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TPI VICTORIA INC. • CHINup WINTER 2018 • WWW.TPIVIC.COM   53


          Remembering



          the Battles at


          Coral-Balmoral




            /Ŷ  ϭϵϲϲ͕  ƚǁŽ  ƚǁĞŶƚLJ  LJĞĂƌ
          ŽůĚ ůĂĚƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĂŵŽŶŐ ƚŚŽƐĞ

            ƐƵŵŵŽŶĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĚƵƚLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ
          sŝĞƚŶĂŵ tĂƌ͘


          DĂŶŶŝŶŐŚĂŵ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚƐ :ŽŚŶ ^ŚĞĞŚĂŶ
          ĂŶĚ WĂƵů DĐ ƌŽŚĂŵ K D ũŽŝŶ  ŽƵŶĐŝů ŝŶ ŚŽŶŽƵƌŝŶŐ
          sŝĞƚŶĂŵ sĞƚĞƌĂŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵĞŵŽƌĂƚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ϱϬ   ŶŶŝǀĞƌƐĂƌLJ ŽĨ  ŽƌĂůͲ ĂůŵŽƌĂů͘
                                                       ƚŚ
           dŚĞ   ĂƚƚůĞ  ŽĨ   ŽƌĂůͲ ĂůŵŽƌĂů  ǁĂƐ  ƚŚĞ  ďŝŐŐĞƐƚ͕  “The  comradery  and  humour  between  the  boys
           ďůŽŽĚŝĞƐƚ  ĂŶĚ  ŵŽƐƚ  ƉƌŽƚƌĂĐƚĞĚ  ďĂƚƚůĞ  ŽĨ  ƚŚĞ  kept me going,” Paul said.  “It was an essential part
           sŝĞƚŶĂŵ tĂƌ – LJĞƚ ĨĞǁ  ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂŶƐ ŚĂǀĞ ŚĞĂƌĚ ŽĨ  ŽĨ  ŽƵƌ  ůŝǀĞƐ  ĚƵƌŝŶŐ  ƚŚĞ  ďĂƚƚůĞƐ͘    /ƚ  ĞŶĂďůĞĚ  ƵƐ  ƚŽ
           ŝƚ͘   :ŽŚŶ͕  ĂŶ   ƌŵŽƵƌĞĚ  WĞƌƐŽŶŶĞů   ĂƌƌŝĞƌ  ĚƌŝǀĞƌ͕  relax, laugh and relieve boredom.”
           Ɛƚŝůů  ŚĂƐ  ǀŝǀŝĚ  ŵĞŵŽƌŝĞƐ  ŽĨ  ŚŝƐ  ƚŝŵĞ  ĚƵƌŝŶŐ  ƚŚĞ
           ďĂƚƚůĞ͘                                            ^ĞƌǀŝŶŐ  ĂƐ  Ă  ƌŝĨůĞŵĂŶ  ĚƵƌŝŶŐ  ƚŚĞ  ďĂƚƚůĞƐ͘  WĂƵů
                                                              ĂŐƌĞĞƐ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĂƐ ǀĞƌLJ ůŝƚƚůĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŵĞŶ
            “I am still amazed I waƐ ŶĞǀĞƌ ƚĂŬĞŶ ŽƵƚ ďLJ Ă     ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞLJ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ŚŽŵĞ͘
            landmine,”  John  said.    “We  were  all  very
            scared.”                                           “We couldn’t discuss it publicly and only our
                                                               ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚŽƐĞ ǁŚŽ ǁĞŶƚ ƚŽ ǁĂƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƵƐ
           dǁĞŶƚLJͲƐŝdž ƐŽůĚŝĞƌƐ ǁĞƌĞ ŬŝůůĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ϭϬϬ   knew what we went through,” he said.
           ǁŽƵŶĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƐĞǀĞŶ ŚĂƌĚͲĨŽƵŐŚƚ ĐůŽƐĞ ĞŶĐŽƵŶƚĞƌƐ
           ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĨŝƌĞďĂƐĞƐ ŽĨ  ŽƌĂů ĂŶĚ  ĂůŵŽƌĂů͕ ϰϬŬŵ  “Manningham  CouŶĐŝů  ŝƐ  ŚĞůƉŝŶŐ  sŝĞƚŶĂŵ
           ŶŽƌƚŚǁĞƐƚ ŽĨ ^ĂŝŐŽŶ͘  &Žƌ :ŽŚŶ ĂŶĚ WĂƵů͕ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƌ  sĞƚĞƌĂŶƐ ďLJ ŐŝǀŝŶŐ ƵƐ Ă ǀŽŝĐĞ ƚŽ ƚĞůů ŽƵƌ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ
           ĚŝĚ ŶŽƚ ĞŶĚ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞLJ ƌĞƚƵƌŶĞĚ ƚŽ  ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͘       ŐŝǀŝŶŐ  ƚŚĞ  ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ  ĂŶ  ŝŶƐŝŐŚƚ  ŝŶƚŽ  ǁŚĂƚ
                                                              happened.”
           “We  never  got  the  opportunity  to  speak  about
           ǁŚĂƚ  ŚĂƉƉĞŶĞĚ  ĂŶĚ  ŝƚ  ĂĨĨĞĐƚĞĚ  ŽƵƌ  ĂďŝůŝƚLJ  ƚŽ
           assimilate back into society,” John said.


           “There were accusations about where we’d been.
           DĂŶLJ ƐŝŵƉůLJ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚ / ŚĂĚ ŐŽŶĞ ŽĨĨ ĨŽƌ Ă ƚǁŽͲLJĞĂƌ
           holiday.”


           Paul’s  National  Service  story  began  on  his  21
                                                          Ɛƚ
           ďŝƌƚŚĚĂLJ ǁŚĞŶ ŚĞ ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĚƵƚLJ͘  tŝƚŚŝŶ ũƵƐƚ
           ϭϬ  ǁĞĞŬƐ  ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ  ŝŶ  ǁĞĂƉŽŶƌLJ  ĂŶĚ  ĨŝĞůĚͲĐƌĂĨƚ͕
           ŝŶĨĂŶƚƌLJ   ŽƌƉ  ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ͕  ŚĞ  ĂƌƌŝǀĞĚ  Ăƚ  sƵŶŐ  dĂƵ
           ,ĂƌďŽƵƌ  ŽŶ  Ϯϴ   ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ  ϭϵϲϳ  ŝŶ  ǁŚĂƚ  ŚĞ       ƚƚƌŝďƵƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ͗
                                                              DĂŶŶŝŶŐŚĂŵ  ŽƵŶĐŝů – DĂŶŶŝŶŐŚĂŵ DĂƚƚĞƌƐ DĂLJ ϮϬϭϴ
           described as a ‘nerve wracking’ experience.
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