'When I saw his banner, it was emotional'
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Betty Lou Wallington, 85, sponsored a veteran banner in Tillsonburg this year for her father, Spencer Wallington, who was killed in action during the Second World War.
The banner, which was on display from October until Nov. 13, recognizes his sacrifice with ‘Lest we forget,’ at the top.
“It’s such a nice banner,” said Betty Lou.
Spencer had served in the Mediterranean Sea and Baltic Sea, but he was killed in Canadian waters.
“It was a German U-boat off the coast of Newfoundland,” said Betty Lou. “My father’s ship was a corvette, the whole crew was lost.”
From 1942-1944, 23 ships in the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence areas were lost including four Canadian war ships. HMCS Shawinigan was sunk a few kilometers off the coast of Channel-Port aux Basques in 1944.
During a Nov. 1 veteran banner dedication ceremony in Tillsonburg, Betty Lou carried a small photo of herself, age 5, with her father. She said it was taken during the summer while he was home on leave – the summer he was assigned to HMCS Shawinigan.
“In November, he was gone.”
Betty Lou was six years old.
“We finally did get a resting place because they commissioned a new ship. We went to that commissioning for the HMCS Shawinigan in Trois-Rivieres. All the activities took place in Shawinigan. There’s a big monument and all their names are on it, and the ship’s at the top, so that’s sort of a resting place.
“When I saw his banner (in Tillsonburg), it was emotional. It was so nice. It brings tears to my eyes and I am very proud.”
Betty Lou wears the Memorial Silver Cross her mother was given, issued by Canadian Forces as a memento of personal loss and sacrifice.
“I wear it a lot.”
She also has a bosun’s whistle she received during the 1997 commissioning.
“The bosun of the HMCS Halifax asked why I was there, and I said that my father had been lost on the Shawinigan. He took his whistle off and gave it to me.”
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Next year’s veteran banners on Quarter Town Line will go up in September.
Contact the Tillsonburg Legion 519-842-5281 for information on sponsoring a banner.
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