WORLD WAR ONE

The war to end all wars, as it was stated in the papers. Not only did we give men in the First World War, but in all conflicts since then. The First World War was started when a Serbian Nationalist assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria at Sarajevo on June 28^th 1914. By the end of August, Britain declared war on Germany and so doing so, Canada became part of this war. The war would last until November 11^th 1918 at 1100 hours when the armistice was signed.

Listed below are the men that went to that war who made Erieau their home, or during the war worked in Erieau. Also stated were their rank at the end of the war and the units (if known) that they belong to.

World War II

A few years prior to the outbreak of World War Two, in 1938, on a lark Mollie Vidler sent a book of poems of hers to Adolf Hitler. He in-turned sent his copy of Mein Kampf and autographed by the Fuehr himself. During the war she loaned this book to the War Department so that they could use whatever information in this book that might be of value. After the war, the War Department returned this book to her. In her sun porch in the back of her house, I can remember as a young boy going over for a visit and going back to look at all the memorabilia she had collected during the war.

Again, German bitterness over their defeat in World War I and the harsh terms of Versailles, together with the social unrest and political instability that beset the Weimer Republic, resulted in the coming to power of Adolf Hitler. When Hitler finally invaded Poland in 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany, so too did Canada. It was during this period that 65 young men heard the call of duty. Unfortunately, as with all wars three young men did not return from our Village. Their names forever inscribed on gold name plates on our Village Honour Roll. These names are Trojek, Galbraith and McKishnie.

The Village would not go unsurpassed in Ontario and Canada. Out of all the able-bodied men, all went to war. A hundred percent of legal aged men. Mollie Vidler was tasked as Village Historian and wrote an open letter to the boys in the service and then her son in the Navy through the local newspaper. She also wrote numerous letters as well to Generals and Field Marshall’s asking for patches and decals. And she would write to various heads of states and send them a copy of her Poems of Remembrance.

The village continued to be prosperous during the war and everyone who was left behind found work in the fishing and coal yard and on the Alexander Leslie. Committees were set up to help the war effort. The ladies of the village got together and knitted socks, socials and games were organized for fundraisers and cigarettes purchased to send to everyone in the village. 

At the end of the war, Chris Stevens as Reeve of Erieau switched land with the C & O Railway. This land was divided into lots available at $100.00 dollars, only to Veterans home from the war. Two names are now inscribed on Street names in remembrance, which are Trojek and Galbraith. It was not until 1997 that McKishnie who was killed in a training exercise accident out west finally had his name remember with the Crossing at the variety Store. It will now always be remembered as McKishnie Crossing.

Listed here is men who lost their lives during WW II.

Stuart Galbraith – Killed when the corvette HMCS Spikenard was torpedo in February 1942.

John Peter Trojek– Killed during the Dieppe Raid.

Murray McKishnie – Killed in a Training accident out west in New Westminster B.C, July 1942.

Village of Erieau & District plaque to commemorate war heros

NAVY

NAVY

ARMY

AIR FORCE

NURSING SISTERS OR OTHER FORCES

Standing in front of Fleming's Grocery are some of the men who left to join the service during World War II. Left to right: Fred Eveland, Jack Parker, John Sebben, John Vidler
Source: Vidler Private Collection