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Allan Notman met his future wife, Maisie, in 1940, just before he went overseas with the Canadian Army. Maisie saved the 150 letters he wrote to her while he was away. The two letters on this site, written on D-Day and a couple of months later, appear courtesy of Allan Notman. Notman, who represents his regiment, the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars, will be one of the official delegates at the 60th anniversary ceremonies in Normandy.
(photo courtesy Allan Notman)
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C Sqdn 7th Rece Regt
Canadian Army Overseas
June 6, 1944
My darling Maisie:
Well, dearest, the above date will certainly go down in history. Some day our children will come to us, when we are sitting together in the setting sun and they will say. "One of my history questions in tonight's homework is, "What took place on June 6, 1944?" Boy, will we ever be able to tell them, eh, kid?
I haven't written home for a few days because of the move to "C" Squadron. It's great to be back with the boys. I received a letter from you yesterday. It was written on May 11 and had gone all over the shop before reaching me. It was sure welcome darling.
I was glad to hear you met my Dad and liked him. I haven't much time to write at this moment so this will have to be a short note.
I am sending you an antique knife, which I got on my last leave. It may make a good letter opener.
I am enclosing a copy of the Free Booter, which helped a lot to get me back in good old 1st troop.
Everything in the troop is much the same. Two more married and two fellows had babies. No that sounds wrong. I guess their wives had them!!
That's a date for the Embassy darling; I hope I don't have to keep you waiting too long.
C Squadron
7th Rece Reg (17H)
Canadian Army
AWEF
Sept. 3, 1944
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TERMS:
The Free Booter was a magazine issued by squadron headquarters to keep the soldiers informed while in England. It is still issued a few times a year by the regimental association in Montreal. It is now called The Trumpeter.
The Embassy was a restaurant on St-Catherine Street in Montreal that Notman had visited with Maisie before going overseas.
Blighty is Second World War slang for Great Britain.
The Boche is slang for the Germans.
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My darling Maisie,
I was very happy to receive your letter of Aug. 18 and to know you are well and that everything is going along fine.
How goes the battle, you ask, well comme ci comme ca, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. When I last wrote to you I was in a harbour area. I am in another harbour area on a rest, only this one is 100 miles from t'other. Plenty of exciting times went in between stops including the liberation of the biggest town so far for my section. It is hard to explain how great the reception was and how glad the people were because we had driven away the Boche. The town band turned out as we drove down the main street and everyone cheered, clapped and cried.
We took quite a few prisoners, some of whom were Poles and Russians.
The war news is certainly encouraging all around and I think the optimists won't be far from wrong. There is still quite a battle to be dealt with soon, but it won't be too bad. I think we have seen the worst of the campaign. I hope.
Signey is back with us. I told you before and still very much in love with the gal in
Blighty as before. No, he hasn't known her for very long. Two weeks to be exact. But he claims he doesn't want to be kicked by a horse to know when he's met his future wife. I can understand exactly how he feels too!!
Australia is still a topic of conversation between Sig and I, and enthusiasm has dwindled slightly. We both figure we've done just about enough travelling for one lifetime.
How long can a man stand being away from the girl he loves before he goes off his nut. I don't know how long darling but I am reaching the climax. Pretty soon I'm going to attempt the long swim across the big pond.
Well sweetheart, it's 6:10 now and we have a parade at 6:30, so I had better get cracking.
I'll be seeing you soon, honey, so reserve that table at the "Embassy."
Cheers for now, I'll be writing again soon
With my love
Allan
Allan Notman was born June 18, 1922, in Montreal. His decision to join the army was greatly influenced by his father, Peter Notman, who was the regimental sergeant major of the 13th Battalion Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment from Montreal. Peter Notman, who had enlisted in the First World War at age 15, re-enlisted in 1939 and spent his war service in England until 1944. (He was born in 1900 and so was considered too old to be in the invasion of Europe.)
Allan Notman left his job with Simpsons and joined the army in July 1940.
As a corporal in the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars,
Notman was a crew commander on an armoured Bren Gun Carrier. The
Hussars became the 7th Reconnaissance in the 3rd Canadian Division. He
was not part of the D-Day invasion, but arrived July 15, and was in
Normandy until the end of August 1944. He then continued with his
Regiment through Belgium and the Netherlands.
Notman`s fondest memories are of his four years spent training in
England before the war. Other pleasant memories from his time spent
overseas are of his regiment liberating small towns in France, Belgium
and the Netherlands. "Everyone came running out waving the Union
Jack, even the children came running out of the school. It was
amazing."
Allan and Maisie were married in August 1945, after he got back to Canada.
Maisie died in 2001.
After the war, Notman returned to work for the Robert Simpson Co.
for 42 years. He retired in 1982.
He is chair of the Hussars Association in Ottawa, whose 15 members meet every month to tell jokes, reminisce about their time overseas.
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