Sapper Tony Anton E. Vermeulen

My father, Frank Vermeulen, worked as a veterinarian and farmer in Holland. He lost his livestock two years in succession due to Foot and Mouth Disease. He decided to try something to new, and heard that things were much better in Canada. He immigrated to Canada in March of 1927. My parents were unable to travel together, as my mother was pregnant and was unable to get a passport until the baby was three months old.

Four months later, my mother Anna, myself, 4 years old, and my baby sister Marie, immigrated to Canada on the ship Nieuw Amsterdam, arriving in Halifax at Pier 21 on July 21st, 1927. I remember little of the journey, except my mother was seasick for most of the trip, as well as my baby sister. On the ship, we were in third class and the living conditions would be considered unacceptable by today's standards.

We travelled by train from Halifax to Winnipeg. At the Immigration office in Winnipeg, in order to provide for my baby sister, my mother had to sell her pearl necklace to be able to purchase milk for her. We travelled by train from Winnipeg to Aberdeen Saskatchewan, where we met up with my father and his employer, a local Aberdeen famer.

Once we arrived at the farm, we were shown our residence, an old granary with a straw mattress on the floor for a bed and an old apple box which provided a crib for my baby sister. I can remember the first night, when my mother stood outside and looked at the sky, and said "God, why did we ever leave Holland". In the months that followed, my baby sister Marie had become ill and soon passed away. The cause of her death was never known due to the language barrier.

My family then relocated to Vanscoy SK, to reside with other Dutch immigrants. I started school at the age of 8 years old. The first thing I remember about life in Canada was when I first went to school and I could not speak English, as the other children teased and bullied me.

I completed school in 1939 at the age of 17, just as World War II broke out. In May of 1942 I joined the Canadian Army, and went overseas, leaving from Pier 21 in July of 1943 on the French ship Louis Pasteur, travelling to Glasgow, Scotland. On July 7th, 1944, we landed on the Beach at Normandy, the first battle being "City of Caen" in France. We travelled through Belgium, Holland, and Germany. While in Holland, I met up with a number of my relatives, and I later received a medal for the liberation of Holland. I returned to Canada, by plane, in September of 1945 and landed in Montreal, then travelled by train to Saskatoon, SK. I met up with my family in Vanscoy, SK, including my old school-mate. We were married shortly after my return. I farmed for numerous years and retired in Saskatoon SK. I lost my wife in the fall of 2005. Together, we have 5 children, twelve grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and our family continues to grow.