Description

Harry Collins, a lad from Stockport, was unceremoniously booted out of his home and shipped off to the wilds of Manitoba at the tender age of 11, all thanks to the chaos of World War II. Imagine that! One minute you’re kicking a ball around with your mates, and the next, you’re plonked down in a foreign land, thousands of miles away from everything you know. He didn’t set foot back in England until he was 16, which is a lifetime when you’re that age.

Now, let’s not sugarcoat it. Those five years were about as pleasant as a flat tire on a rainy day. Separated from his family and relying on the goodwill of complete strangers, Harry struggled to find his place in a world that might as well have been on Mars. His introduction to Canada was less ‘Welcome to Paradise’ and more ‘Welcome to the Asylum,’ as he was thrown into a rather grim institution for boys. It’s safe to say he didn’t quite feel like he belonged.

From there, he bounced around a series of foster homes like a pinball, never really settling in. It was like trying to find the right gear in a car that’s stuck in neutral – frustrating and utterly exhausting. But here’s the twist: over time, he began to forge friendships and, in a remarkable turn of events, learned to respect himself and those around him. It was no walk in the park; it was a slow, painful slog that he recounts with a brutal honesty that’s commendable.

His tale isn’t just another sob story; it’s a vital slice of social history that resonates with the struggles faced by countless children evacuated during the war. It’s a reminder that behind every statistic, there’s a human being grappling with challenges that would make even the toughest of us quail. Quite the journey, wouldn’t you say?

Oh, and as an addendum, in retirement and out of gratitude to his former host state in the great nation of Canada, Harry took it upon himself to help Manitobans with Britih ancestry (and there are lots of them) to trace their long lost roots and in some cases unte them with living relatives they had never met. A worthwhile and rewarding hobby that has brought solace and great pleasure to his many clients.