Jim McConnell's Autobiography 1877 - 1957Canadian pioneer farmer in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia |
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25. a farm, but the wages were very small. Twenty-five cents an hour was offered for farm work, and I got a few days stacking hay at that rate. By getting a few such jobs, we kept going that summer and the following winter. In March 1939, Gertrude and I wheeled in on our bikes to look for a place to buy. We found a small house 2-1/2 miles west of New Westminster and bought it. We moved and settled before the end of March, and this was to be our home for the next seven years. In September, I attended the Milltown Convention, just across the line in Washington, and enjoyed the inspiration of my second convention and learned more about God's big family in the world. Just at this time, word came of Hitler's German troops marching into Poland. The world was crashed with the second great war. The peace loving countries were all unprepared for war as usual, and the German armies soon invaded and captured vast areas in Europe outside their own country. Again the German submarines were sinking the allied ships in the Atlantic as they crossed to E urope loaded with food and war supplies for the allies. Ship-building was speeded up, and soon there was a call for workers to help in the shipyards. In July 1942, I started to work in a North Vancouver shipyard and from then on continued to work at different jobs until 1946. To me, it was interesting to see a ship being launched. All scaffolding and staging is moved clear so that the huge boat rests on two greased skids. These skids are firmly braced, but a key brace can be knocked out in each, releasing them. Then slowly at first, the big boat slips down the runway, speeding up as it nears the water and glides on out, leaving skids, props and all wood parts floating in the water. These are brought back to place in readiness to lay the keel of the next boat. As the intensity of the war continued, with all its uncertainty, the ship-building continued 24 hours a day, working three shifts. New keels were laid, then huge cranes lifted braces and girders to their places. Then they lifted great steel sheets with rivet holes already punched, and these were placed ready for the riv eters. Every sixty to eighty days a new ship slipped down the ways. Week after week, with relentless precision, the ship-building continued until victory over Germany was assured. About May 7th, 1945, I had taken the 6 o'clock tram for Vancouver as usual. We arrived at the station up past Central Park. When the tram stopped, there was an unusual commotion going on. All the cars in town seemed to be honking their horns, and people were rushing about. Soon the paper boys came aboard with the News Herald. Large red letters screamed the news of the German armistice. Great was the rejoicing that day, and not much work was done. The next day we were given a holiday to celebrate the armistice. Work went on as usual, for away in the East, the Japs were fighting hard, and they held vast areas of rich islands in the Pacific. As time went on, we heard of the two cities in Japan being struck with the A Bombs. One after the othe r -- blown to pieces and destroyed -- with only one bomb on each city. Perhaps never before in any way has so much havoc and destruction been done to an innocent unarmed civilian population as was done to these two cities. Military men at once prepared to surrender. On August 14th, 1945 the news came that Japan had surrendered, and with that, the second world war was over. One thing this second world war brought out and showed the world was the ruthless, savage cruelty displayed by nations who had always called themselves Christians. Now we knew the meaning of Christians in name only, but not at heart. For the last year, I had been working as a machinist's helper which included setting up all kinds of machines in the shops and also repairing and fixing machines in use.
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