Harley’s First and Last Nickel

Over the past number of years, Canadians have been taking a much greater interest in aging Veterans from the two World Wars and the Korean War and more currently the deployment of our military around the world is attracting a lot of attention. I heard many war stories growing up because my father, uncle and many of their friends went overseas during World War II. Most of the stories were forgotten over time but one story was not.

I found Harold James Brennan living in a retirement home in Peterborough during 2002. He had been a bomber pilot flying a Wellington and he and his crew were shot down over occupied France on the final training mission called a Nickel. Harold, who I had always called Harley, was glad that I had shown enough interest in his war years to want to hear his story first hand and write about it.

We sat down at this dining room table with a thick, black binder between us that I soon found out was a scrapbook or diary he had put together after the war. It was his way to remember the brave French men, women and children of the French Underground who died keeping him out of harm’s way and getting him back to England. Harley opened the cover of his binder and started recalling his experiences one page at a time. I was reading upside down but noticed the starting date…1941…this is Harley’s story.

Quotes:

“We as Canadians not only owe a huge debt of gratitude to all Veterans in Canada but must also demand that our governments do more to care for the families of those who do not return from peacekeeping missions and conflicts abroad and also do more to care for those who do return and continue to suffer the serious physical and mental afflictions caused by war!”

... Douglas M. Flett, 2018