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Tears in the Garden: Alberta Ukrainians During the Second World War

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Peter Melnycky

Reprinted with permission of the author and publisher of For King and Country: Alberta in the Second World War

For King and CountryIn many cases the war saw a second generation of Alberta's Ukrainians serving with Canada's armed forces, as had their fathers. Todosi [Tony] Gregoraschuk of Lac Bellevue served with the Canadian Army at Calgary during the First World War, while his son George was on active duty with the RCAF in Europe during the Second World War.39 In the same district, Harry Chmilar served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force for three years during the First World War; his son William served in the RCAF during the second war, and was assigned to the Pathfinder Force with RAF Bomber Command, and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.40 Eli [Alex] Cherniwchan of the Vilna district fought with the Canadian army in France during 1916. Two decades later, four of his sons served in the army and one in the navy.41 John Holowaychuk, who arrived in Canada as a twelve-year-old in 1898, settled near Lamont and served with the Canadian Army during the First World War. In 1940 John and his wife Tekla's son, Louis, left his job with Zeidler's in Edmonton to enlist with the RCAF, and after his training in Canada he went overseas. On the night of 10 June 1944 he was killed over France. He was buried at Theuville, France under the name “Pilot Officer L. Holoway, Age 29”.42

William James "Rip" Klufas, one of the highest ranking Ukrainian-Canadians to serve with the RCAP, was born in 1915 at Radway. His parents were John and Mary [nee Lazowski], immigrants who arrived in Canada in 1910. Of six children born into the family, three sons became teachers and served in the Canadian armed forces during the Second World War. Rip obtained his permanent teaching certificate in 1936, and was teaching at Wayne school when he signed up with the RCAF in 1941. He joined RAF Bomber Command overseas as a navigator, and rose to the rank of Squadron Leader, and later Base Leader. His decorations included the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp, the Air Observer Badge, the Defence Medal, Operational Wings, the Aircrew Europe Star, the 1939-45 Star, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was presented to him by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. William's brothers Harry and Peter served in the Canadian Army, the former with the Canadian Military Headquarters staff in London.43

Another interesting RCAF career was that of an Ispas native, Flight Lieutenant Alec Pawliuk, who enlisted in 1942. Pawliuk flew Halifax bomber missions as a navigator until he was shot down over Berlin in January 1944. What followed was fifteen months' captivity as a POW, with some 2000 Allied officers, in Stalag Luft III, the camp now infamous for "The Great Escape" which took place on 25 March 1944. Pawliuk himself joined the next escape group, named "X Organization", which worked on a tunnel for about six months before the camp was evacuated in the face of advancing Allied forces. Pawliuk was liberated by British troops on 2 May 1945.44 Also confined at Stalag Luft III was Edmontonian F/O [Flying Officer] Carl Rudyk, who enlisted in May 1943. In England, he was posted with an RAF Lancaster Bomber Squadron, and was shot down returning from a raid on Berlin. He spent a year in Stalag Luft III, where his wounded right leg was amputated.45

One Ukrainian-Canadian airman shot down over occupied Europe who avoided entry into a POW camp was F/O William Poohkay of Morecambe. Born l7 September 1915, Poohkay enlisted with the RCAF on I July 1941, graduating as an Observer. He was posted overseas in December 1942 with the 427 "Lion" Squadron. During his 37th bombing raid, on 28 June 1944, his plane was shot down over France en route to bomb targets in Luxembourg. Parachuting safely into a barley field not far from an enemy aerodrome near Rheims, Poohkay used his skills as a farm boy to live off the land for several days. Using the French he had learned at school and from neighbours in Alberta, Poohkay contacted a French family and the officials in the village of Juzancourt, and eventually linked up with the "Maquis", or French underground. He was given the code name "General Foch" and fought with the French underground deep in the Ardennes forests until the area was liberated by General George S. Patton's army. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.46

In the European theatre of war Alberta's Ukrainians were among those who initiated the Ukrainian Canadian Servicemen's Association, Active Service Overseas [UCSA], conceived during Ukrainian Christmas celebrations in January 1942, and formally established a year later in Manchester. The association aimed to promote social contacts, to attend to the needs and interests of Ukrainian-Canadian men and women of all three services, and to arrange annual meetings each January, whenever possible, in addition to periodic festivals and get-togethers. The UCSA also planned a complete registry of Ukrainian personnel on active service, as well as casualty lists. The care for graves of fallen comrades and the posting of next-of-kin on burial locations was offered, as well as welfare to prisoners of war through aid and correspondence. Alex Olynyk, Joseph Gula and Nestor Holychuk, all of Edmonton, were among the association's 23 original members. Other Albertans played important roles within UCSA and its London club; Corporal Anne Cherniawski of Vegreville was Director of the club, while LAW [Leading Airwoman] Emily Winiarski of Edmonton and Lance-Corporal Helen Kozicky of Calgary were active as directors of association and club activities.47

The second annual meeting of the UCSA was held in Manchester on 2 May 1943, to celebrate both Mother's Day and Ukrainian Easter. Ukrainian servicemen attended the celebrations and meetings hosted by the local Ukrai nian club, the only such institution in Britain at the time. Candlelit tables featured traditional fare such as Ukrainian sausage [kubassa], honey cake, cottage cheese and painted Easter eggs [pysanky], some of which had arrived from Canada. Among the celebrants was local British war bride and widow Camille Marchuk, whose Canadian husband Harry Slusar was killed in the assault on Dieppe. Private Slusar arrived in Canada in 1906 as a five-month-old child, and as an adult taught Ukrainian and music in Calgary before enlisting with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Slusar wrote his wife shortly before he went into action:

This may or may not be my last means of communicating with you as I expect to be in action against the Jerries any time now. Whatever happens to me is left in trust with God. This is one time I appreciate your prayers which you have always devoted to me. The thing we are about to carry out looks crasy [sic}, however, there are possibilities of all kinds .... Whatever happens, I was with the boys. If it is a success we will have something to talk about; if otherwise, it's within God's hands.48
Notes

39. Dreams Become Realities: A History of Lafond and Surrounding Area, [Lafond: Lafond Historical Committee, 1981], pp. 409-412.

40. Ibid., pp. 247-248.

41. Emily Odynak et. al., Voices of Yesteryears: Vilna and District History, [Vilna: Vilna and District Historical Society, 1991], p. 351.

42. Steve Hrynew [ed.], Pride in progress: Chipman, St. Michael, Star and Districts, [Chipman: Alberta Rose Historical Society, 1982], pp. 223, 381-84.

43. In Search of Greener Pastures: A History of Radway and Area, Volume Two, [Radway: Radway and Area Historical Archives' Association, 1993], pp. 622-625.

44. “A Prisoner of War: One Man's Memoirs of the Great Escape” in Mike Kostek [ed.], Down Memory Trails: A History of Two Hills and Surrounding Area, [Two Hills: Two Hills Historical Society, 1986], pp. 237-238.

45. George Lupul et. al., History is Everything That We Have Done: 45 Years with Norwood Legion Branch # 178, [Edmonton: Norwood Legion Branch #178, 1991], p. 402.

46. William Kostash, op. cit., pp. 216-219; George Lupul, op. cit., p. 389; Emerson Lavender and Norman Sheffe, The Evaders: True Stories of Downed Canadian Airmen and Their Helpers in World War II, [Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1992], pp. 132-33, 242.

47. For a history of the association see Gordon B. Panchuk [ed.], Memorial Souvenir Book I: Souvenir Memorial Books [UCSA-UCVA] and Ukrainian Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion, [Montreal: Ukrainian Canadian Veterans Association, 1986]; Lubomir Y. Luciuk [ed.], Heroes of Their Day: The Reminiscences of Bohdan Panchuk, [Toronto: The Multicultural History Society, 1983]; George Lupul et al., op. cit. pp. 27-34; William Kostash “For King and Country”, p. 221.

48. UCSA News Letter, Vol 1, No. 4, [January-February-March 1944], p. 8.

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