How the War Affected Me

John Weir, an RCAF Spitfire pilot in WWII taken POW, talks how the war affected him. He had seen more than many veterans, both before and during the war, and recounts one powerful experience he witnesses as a POW while receiving medical treatment in Sagan, Poland (the town nearest to Stalag Luft III).

John was born in Toronto and joined the RCAF in September 1939. He flew spitfires over England, France and the English Channel with the renowned 401 Squadron, but was shot down in November 1941. Despite several escape attempts, he spent the rest of the war as a PoW, and the last two years in Stalag Luft III. John was one of the key figures in the "Great Escape," but missed the actual escape due to being shipping out of camp just prior to that fateful night. He survived the deadly winter march to Lubeck in 1945, and returned to Canada where he still lives.

This short video is one of five featuring John Weir, and one of thousands in the Testaments of Honour collection created by Blake Heathcote. (www.testaments.ca)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Testaments
• WWII
• war
• POW
• Gestapo
• escape
• evader
• Weir
• War
• Spitfire
• Stalag
• Luft
• III
• Pilot
• Blake
• Heathcote
• RAF
• RCAF

[StarTux]

You're splitting hairs Vickzq, my grandparents on my German side admitted to knowing too, but were also too afraid to say anything. In fact saying "anything" would lead to suspicion and potential imprisonment on you.

Think I'm exaggerating? Go and live under that type of regime where everyone is afraid.

[Vickzq]

Don't tell it to your friends means in fact that not everybody knew it... and that's what is true... too many knew something but not everybody... even the concentration camps were first declared as prisoners camps for very dangerous individuals...

But his comments are well thought and intelligent. It's though not only about this thing he could have said something... all should by now have made him thinking... gas chambers, city bombing, killing civilians or soldiers and so on... good vid