Lloyd Pressnail grew up during the times of the Great Depression in Canada. He was considered “wealthy” because his father had a job. He always loved sailing, so when he was 16 he joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a seaman. But the thrill of the service ran out fast for him and it helped him realize that he wanted to finish school and get a steady career. With the help of Veterans Affairs Canada he finished grade thirteen and attended the University of Toronto’s engineering program. Lloyd now lives in Toronto and takes his time educating people about his experiences as a veteran and in life.
He was interviewed for this project by Crestwood students John Andrade and Jules Thuet.
Videos
- 1. Life during the Depression
- 2. Entertainment , family and work during The Depression
- 3. Government and work during The Depression
- 4. Conscription Crisis and Enlisting in the Navy
- 5. Wartime News reels
- 6. Dieppe and censorship
- 7. Choosing the Navy
- 8. Training and time in service
- 9. Living and information on the boats in the navy
- 10. Diet on the ship
- 11. Officers and discipline
- 12. The HMCS Uganda
- 13. Cold War memories - Sputnik and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- 14. Sailing around the world - Sarawak
- 15. Somali Pirates, pt. 1
- 16. Somali Pirates, pt. 2