Heading Home On The Queen Elizabeth

From Dick Nevard's journal. Although the war ended in May of 1945 it was January of 1946 before he  left England on the RMS Queen Elizabeth

January 28
We set sail for New York and said goodbye to dear old England. Saw a cruiser, a destroyer, and a submarine.
January 29
Some of the boys started to get sick but I was ok right through the journey never missing a meal. Went to bible study and sing song.
January 30
Bought a calendar and post cards of RMS Queen Elizabeth. Also a box of 24 chocolate bars. Saw another picture show. Went to bible study at night.

January 31
Sat up on the promenade deck all morning. We had boat drill and then I stayed on deck and took in a picture show. Sweeping promenade deck at 10:00 pm.
February 3
Arrived in New York harbour. Left the ship about 11:00 at night. Had donuts , coffee and fresh milk. Crossed the harbour on ferry and got on board the train.
February 4
Travelling all day across New York. Arrived in Hamilton and had an orange and apple. Arrived at Toronto by dark.
February 5
Travelling all day. It was raining when we arrived at Fort William. Heard the Fort William girls band which I had heard before at Camp Shilo.
February 6
Arrived at Winnipeg and then Regina at 7:00 in the evening. Got blankets and made my bed up in barracks. Then went to Aunt May's.
February 8
Chatted on train with George Macknack on the way to Lipton. Went to Mr. Gray's for lunch. Jim Millward and I hired Campbell to drive us home. I walked in on Dad, Bill, and Uncle Arthur unexpectedly.

Easter Sunday 1903

Easter Sunday was on April 15th in 1903. It is a historic date in Nevard history. Ernest and Arthur Nevard arrived in Halifax harbour aboard the S.S. Lake Manitoba from Essex, U.K. It was Ernest's 25th birthday. They had a long journey by rail before eventually reaching what would be their homesteads in district of Assiniboia (later Saskatchewan).

Trip To Lipton January 1948

January 26: Roy came along in the closed in cutter about 8 AM and I went to Lipton with him. It was a cold day with a North wind blowing but with a fire on we were quite comfortable. The road was heavy and we could not make very fast progress. I went to the station and paid the freight. Then we put the two 100 pound boxes of fish out on the platform ready.
We went to the post office where I saw our new post master, Reg Waters for the first time as it was my first trip to Lipton since July 30, 1946.
We went to Charles Brinkworth's cafe for dinner (55 cents). Then I went to the bank, had my book fixed up and put $100 into a savings account. I hunted up where Fishers live and paid them a visit. Mr. Fisher showed me his encyclopedia and Mrs. Fisher gave me some tea and cake. Philip Fisher has two youngsters, both girls, and Kenny has a son. Will Lutz and Malcom Bordass were in town with Ed Miller's closed in cutter. Oshowey also in town. And Charlie Hook.
I went into the barber shop and pool room for the first time and saw pool being played. Charlie Bull was playing with another guy. Bill Miller and Robert Senft at another table. Jack Goff, Joe Kelsey and others in there looking on,
When we left town little Henry Schmidt rode with us to Jack Mintzler's. He was after a horse for his foxes. He has an 8 year old mare he is willing to trade off for an old horse.

January 27: Dick and I got two loads of wheat straw home this morning and put it in the loft. In the afternoon I went for a tank of water. In Uncle Arthur's pasture I got stuck as the sleighs cut off. Bud came along with the scoop shovel and dug some snow away so I could get started again and managed to get home. Bud was screening barley out of his straw pile.

Jack Goff in the 1940s

Vintage Nevard Christmas

Vintage Christmas cards sent to the Sask. Nevards by their family still back in Essex, U.K. in the early days of the 1900s.
This one from Uncle Cecil Nevard in 1907 to nephew Bill. (E.W. Nevard).

December 17, 1907

My Dear little E.

I hope you will like this card but I am afraid you will not receive it in time for Xmas. I suppose you have plenty of snow now but we have not seen any yet. I hope you received the order I sent for you. I am very sorry that you have had the toothache. Please wish your Uncles Arthur, Horrie, your Mother and Father a very happy Christmas from us all and give them our love and accept the same for yourself. 

With much love, Cecil

Cecil Nevard 

A Trip To The Clinic

November 12 1964
This evening Dick and I drove down to Lebret to Stan's garage as the automatic transmission was leaking and getting quite low. Stan advised taking the car in to Regina to an automatic drive clinic and he phoned to the place arranging an appointment for next Monday.

November 16
I got up at 4 am, had my breakfast, shaved and got ready and started out for Regina at 6 am. I did not know what the roads would be like so I drove slow and got to Regina by 7:30. The road was good and I made most of the trip before daybreak. I had to wait a while at the transmission clinic before anybody showed up but they were not too long getting at work on it. The foreman, Gerard Hooey, took it for a short drive to test it before they took the transmission out. After this was done he showed me different parts which needed repairing and figured that the total cost would be about $175. He said they would put a rebuilt transmission in for $185 so I agreed to that.
One of the mechanics, David Fraser drove me to the geriatric centre in his truck and I saw Uncle Arthur and Jack Fitch and Mr. Hutchings. They reckon that Uncle is a bit better than he was. He was sitting in an arm chair but he can't talk much and he seems to be pretty helpless. An orderly fed him with a spoon while I was there.
It had warmed up and was quite pleasant walking back to the clinic which is close to the new Leader Post building on Park street. They had the car all ready for me when I got back so I gave Hooey a cheque for the job and drove home getting back before 4 pm. As I'd had no dinner I made some cream of mushroom soup.

Late Harvest and Municipal Election

November 12, 1946
Bud came along before daylight this morning trying to start the tractor so he could take the outfit up to John Senft's. He couldn't get it started so he asked me to come out and help and eventually he had to put a fire under it to warm it up before he could start. Then he went down after the separator. He succeeded in getting it to the yard but the radiator was freezing up on him so he had to give it up as a bad job and went up to John Senft's. They both came back with John's team to haul the separator but when they started off one of John's horses was scared of the separator behind him so they had to take him off and borrow Roy's horse, Duke, before they could get away.
I got a tank of water and then turned the team out and did some fencing. They got John's oats threshed. Bud running the machine and John Senft, Kreutzer and Donald having racks. John Senft and Bud brought the separator back at night with the John Deere tractor. They threshed about 15 loads of sheaves.

November 12, 1946
The great municipal election day. Robert Senft and Mike Engel came after Uncle Arthur in a car and took him to Hobetzeder's  to be D.R.O. I went and did a bit more fencing on the East line of 13. John Senft hauled a load of wheat for Bud. and while we were having dinner he came along to haul a load for Dad. So I went to the bin with him and helped load up. Dad went off to Lipton with him. They didn't get back until nearly 6 pm and Edwin Senft came along in a car right behind them to take them back to Balrobie to vote. They only just got there in time. Bill Senft brought them and Uncle Arthur back. Manuel Miller won the election.

Bud Nevard on a newer tractor (Ford 9N). Not the one referred to in the above journal entries which was a McCormick Deering 15-30.

News From Ipswich

A letter from Cecil Nevard in Ipswich, Suffolk, U.K. to his brother Horace in Saskatchewan in 1940.

52 Corder Road
Ipswich
December 1940

My Dear Brother
You will I guess be surprised to hear that I have been laid up with pneumonia. Have been at home just two months today and expect to return to work on Monday next. Fortunately my wages are not stopped. I rather worried Ethel and the Doctor for two days or so as they were doubtful whether I should pull through but I am still here, thank God. I got it through being run down and then getting out of bed and patrolling the street on A.R.R. duty so must thank Jerry bombers for that.
Fortunately I was treated with the new drug, M693 so had no messy linseed poultices nor pneumonia jacket. I've finished with air raid work until the spring (Doctors orders).

I think you know that Horace is taking over our old home (as Emily wished) and is still living there when off police duty, on his own. He misses Emily very much.
I did the job to get co-op money transferred and post office account. Also small life assurance. I've paid all accounts and the balance handed to Horace who has undertaken to send you ten pounds after the war. The amount Emily told him was due to you. He would have sent it right away but under the present conditions there might be some difficulty.

You are all wondering, I expect, how we are all getting along here in England. Believe me we are not in the least downhearted nor wanting for food. Of course its not pleasant when the Jerries are passing overhead, which they frequently do at night. One never knows when they will drop a bomb. Quite a number have been dropped in this vicinity but only about nine people killed and a few wounded. Very little damage done except on one occasion. We live within 200 yards of the place where a land mine exploded and about 600 houses damaged. No windows were broken in our house.
This was the only big bang we have had. As it did not go off at once all the people were evacuated and no one was hurt.
Leslie is still at Napiers in London. Just had a move up to the analysis department. They are all quite ok.
Ethel's father slipped down and cracked his knee cap some six weeks ago. Still in London hospital but getting on well and expects to come out shortly
Their home in London is quite ok. Ethel went up to see him about a fortnight ago. She said that although lots of damage had been done in parts there's plenty of London left and life goes on much as usual.
Daphne who is still working hard sends her love to you, one and all, in which Ethel joins.

Your affectionate brother
Cecil

P.S. Leslie hopes to get married next June to an Ipswich girl (quite nice)
One of Ethel's cousins from Ontario came over with the first
contingent of the Canadian R.A. He is a Sergeant and has been to see us.