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 ....
