Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 101 continued ... Canadian Army - Infantry Canadian Parachute Battalion 1943-1945 Bill's Story My military career began in November 1942, at which time I formally enlisted in the Canadian Army as a private soldier. Actually, I had two years, while at Macdonald College, in the McGill Contingent of the Canadian Officers Training Corps (COTC). This experience served me well during the permanent Officers' Training Courses that I took later that winter. Getting into the army, as a private soldier, had a bit of an odd twist. After graduating from Macdonald, my ambition was to get into uniform, and "save the world" from Adolf Hitler. Of course, there was the old pull to continue with the Department of Agriculture and do one's bit toward increasing the food supply within the country. I went to Jack Bird with this dilemma. He had been a mentor for me all through my college years and had provided excellent advice on several occasions. However this problem was different and he could not be at all definite with his suggestion. If he advised me to go into service and I got killed or wounded, he would never forgive himself. Conversely, he said he knew the experience in the army would be invaluable in my future life. He concluded with the remark that he could not advise me, but he finished by saying he had never regretted his own experience in W.W. I . Well, that convinced me. One further problem confronted me. Upon graduating, I owed Howard Roper some money for financing that last semester at Macdonald. Therefore, I took a job with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture in order to pay Howard. Dr. W. V. Longley was always very generous with me and offered me a job as Poultry Promoter for Eastern Nova Scotia under the direction of Charlie Benoit. I enjoyed the work immensely, but as soon as all my debts were paid, I began to think seriously about "joining up." Coincidentally, early that fall I ran into Lyman T. Chapman. He was Principal while I was a student at N.S.A.C., and he had served in the Air Force during W.W. I . At this time, he was a recruiting officer for the R.C.A.F. He explained that they were short of Navigators and asked me to forward my name for acceptance. He explained that I would be given a commission automatically on being accepted; I would then be sent to a navigation school and shortly after completing the course I would be on my way overseas. It all sounded very exciting and I agreed to the proposition. Chapman said I would hear from Headquarters in less than a month and be given a time and place to report. This suited me perfectly since I would need to give a month's notice on my job. I immediately gave this notice to Dr. Longley. He was disappointed, but he understood. Over the next couple of weeks I waited anxiously to hear from the Air Force but nothing came through. Finally, the month was up, and my notice with the Department had expired; the Air Force had not replied to my application and I was out of a job. Bill Jenkins The new Infantry officer, June '43
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