Family mourns death of Forbes, a veteran of Dieppe by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 13 | Thursday, July 9, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The son of a veteran who was in the disastrous Dieppe Raid says the things his father experienced that day remained with him decades later. Family and friends of Roy Thomas Forbes (nicknamed Sam) are mourning the loss of the local veteran and long-time volunteer firefighter, who died at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Tuesday, June 23. He was 95 years old. Forbes' son Bill said his father didn't like to talk about the war, preferring instead to remember the fun times he had in England with his friends in the days before the fateful Second World War operation of Aug. 19, 1942. Even so, enough information leaked out over time to give Bill some idea of what his father experienced. Born in Moffat, Ont., in 1921, Forbes moved to Oakville as a child. He called the town home for the rest of his life. Bill noted, like most people growing up in Oakville at that time, Forbes started his working career at the local basket factory. His employment was interrupted on Sept. 1, 1939 by the Nazi invasion of Poland and the start of the Second World War. With Britain and Canada declaring war on Germany, Forbes decided to answer his country's call and signed up to fight. He was just 18 at the time. "He joined the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry," said Bill. "He and one of his buddies had been working at the basket factory and they had been talking about joining up and supporting the country. They talked about it for a couple months and then one Saturday, while they were working, they finally said, `Today is the day' and after work they went into Hamilton and joined up." Forbes spent the next few months training in Ontario before being sent to England. His training continued in Europe for two more years with Forbes and his fellow soldiers practicing beach landings at the Isle of Wight near Portsmouth. Bill said his father learned the training area was selected because it was believed the conditions there were similar to those on the coast of France. see Forbes on p.16 Roy Thomas Forbes (left) and his son, Oakville firefighter Bill Forbes. | photo courtesy of the Forbes Family GOLD FAMILY, COSMETIC & IMPLANT DENTISTRY New Patients & Emergencies Welcome · Cleaning & & Check-ups Check-ups · White Fillings Fillings · White · Crown, Bridge, · Root Canals Root Canals · Crown & Bridge · Digital X-Rays · Implants · Braces/Invisalign · Braces/Invisalign · Dentures, Implants · Dentures Gum Treatment · Gum Wisdom Teeth Removal Treatment · Laughing Gas/Sedation · Wisdom Teeth Removal · Intra Oral Camera · Laughing Gas/Sedation (you see what we see) Trafalgar Rd. "Letourfamilytakecareofyours" Mon-Wed 10-7 Thursday 10-5 Mon, Wed & Thurs 10-7 Friday 10-3 Tues, Fri 10-4; Sat 9-3 Saturday 9-3 330 Dundas St. East, Oakville Open Evenings & Saturdays Dundas St. E. Longo's 905-257-3182 www.klerdental.ca I will pay $15 for the kettle Make it $20 and its yours. NEED MORE COUNTER SPACE? Tradyo is a mobile app that connects you with buyers and sellers that are nearest to you. Snap photos and post items you want to sell or chat with the sellers of things you want to buy. Really, it's that simple with Tradyo! So - What's in your Tradius? Kettle 13 30 2 km tradyo.com