Stories
Stan's Corner
Stan Scislowski (1923-2014) enlisted in the Canadian infantry shortly after his 19th birthday, did basic training at Stratford, Ontario, went to Camp Ipperwash for advanced training and boarded the troop ship "Andes" on May 10, 1943. After arrival in England on May 20, he underwent more training at #3 Canadian Infantry Training Unit in Aldershot and went on to draft with the Perths on August 5, 1943. Stan served in Italy and Belgium until the end of the war.
After the war, he came home to Windsor, married his sweetheart and started a family. Soon thereafter, he began researching and writing accounts of his experiences in the army. He has made two pilgrimages back to Italy and one to Europe to examine the battlefields in detail, and honour his fallen comrades.
Stan's account of the Perth Regiment in Italy "Not all of Us Were Brave" was published in 1997 by Dundurn Press and is available at Chapters.Indigo.ca. Additionally, Stan has self-published several smaller volumes of his recent pilgrimages to Italy and Europe.
Despite failing eyesight, Stan continued writing until his death, one of his duties being the editor of his Legion Branch's newsletter in Windsor, a position he has held for over 40 years.
This section will eventually contain a collection of Stan's own work as well as some of his favourite bits and pieces that he has assembled over the years.
The Saga of Fred Lytwyn
This section is a selection from an amazing collection of letters and documents representing an infantry soldier’s life. Fred Lytwyn was underage when he volunteered for service, but he slipped through the system, as Stan Scislowski – the Perth Regiment’s unofficial historian – tells in his short article about Fred’s death.
Fred’s family kept all the letters he sent home and only a few have been chosen to illustrate specific phases of his military experiences. There is nothing remarkable about the letters; Fred was always upbeat and very conscious about keeping his family informed and less worried. In any event, the censors would not have allowed anything revealing to pass. From the regularity of Fred’s correspondence, a picture emerges of a loving, conscientious son and brother. Even the regiment’s 1944 Christmas card is in the collection. There is also a consoling letter from the regiment’s padre, one of the hundreds he had to write, and a certificate from Fred’s High School. There are several official government letters and documents sent to his mother, and three photographs of Fred in Italy that nicely capture his good natured self.
Fred Scott's Odd Adventure
Stay tuned for Fred's Adventure.....