Duncan McDonald. (submitted photo/Don Guedo)

By Jaryn Vecchio

P.A. Veteran

P.A. resident remembers uncle deploying for Second World War and passing away

Nov 7, 2022 | 12:00 PM

While he may not remember the exact day, Don Guedo hasn’t forgotten the last time he saw his uncle Duncan.

He and his family were at a train station in 1942 saying their goodbyes as Duncan was being deployed to England to help the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

Guedo told paNOW he remembers that moment for one specific reason: candy.

His mother, Duncan’s sister, bought him some for his train ride since he had quite a sweet tooth.

“I was upset that I didn’t get candy, (my family) were upset for a different reason, I didn’t understand that at the time,” Guedo said.

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Duncan McDonald. (submitted photo/Don Guedo)

This was the last time anyone in his family got to see or talk with Duncan.

On Nov. 9, 1942, he was the air gunner of a Wellington aircraft that was tasked with carrying out a bombing raid over Hamburg, Germany.

The plane never returned. It’s unclear whether it was shot down or crashed due to poor weather conditions. Duncan’s body has never been found.

Back home, Guedo was listening to CBC with his mother when it was reported that a plane had gone missing.

“My mother said, ‘I hope that’s not Duncan’ and it was,” he said. “We found out the next day.”

These are the only two memories he has of his uncle who also happens to be his godfather.

“Somethings stick with you and that’s one of them,” Guedo said.

Despite not getting the chance to really interact with his uncle, he knows quite a bit about him thanks to his family.

From pictures to stories, he’s been able to get a pretty good grasp on what kind of person Duncan was. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to hear these stories from his mom as she passed away a few years after Duncan in 1946.

Don Guedo standing in front of Prince Albert Historical Museum’s World War II display. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

The Prince Albert Historical Museum has a picture of Duncan and his family on display with photos from other veterans and artifacts from the Second World War.

Meanwhile, an outdoor ceremony is being planned for Remembrance Day where people can honour veterans like Duncan.

The ceremony will begin at 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 11 at Memorial Square with the marching in of the colours followed by the last post and a minute of silence. They will then read the honour roll followed by the act of remembrance. The ceremony will end with the closing prayer and the marching off of the colours.

—

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow