INTRODUCTION
My dad, Roland Poirier, passed away
in '97 and last year I began on the long geneology trail. In that process
I came across his navy photos. I have 140 of them, as well as Prince Robert-related
news clippings and 16 postcards that were created from other photos.
There is writing on the back of
the photos (identification of place, people, etc...). However... Dad's
handwriting is tough to decipher, and because he was French, his English
spelling wasn't that great either! I will work on de-ciphering.
I am still searching for information
concerning the Robert's landing at Kowloon/HongKong. The "official" report
says the Japanese capitulated without a shot being fired, yet the diaries
of the sailors contradict this. They speak of a soldier being shot before
he could detonate a bomb, and of snipers being killed.
My dad never talked much of this,
but said that a group of them (he was in the landing party) shot a sniper.
My mom recently told me an interesting
story abouit dad. It seems my dad missed the dancing girls at Pearl Harbour
as he was in the lock-up at the time. His crime?
He was the ship's bugler and his
duty was to blow reveille every morning. Well the night before Dad got
loaded (that's my Dad!). He woke up late for the call and couldn't find
his pants or bugle, so he grabbed a shipmate's guitar and woke everyone
up that way!
I will add more information on my
dad in the next few days ....
.~
Steve Poirier