September 10, 1945 – Lethbridge, Alberta
A Peace Treaty is the end of one war, and the beginning of the next. Nobody gets shot at in the follow-up war, but what happens after active military service is just as dangerous.
One day you are dodging machine-gun fire in Nazi Germany, and the next you are selling Allis-Chalmers tractor parts to farmers in southern Alberta. There is no way to make that transition easily.
Bill Balmer received a cheque for $556.60 from His Majesty for 1081 days of service. Adjusted for inflation, that is $9,870.91 today, not much for risking your life for three years. Albert Allsop received about the same amount.
His Majesty also provided an economy class ship and rail ticket back to your enlistment destination, and a $100 voucher for civilian clothes when you landed.
There might be a victory parade when you get home, maybe a few complimentary meals, or free beer at the legion hall, then you are on your own.
The girl you dreamt about all those long, lonely nights is married to that rich, draft-dodging, son-of-a-bitch you couldn’t stand in high school. Your friends have moved on, your parents got old worrying about you, and your younger brother now owns the farm you grew up on.
At least in Germany, you knew who the enemy was.
When you got in a fight over in Europe, you were a hero. At home, they throw you in jail for the night. Drinking was the national sport over there, now you drink alone, or in a bar full of hicks who couldn’t point to Eindhoven on a map.
The guys you were in the service with are in the same predicament, and they don’t want to talk about it either. They are all trying to keep their heads above water, going for a trip down Memory Strasse doesn’t appeal.
So, you do what you did in Europe. You suck-it-the-phuk-up and keep slogging. Little by little, you start winning …
… The Civilian War.
This is the final in a series of posts following Albert Allsop’s trek through Europe in 1944-45. The series begins on September 28, 2025.
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GG
Sehr traurig
Russ Paton
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