SWE Highlight - Remembering World War II with Captain Jack Kemp

Captain Jack Kemp was born on 1913 in Halkhurst in Kent, England. He emigrated to Canada soon after turning 16, and joined the Army in July 1940.

In the interview, Kemp recounts his enlistment, training, posting in England, preparations for the assault on Dieppe, receiving regimental colours from King George VI, V1 "buzz bombs," landing in Normandy, being shot by a sniper in Falaise, France, repatriation to Canada, and life in post-war Lloydminster.

Captain Kemp recalls what it was like be to shot by a sniper:

I ran across the road to look to se which would be the . . . you know, whether we could actually go up this road at all or whether you'd have to clamber over all the stuff. And then suddenly, and then something made me shake my head like that and I could only see about this width and I thought well somebody's hit me and then I guess I fell over and then the nex thing I knew I opened my eyes and Sergeant Major was trying to get this book out of the big pocket on my battle dress. And anyway, they . . . what happened was, over in teh castle, you know, the castle had round towers, with long slits in it, about that wide . . . He was in this castle. (page 20)

Capt. Jack Kemp recounts experiences in WWII was submitted to the Saskatchewan War Experience by the Lloydminster Regional Archives.