Nelson Langevin, RCNVR, Combined Operations
About a year ago, while reading WW2 stories featured on a Scottish website dedicated to the men of Combined Operations I found Lloyd's ('Landing Craft Operator'), a story so similar to my father's own WW2 memoirs that I believed they were twins, or must have at least known each other. I asked the website's creator to help put me in touch with Lloyd. He did, and as a result I have made a very rewarding connection with a WW2 veteran.
["One of Lloyd's WW2 photos. Training on a landing craft."
Chuck Rose (Chippewa), Al Kirby (Woodstock), Don Westbrook (Hamilton)]
Link to Combined Ops website, combinedops.com
Link to Lloyd's story, Landing Craft Operator
["WW2 Landing craft crew, incl. my father, likely in S. England"]
["Combined Ops badge"]
I met Nelson in an unsuspected fashion. A visit to the War Museum in Ottawa was on my East Coast trip's itinerary (during my trip home from Halifax) and the way in which Nelson and I crossed paths there could never have been predicted.
I visited the War Museum on Monday, June 23 according to my own plan. I had asked via email, much earlier in the month, if the museum would be interested in receiving a copy of my father's Navy memoirs (now in book form). I received an affirmative reply. So, dressed in my best T-shirt and khaki shorts and atop a rented bicycle, I proudly arrived at the museum shortly before ten a.m. and discovered the library and archive office was not open on Mondays. Stink! I wasn't expecting that.
I wandered about, wondered what to do, and after visiting the Memorial Room decided to ask a receptionist - before paying an admission fee - if there were any displays regarding the men of Combined Operations. The answer was 'no' and my mind turned to leaving the building.
"You should talk to that lady about future displays," said the receptionist, while pointing to a woman standing ten metres behind me.
I turned to face her, said hello, introduced myself, showed her the copy of dad's book I had been hoping to donate that morning, and we talked a bit about Combined Ops. She helpfully provided forms to fill out (there are always forms), to be attached to the donated book, and I said I'd return on Wednesday morning on my way to my son's house in Fenelon Falls.
Her face brightened. "Wednesday is a good idea. A volunteer, named Nelson Langevin, comes in on Wednesdays at ten and you might like to meet him. He was a member of RCNVR and Combined Ops," she said.
Nelson's name wasn't familiar and I said, "How old is he?"
"Ninety-two or -three," she said. "And he mentioned he was involved in North Africa, Sicily and Italy like your father."
Wednesday at ten. I'd be there.
I visited the War Museum on Monday, June 23 according to my own plan. I had asked via email, much earlier in the month, if the museum would be interested in receiving a copy of my father's Navy memoirs (now in book form). I received an affirmative reply. So, dressed in my best T-shirt and khaki shorts and atop a rented bicycle, I proudly arrived at the museum shortly before ten a.m. and discovered the library and archive office was not open on Mondays. Stink! I wasn't expecting that.
["The museum accepted a copy of my father's WW2 memoirs for their collection"]
"You should talk to that lady about future displays," said the receptionist, while pointing to a woman standing ten metres behind me.
["I visited Memorial Hall on Monday after donating father's memoirs"]
Her face brightened. "Wednesday is a good idea. A volunteer, named Nelson Langevin, comes in on Wednesdays at ten and you might like to meet him. He was a member of RCNVR and Combined Ops," she said.
Nelson's name wasn't familiar and I said, "How old is he?"
"Ninety-two or -three," she said. "And he mentioned he was involved in North Africa, Sicily and Italy like your father."
["Significant plaque in Ottawa's Peace Tower,
in honour of Canadian Armed Forces, WW2"]
And I arrived pretty early, at least 30 minutes before the appointed hour. I walked to the volunteer's lounge, introduced myself to three men in their seventies and was told that Nelson usually shows up for his volunteer duties right on time. So, I poured myself half a cup of coffee, grabbed a couple of homemade chocolate chip cookies and settled in to wait. And I waited, grew nervous, waited some more and grew more nervous. No Nelson by 10:15.
Though I shouldn't have been, I felt pressed for time. The motorcycle ride to Fenelon Falls was on my mind. So I sat down and wrote a note to be tucked inside my last copy of dad's memoirs.
Dear Nelson,
I am sorry to have missed you and unable to make your
acquaintance.
When I visited the Museum on Monday, to drop off and donate
a book for the Archives, I was told you were a volunteer here
and a member of RCNVR and Combined Operations WW2. (The
book relates to my father's navy memoirs, WW2, w RCNVR and
Comb. Ops. 1941 - 45).
When I was told you were involved in Dieppe, N. Africa,
Sicily, Italy and Normandy I felt you may have been active
close to where my father was active as a Leading Seaman
and Coxswain on the landing craft. He too was at N. Africa,
Sicily and Italy (he missed Dieppe by one day, on leave).
I have left a book for you to read.
I moved to sign my name when Nelson walked through he doorway. He was dressed to the nines, right down to a lovely Navy blue tie with an embroidered pattern of the Combined Ops insignia. Lovely lovely, as I like to say.
Though I shouldn't have been, I felt pressed for time. The motorcycle ride to Fenelon Falls was on my mind. So I sat down and wrote a note to be tucked inside my last copy of dad's memoirs.
Dear Nelson,
I am sorry to have missed you and unable to make your
acquaintance.
When I visited the Museum on Monday, to drop off and donate
a book for the Archives, I was told you were a volunteer here
and a member of RCNVR and Combined Operations WW2. (The
book relates to my father's navy memoirs, WW2, w RCNVR and
Comb. Ops. 1941 - 45).
When I was told you were involved in Dieppe, N. Africa,
Sicily, Italy and Normandy I felt you may have been active
close to where my father was active as a Leading Seaman
and Coxswain on the landing craft. He too was at N. Africa,
Sicily and Italy (he missed Dieppe by one day, on leave).
I have left a book for you to read.
I moved to sign my name when Nelson walked through he doorway. He was dressed to the nines, right down to a lovely Navy blue tie with an embroidered pattern of the Combined Ops insignia. Lovely lovely, as I like to say.
Nelson noticed the photo of my father on the book's cover and said, "I know Doug."
My heart did a back flip, and I soon learned Nelson served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, but on a different barge than Dad. "But I knew most of the guys ," he said. "There were only 80 of us."
(Eighty in the 80th Flotilla? I'll try to find out. Obviously, my research related to Dad's Navy days is not complete!)
["My father and his sister Gertrude, in Hamilton, 1941"]
(Eighty in the 80th Flotilla? I'll try to find out. Obviously, my research related to Dad's Navy days is not complete!)
Not only had he visited with my father (at my parents' house in Norwich) during a Navy reunion - likely in the 1970s - but he still had a photo from my dad of the large maple tree that covered the house. He quickly rattled off the names of other veterans and friends of my fathers. I turned to photos of some of those mentioned in my dad's book and we both had a glorious walk down memory lane together.
He was very surprised when I said I had recently received WW2 photographs from another veteran. I mentioned the man's name.
"You know Lloyd?" he asked. "Lloyd is still alive?"
I said, "Yes. He lives in Markham with his wife."
"Where is Markham? How far is it from here?"
I was overwhelmed with Mr. Langevin's energy and enthusiasm, and I promised to send him Lloyd's email address and phone number. Shortly thereafter we said our good-byes.
I looked at my watch while standing beside my motorcycle in the underground parking garage. It said 8:30 and I knew it was wrong. It had to be much later in the morning.
I asked the first person I saw for the correct time and was told the time was 11:11.
Pretty darn fitting, I say to this day.
The way I see it, one search will always lead to another and then another, so I can positively predict I have many roads yet to travel because the journey I'm on - which includes retracing some of my father's steps during WW2 - doesn't come with a neat, final destination. However, by the time I'm 105 I'll have quite the collection of research items and photos related to RCNVR and Combined Ops, and more stories to tell.
PS Nelson and Lloyd connected by phone shortly after my visit to Ottawa. Lloyd then emailed me and told me to come visit. He wants to tell me all about it.
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