In Ontario once you reach the age of 80 you have to take a written driving test also lecture on safe driving etc every two years, so last week I attended for the third time as I hit 86 this week. Sitting next to me I discovered was a guy aged 92 who turned out to be a World War 11 Royal Canadian Veteran who was serving on the escort aircraft carrier HMS Nabob which was manned by both RCN and RN personnel
when it was torpedoed off the coast of Norway by a German U Boat just as it had completed flying operations, while there was heavy loss of life fortunately the ship did not sink and was towed back to the Royal Navy base in Scapa Flow by a Royal navy destroyer. He had left the Navy at the of the war and joined the Army and had also served in Korea during the Korean war so when I told him I had also served in Korea twice we had a lot to yack about??. when I told him I had left the Navy and joined the USAF he said he had tried to join the Canadian
Air Force but had not made the grade, altogether it was a very enjoyable session. Mauri








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mauri,
congratulations on your birthday,. interesting story about your classmate. hope you both keep well. i got back from tasmania quite late last night, so am flat out now sorting things out, mail etc. tom

Mauri, I met an American engineer by name of Pat Blackledge, in Calgary, back in the sixties. He lived in Denver at that time and walked with a limp which he sustained on a US destroyer off the coast of North Korea.
He was a gunnery officer during this engagement and was working for Stearns Rogers as a structural engineer when I met him. He came from Biloxi and we visited socially many times. Wondered, just by chance if you might have known him. He had a great sense of humour and often referred to himself as Pat Blackleg.
40

Mauri, very many Happy Returns for your birthday this week. I don't know what you look like but your postings give me a picture of a much younger person. It's all in the mind anyhow. Happy Birthday.

Tom, Thanks for the birthday greetings, how did you find Tasmania,it used to be a lot cheaper cost of living there than on the mainland just wondering if it is still the same.

Forty Coats, No I do not recognize the name of your American friend but wondering if he was one of the USN destroyers that took a bad hit from shore batteries on the North Korean side,just cannot remember the name of it.?

Ann, You are only as old as you feel so right now I am 0nly 36???? I Wish.???? Mauri

mauri,
i was there about 20 years ago and then it was quite a bit cheaper. but they now mostly rely mainly on tourism for income. they run football tournaments, all types soccer aussie rules., rugby union and ulyssis? motorcycle club all older chaps on harleys had a convention there, motor bikes everywhere. consequently we hadn't pre-booked accommodation and it was a bit difficult to find, and expensive when you did. i looked in real estate windows for the price of houses. it was still cheaper than melbourne or sydney but not really cheap.but the economy is thrieving so good luck to them.we'd hired a car for three weeks so went all over the place east coast west coast and the mountains in the middle. it's a lovely place and apart from 3 days with rain the weather was good and sunny, people very nice as well. lot of irish influence? there due to the penal colony's jails for men and women lots of irish prisoners.interesting place for history people to visit. good luck tom