Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was only five years old, Madam Speaker, when my father went off to war. He was 28 years old with a couple of children. He could have continued working in a protected industry for the war effort; coal mining. Instead, he and his friend went off to war. I remember my mother in tears when he got on the train, so I knew there was something serious happening.

Because he was married, he was not posted overseas. Instead, he spent many nights in a sentry-box overlooking the Atlantic Ocean spotting ships and aircraft. He got leave from time to time, so he was able to visit us. He and his friend, however, became restless. They asked to be posted overseas. Imagine their surprise when my father finds himself posted to Burma, in preparation for the Japanese campaign, and his friend is posted to prepare for battle in Europe. Such was the way of war.

The friend was eventually killed in the Normandy landings, and my father eventually became a casualty and shipped to hospital in Bombay, India and he stayed there for the remainder of the war.

When my father was demobilized and returned to our village, I was full of questions about war, Madam Speaker. He told me that such things were better forgotten and not talked about. Years later, as a teenager, I began to understand. He believed that the various servicemen's clubs and the large number of war movies only served to glorify war.

Madam Speaker, he claimed that very often people only got together to relive their great exploits as war heroes. In fact, I remember him returning his war medals to the War Ministry. However, Madam Speaker, he always recognized Remembrance Day. He believed that this day was the right response, both to the horror of war and to honour the people who made the ultimate sacrifice. And tomorrow, like I have done on other occasions, I will honour it, because this is the day that he recognizes. Thank you.

---Applause