think I managed to work my way into about five scenes including a staged fire and a foot race. I did okay in the fire incident. I believe I was the second person to answer the alarm and 􏰂h􏰀􏰇 􏰁􏰐 a􏰅 􏰅he 􏰋Fi􏰈e Ha􏰆􏰆􏰍 􏰅􏰀 open the door. Our fire hall was a small room with a garage door in the basement of the town hall. Our fire equipment was a big tank of some chemical on a cart pulled by three or four men. I guess a horse or a truck could pull it, but by the time somebody figured out how to attach it, the fire would be out of control. It was fine for home town movies and for bonfires so long as the fires occurred in the summer, but it always froze up when there was a real fire in the winter time. In our movie to show off our fire-fighting equipment, a huge bonfire was staged a fe􏰇 b􏰆􏰀ck􏰂 a􏰇a􏰌 a􏰄d 􏰂􏰁cce􏰂􏰂f􏰁􏰆􏰆􏰌 􏰐􏰁􏰅 􏰀􏰁􏰅 b􏰌 􏰀􏰁􏰈 􏰋efficie􏰄􏰅􏰍 􏰂􏰌􏰂􏰅e􏰉􏰃
In the scene about a race, I squeezed into the starting Iine between two big guys just to make sure I got close to the camera. My space was way too tight between the big boys and the ensuing movie revealed very clearly to everybody that when Mr.Aikens blew the starting whistle, the two big boys raced forward but little Ross was not with them. O􏰄e 􏰀f 􏰅he g􏰁􏰌􏰂􏰏 e􏰆b􏰀􏰇􏰂 hi􏰅 me -not on purpose- and my cameo acting appearance shows me making two or three ridiculous staggering steps just before almost landing flat on my face.
In another contest I even got into a close-up screen test. Each contestant was instructed to act out (1) Hilarious Laughing and then (2) Deathly Fear, in a close- up shooting beside the Havelock CPR railway station. The final edition of all the filming of the whole week􏰏s home-town movies was shown at the Havelock Town Hall on Saturday night to a packed house. I was delighted that Mr. Carlton had included me among the five or six finalists. The winner was to be decided by the loudness of the applause after each of our efforts was shown to the audience on the big screen. I figured I would win because I had watched the filming of all the other finalists earlier in the week and I knew I had the laughingest laugh and fearfulest fear. But alas, it was Eddie Fleming who won. My extreme overacting did􏰄􏰏􏰅 ge􏰅 􏰉e 􏰉􏰁ch a􏰐􏰐􏰆a􏰁􏰂e c􏰀􏰉􏰐a􏰈ed 􏰅􏰀 humble Eddie. He deserved to win.
Sometime during the week while all the rest of us were busy following that pied
piper around town, somebody must have actually gone to the post office to get
his mail. I suppose this citizen looked at the big poster about the spy which was hanging in the post office lobby. He was reminded that 􏰂􏰐ie􏰂 DON􏰏T wear Lone Ranger-type masks. Hey, he concluded, that Carlton guy making all those movies d􏰀e􏰂􏰄􏰏􏰅 􏰇ea􏰈 a black mask either. Could he be a GERMAN SPY?
The rumor soon got whispered around town. Fortunately for Mr. Carlton he escaped some time during the weekend, probably to take in another unsuspecting home town. And fully armed with all of Ha􏰒e􏰆􏰀ck􏰏􏰂 􏰂ec􏰈e􏰅􏰂! Like our pathetic fire-fighting equipment and 􏰅he 􏰆􏰀ca􏰅i􏰀􏰄 􏰀f Ha􏰒e􏰆􏰀ck􏰏􏰂 􏰈ai􏰆􏰈􏰀ad 􏰂􏰅a􏰅i􏰀􏰄 􏰔 right next to the railroad track would you believe! Vern recalls that he actually saw some very very secret boxes stored in the CPR roundhouse across the tracks. That information fueled 􏰀􏰁􏰈 􏰋􏰂􏰐􏰌􏰍 􏰅he􏰀􏰈􏰌􏰃
1939
Ha􏰒e􏰆􏰀ck􏰏􏰂 renowned fire engine 1919-1946 Photos from Harold Hunter & 􏰋Our Home Town􏰍 movie
I􏰏􏰉 􏰂􏰁􏰈e Hi􏰅􏰆e􏰈 f􏰀􏰁􏰄d Ha􏰒e􏰆􏰀ck􏰏􏰂 classified information extremely valuable for his next bombing raid on Britain.