I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting seven Signal Corps Hong Kong veterans while working on this project. All were generous with their time and memories. The personal contributions of Bob Acton, Will Allister, Gerry Gerrard, Tony Grimston, Jim Mitchell, Wally Normand and Lionel Speller meant a great deal to me and added a dimension to the book that could only come from hearing these men tell me their stories. Although regretfully, most have passed on, I am able to share their words and memories with you in these pages.
The true inspiration for undertaking this project came from my uncle, Don Penny. Because of his early death in 1982 I never had the opportunity to talk with him about his war-time experiences, but by looking through his notebooks, letters and other memorabilia I was quickly drawn into the untold stories that lay behind his carefully worded letters and notebook entries. Thankfully, Don’s father, and later his wife, my aunt Catherine, carefully kept all these “family treasures” together. For this I owe them a debt of gratitude. The encouragement and contributions from both Catherine and Don’s son Wayne are greatly appreciated.
Other Hong Kong Signals family members generously shared with me copies of letters, other documents and photographs, and various pieces of information. Special thanks to Chris Beaton, Donna (Beaton) Magill, Carrie Magill, Pierre D’Amours, Lori Douglas, Leslie (Keyworth) Henderson, Lee Naylor, and Val Rose for their contributions and support. Thanks also to Michel Verreault for photographs of his father and for permission to use quotations from Blacky Verreault’s diary.
While conducting research for the book at various libraries and archives, I was fortunate to have the assistance of many competent and accommodating staff. The resources available at these facilities are enormous. Helpful people at the Directorate of History and Heritage, National Defence Headquarters, the Military History Research Centre at the Canadian War Museum, the Health Sciences Archives at McMaster University, the Military Communications and Electronics Museum in Kingston, and the National Archives of Canada made sure I had access to all the materials I was looking for. I would particularly like to thank Mihaela Ciocarlan at Library and Archives Canada for reviewing and giving me access to a number of previously restricted files. Staff at my local public libraries in Midland and Penetanguishene were also very helpful in ordering a variety of materials on interlibrary loan and assisting me with the use of their microfilm readers. For translating items in Japanese I went to a former Canadian Army officer who was at the Japanese Language School, Pacific Command, and was stationed in Japan after the war. Thanks to Lloyd Graham for his assistance and patience in improving my understanding of the nuances of Japanese censor stamps.
In preparing the manuscript for publication I was fortunate to have the input of one particularly valuable resource. Former Hong Kong Signalman, Gerry Gerrard, read over a draft of each chapter and passed along his comments and insights. Gerry’s thoughts and encouragement throughout the whole research and writing process were greatly appreciated. Jean McKay’s critical eye and supportive comments gave me all I could ask for in an editor. I particularly valued her ability to see both the forest and the trees. For the maps I relied on my friend Stan McClellan to produce his usual clear and precise drawings. Any errors are mine alone, as Stan was working only from information I provided to him.
I couldn’t have taken on or completed this project without the support of all my family. I particularly want to acknowledge my late father, Harry, and my mother, Goldie, who contributed both encouragement and financial support. My wife, Lindsey, was generous in so many ways, and without her unfailing support this book would never have happened. In addition, her eagle eye and good design sense were of great help in preparing the book for publication.
Finally, I want to thank the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association for their interest in this project, and for agreeing to be the official publisher of Beyond the Call.