Jack Foote was born December 2, 1921. He served on a Motor Torpedo Boat in the Royal Canadian Navy during WW2, and it was his task to patrol the coastal areas from France to the Netherlands, keeping them clear of enemy threats. He was there on the night of June 5-6, 1944, engaging German E-boats off Le Havre, France as the Allied armada was on its way to Normandy. He and his crew came under fire from a coastal battery, and they were hit, taking casualties. They were also very active in the campaign for the Scheldt that followed in the fall and winter of 1944, though by February 1945 their role started to diminish as the land forces moved into the Netherlands. That was when they took their most significant loss though; many of the ships exploded in harbour in a wartime accident. For many years Jack and his friend Fred Walden spoke to students about their role in the D-Day invasion and its aftermath. After Mr. Walden passed away in 2008, Mr. Foote decided to retire from speaking at schools but in 2010 and 2016 he did agree to sit down with Crestwood students, visiting us at Remembrance Day.
Videos
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- 1. Jack Foote - Introduction; Life before the War.mp4
- 2. Enlisting.mp4
- 3. Family Reaction; Training.mp4
- 4. The Troopship; Arrival in Liverpool.mp4
- 5. Wartime London; Visiting Aunt Daisy.mp4
- 6. D-Day; Training and Preparation.mp4
- 7. D-Day; The Weather and Patrols.mp4
- 8. D-Day Operations; The Wounded Sailor.mp4
- 9. Almost Sunk.mp4
- 10. Jack's Crew; A Walk on Shore.mp4
- 11. Life in Belgium.mp4
- 12. VE Day; Coming Home.mp4
- 13. Back on Civvy Street; Life in Postwar Toronto.mp4
- 14. Readjustment; Remembrance Day.mp4
