Our Veterans > World War II > Lloyd George Root
Lloyd George Root
(ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY TELEGRAPHIST 1942-1945)
April 18, 2006 seemed to be more than an ordinary day when Mr. Lloyd George Root came to our interview, but for Lloyd, the day carried a very special meaning - he was celebrating his wedding anniversary that day. He and his wife Audrey had been sharing their lives and, most importantly, their love for 65 years. Time has certainly left remarkable traces on their face, but I could tell that the happiness they are enjoying right now is the same as it was 65 years ago.
Lloyd was born in Windsor and when the war broke out, he had just came out of school and was working in a local company. On November 6, 1942, he became the third son of the family to join the military. Unlike his two brothers, he chose to join the Royal Canadian Navy because he "loves water". After a short period of basic training, he was sent, together with over 150 members on frigate "Meon", one of the 6 ships in the EG9 group, to the English Channel, where he worked as a telegraphist.
Unlike those army soldiers on the frontlines, who fought the Germans face to face, Lloyd and his crew members were basically patrolling over the Channel to watch out for the German submarines. Almost all their activities were on the ship, Meon was like a small community for him and his fellows, and most of the time, all they could see was only water. However, their life was not without entertainments - occasionally they could have the chance to go to port cities like Plymouth in Southern England to relax in between their services at the action station and at one time, they even had a puppy onboard.
Although he had previously been married before going to war, Lloyd said his service in the Navy forced him to quickly grow up.
He still stays in contact with some of his fellow crew members, though mentions in his interview that he's been trying to forget much of what happened during those years. He stresses, " The war was over, and it should be over with."