Article: Don Westbrook Attends 50th Anniversary of Normandy Landings

Westbrook Represents RCNVR (and Combined Operations!)

in Normandy, France, on "D-Day Plus 50 Years" in 1994

Members of RCNVR/Combined Ops aboard H.M.S. Keren in

summer, 1943, on their way to the invasion of Sicily (July '43)

Don Westbrook, back row, first on the left. See below.

Photo from collection of Doug Harrison (RCNVR/Comb.Ops) who

was aboard S.S. Silver Walnut during same voyage around Africa

Introduction:

The news article below, featuring Don Westbrook (from Hamilton as I recall from my childhood, 1950s), was found in the rich collection belonging to Roy Burt (RCNVR during WWII), given to me by his daughter. A few other photos below are shared from my father's collection (Doug Harrison, RCNVR WWII) and other sources.

Don W. and Doug H. likely first met while training at HMCS Stadacona in Halifax, during the summer and fall of 1941, served together during the invasions of N. Africa (Torch, 1942) and Sicily (Husky, 1943) and were reunited at Canada's Combined Operations training school on Vancouver Island in January, 1944. Perhaps other sailors along with Don volunteered for duties with Canadian flotillas of landing craft at D-Day Normandy, beginning June 6, 1944.

("newspaper publisher J.B. Lamb" wrote The Corvette Navy and more!)

Don Westbrook, front row, center, with several members of the

Effingham Division, at HMCS Stadacona, Halifax in late 1941

Photo Gallery; Captions supplied by Editor GH

Don Westbrook, second from right, representing RCNVR at D-Day

50th Anniversary in France, June 1994. Photo - Roy Burt 

Roy Burt (second from left, with Don Westbrook, June 1994

Photo - Roy Burt Collection (RCNVR, Combined Ops)

Sightseeing, France

Roy Burt Collection

Canadians in Combined Operations at (perhaps!) Southampton or Portsmouth

L - R: Don Linder (Kitchener), unknown (back row), C. Dale,

Doug Harrison (peekaboo!), unknown, Don Westbrook (Hamilton)

Photo from Lloyd Evans, RCNVR, Combined Ops

Canadians in Combined Ops between exercises or operations

Back row, L - R: Unknown, C. Dale, Lloyd Evans, Don Westbrook

Front row, L - R: Don Linder, unknown, Doug (no match?) Harrison

Photo from Lloyd Evans, RCNVR, Combined Ops

Don Westbrook, outside a Bell tent, near Irvine, Scotland, 1942 

Photo from St. Nazaire to Singapore: Canadian Amphibious War

Don Westbrook (left) with unknown mates except for 

Jake Jacobs (front centre), perhaps in Scotland

Photos (above and below) from Doug Harrison,

RCNVR, Combined Ops

Don W. at Toronto train station, on way to Vancouver, well before

D-Day Normandy, 1944

Don and mates at Hornepayne ONT on way to Vancouver Island. Jan. 1944

L - R: Don Linder, Chuck Rose, Buryl McIntyre, Joe Watson, Don W.

Pit stop. West of Edmonton, January, 1944

At HMS Givenchy III, "The Spit" aka Goose Spit today, Comox, B. C.

L - R: Don W., Joe Watson, Chuck Rose, W. Bruce, and Ed Chambers (front)

I have some memories of Don, his wife and daughter (not his sons, younger than me) from times our families visited each others' homes in Norwich (our wee village) and Hamilton. Veterans' families held wee reunions I recall at each others' homes but only a few photographs are available to recall those happy days.

More from the Roy Burt Collection to follow.

Please click here to view Memoirs: The Roy Burt Collection, RCNVR and Combined Operations (4) re Remembrance Day 2012 from the Osoyoos Times, B.C.

Unattributed Photos GH