As complied by John Tomlinson
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For family tree information, scroll down below photos and click on "Climb the Family Tree."
| This S. S. Lake Erie Post Card is from the collection of my Great Aunt, Beatrice R. Gare. | |
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May, 1911.
My father, age 2, and his parents sailed from England May 18, 1911, on board the SS Lake Erie. Arrived Canada, May 30, 1911, Port of Québec. |
Postmarked May 19, 1911 at Le Havre
Quartier de Leure. Written by my Grandfather, Frederick Tomlinson, on board the SS Lake Erie, to his sister-in-law, Gwendoline Gare. Message: Dear Gwen Having a decent time all well on board Hope to see you all soon Yours ever Fred |
My maternal Grandparents: Martha Jane Norris & Wilfred Bruce Russell,
with my Aunt Doris, circa 1920.
"WB" Farmed at Round Plains, Ontario, near Waterford.
After his death in 1924, my grandmother moved into Waterford.
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| My
father, Reginald George Tomlinson, and my mother, Blanche
Marjorie Russell; photo taken circa 1939. Dad was born in London, England, 1909, Mom in Burford, Ontario, 1908. My parents were married in Brantford, Ontario, 1939, but lived and worked in Toronto. |
My
father, Reginald George Tomlinson, graduated from the Ontario College
of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 1936. Dad worked at Hooper's Drugs, 1925 Yonge St., Toronto. In 1964, Dad made the news on Toronto's CHUM Radio: |
| My mother worked
for the Western Assurance Company, located in the Flatiron building
on Front St. in downtown Toronto. One of her colleagues
was Gordon A. Kidder. Kidder went off to war and became
Flight
Officer Kidder. F/L Gordon Kidder, Canadian, was
shot down
Oct 13/14, 1942, and rescued at sea. He became a prisoner of
war in the Luftwaffe's Stalag Luft III camp at Sagan, Germany, where he
participated in what has become known as THE
GREAT ESCAPE. On March 24, 1944 seventy-six Allied airmen escaped from Stalag Luft III, through a hand-dug 340 foot long tunnel, situated 30 feet underground, and connecting their hut to a spot beyond the perimeter fence. Their escape was immortalized in the 1963 movie The Great Escape which starred Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough. Only three of the escapees succeeded in reaching Britain, the rest were recaptured, including Kidder. To deter further escape attempts, and in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention, Adolph Hitler ordered 50 of the participants executed. To cover up the evidence, they were then taken out in small groups at different times, and to different locations in the woods, where they were shot. The rest were returned to various prisons and concentration camps. Kidder held a university degree in modern languages. On enlistment he had claimed to speak fluent German. Kidder got as far as Zlin, Czechoslovakia, in company with Squadron Leader Thomas Kirby-Green, RAF. Both men were recaptured on March 29, 1944, and shot, handcuffed, on a road near Moravska-Ostrava. At Christmas, 1943, Gordon Kidder sent Christmas greetings to my mother. The card was sent from England and not personally signed. Probably prisoners gave a list to an organization such as the Red Cross. s
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Suffragettes suspended their political activities in order to support the war effort.
Family member Victoria Norris is 3rd from left with sash and straw hat.
Photo courtesy Patricia Chalklin.
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Patricia Chalklin and John
Tomlinson are pleased to present Victoria
Norris,
© 2010. The book, part autobiography and
part
biography, celebrates the remarkable life of family member Victoria Norris.
The first five chapters were written by Victoria Norris
herself. They appear in the book with only minor editing done
by
Patricia and John. These chapters cover approximately the
first
half of Victoria’s life. In the last three
chapters,
Patricia and John have brought together the second half of
Victoria’s life by using her own notes, the memories of
family
members, and their own research. From the synopsis of her
life on
the first page of the Introduction (click the cover below), you will
see that her
life’s story is unusual and merits telling.
Victoria Norris is a self-published book of 110 pages, containing over 100 photos, illustrations, and documents. Cover artwork for Victoria Norris is an original watercolour by Patricia Chalklin entitled "Oast House." Family members may
obtain a copy of the book by emailing John Tomlinson, using the message form on this site.
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| Click on the cover to view Page 1 of the
Introduction. |
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I gratefully acknowledge the significant contribution made by each of the following people in helping to build this family tree:
