Veteran goes on whirlwind trip to mark Dieppe Raid

Local Second World War veteran Elmer Cole experienced what he called an "out of this world" adventure on Friday.

Picked up in the morning from his Brandon residence in a 1940 Chevrolet Deluxe staff car, he was driven to the Brandon Municipal Airport, where a Royal Canadian Air Force Dash 8 training aircraft picked him up for a private flight to Winnipeg.

A group of friends from The Kiwanis Club of Brandon were at the airport to cheer on the 98-year-old, and another group of supporters, including both friends and family, comprised a welcome party in Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg, Cole participated in a flag presentation with RCAF 402 Squadron at 17 Wing Winnipeg in special recognition of Second World War'sDieppe raid -- an Allied assault on the German-occupied port of Dieppe, France, which took place on Aug. 19, 1942.

During the presentation, Cole was honoured with a 402 Squadron flag and a picture signed by squadron members.

After the ceremony and luncheon in Winnipeg, Cole was flown back to Brandon in the RCAF aircraft and then chauffeured back home in the vintage Cadillac -- a Second World War-era staff car on loan by the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.

"I don't know what I've done to deserve all of this," Cole said on Friday, upon his arrival back to the Brandon Municipal Airport.

He said the pilots were "just awesome," and that in addition to flying him to and from Winnipeg, they gave him a tour of the aircraft. During the trip, they also showed him the ins and outs of what they do.

Rather than draw more attention to himself, Cole instead centred his attention on the Dieppe raid, which he said was the true focus of the day's event in Winnipeg.

"They gave their lives, and they done the best they could and they left wives and children behind," he said, adding that the day's recognition was an important one, since it let these veterans know that they are remembered.

Cole grew up on a farm six miles south of Roche Percee, Sask.

At 20 years of age in 1939, he joined two friends by enlisting in the war effort on what he considers a whim.

Following basic training in Winnipeg, he trained as a mechanic in Brandon, where he met his late wife Isabel before shipping off to England in July 1941.

Cole fought during the Dieppe raid, during which he was captured and became a prisoner of war.

Of the nearly 5,000 Canadian soldiers who landed in the coastal French town, 505 were injured, 916 died and 1,946 were taken prisoner by the Germans.

Cole joined other prisoners of war by wearing shackles around their wrists and ankles for 13 months. Their camp was liberated nearly three years after their capture -- "Two years, eight months, nine days and so many minutes and so many seconds," he recalled in conversation with The Brandon Sun a couple years ago.

It was "fantastic" to see a local veteran given such a tribute by the RCAF, Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum curator Stephen Hayter said, adding that he was happy the museum could contribute the use of a relevant vehicle for the effort.

"It's great when you can connect that history to present day," he said.

Cole's granddaughter, Carrie Wilson, said that she would be forever thankful that her grandfather received such prestigious recognition.

"We could learn a lot from him," she said. "As human beings, everyone could learn a lot from him. He's a decent, kind human being ... I'm just very proud of him."

Upon greeting his welcome party at Brandon Municipal Airport on Friday afternoon, Cole said that he didn't quite know how to put what he was feeling to words.

"What can I say? It was just out of this world," he said with a warm smile. "I never, ever thought that I'd have an experience like this."

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

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