THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE CANADIAN SOLDIERS AND THE JACKDAW

Copyright Valerie Martin 2008

To the Findon girls during the Second World War, I think the Canadian soldiers stationed here, seemed to have more money than they had ever seen.....and rather unusually, they all liked children for some reason.

The opening line when meeting a Canadian soldier in the village for the first time was ......

"Got any gum, chum?"

....and I am told the men would inevitably hand out chewing gum or sweets.   How they managed to always have a ready never ending supply, I have never been able to understand.

The date of the following story is 1942.   While war was raging across Europe, the item of news back home was a jackdaw..... yes a jackdaw.

This bird apparently attached itself to a unit of Canadian soldiers on manoeuvres at nearby Littlehampton and was eventually adopted by the men as a sort of mascot.   It took to the air and followed them from place to place and appeared perfectly happy attached to the regiment.

One day it vanished and it transpired that it had been enticed away by an 18 year old youth.  He had used some silver to encourage it to hop on to his hand.    Having captured the unfortunate object of his intentions, he tied one end of some string round a leg.... and the other end to the handle-bar of his bicycle.   He then towed the poor jackdaw through the air, jabbing at the string from time to time to make it fly.    Eventually, the bird pecked him and he let it go.   The youth ended up in court for causing the bird "unnecessary suffering".  The jackdaw did not make an appearance in court on this occasion.

Later on, the jackdaw did make an appearance in court, when a Worthing woman, accompanied by a Canadian soldier, brought it along in a cage.   She explained that it had taken a fancy to her daughter and landed on her shoulder and had insisted on accompanying her home.

Having read a report in the press that Canadian soldiers had mislaid their mascot, she wished to restore it.  

The jackdaw was released in court and hopped on to various magistrates and officials, pecking their hands and fingers.  

When the soldier got out a cigarette case, the jackdaw jumped smartly to it and attempted to select a cigarette.   The soldier explained that it had been taught to do this in the billets.   

He was allowed to take the jackdaw back to camp, promising if further tests were not concluded satisfactorily as to its identity once it was in the billets, he would restore it to the lady and her daughter.  

I do not know the ending to the story.

What an absolutely fascinating Second World War tale.... I bet you've never heard the like before.

Continue if you would like to read Up the Glens.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.