Acknowledgements

This book is about a regimental family and its connections across New Brunswick. It would not be possible without the support of people in that family. Thanks should first go to my Troop and Squadron mates, the leaders who trained us, and the veterans who tipped pints with us in the mess around Remembrance Day. Together they planted in me the hunger to learn more about the Hussar spirit and to pick up the torch that was passed to us. Thanks must go to the dedicated keepers of the 8th Hussars Regimental Museum in Sussex, New Brunswick. Tom McLaughlan and Borden McLellan, both former members of the regiment, assisted with photographs, contacts, and personal stories from survivors. My neighbour Sheila Moore introduced me to her “Uncle” Tim Ellis, whose memory remained sharp to the day in 2011 that he passed. My former student and serving Hussar Jennifer Carmichael helped gain access to the regimental papers. Thanks must go, too, to Harold “Hal” Skaarup for sharing his family stories and incredible photographs of his namesake, Corporal Harold Skaarup, who died of wounds in the Gothic Line.

I must thank my friends and colleagues Marc Milner and Brent Wilson for founding the New Brunswick Military Heritage Project (NBMHP), this important campaign to raise awareness of the role New Brunswickers played in the story of Canada’s wartime past. This series enriches Canada’s history. Brent Wilson, who also acts as the editor-in-chief, helped carve a much too large draft to manageable size. The editing and production staff at Goose Lane Editions patiently turned words into printed pages. Barry Norris and Angela Williams provided valuable essential editorial support, while Jaye Haworth prepared the layout. Doug Knight, long-time friend of the NBMHP and one of its first authors, helped gather photographs, assisted by Clive Law. Thanks to Eric McGeer and Matt Symes for their generosity in sharing photos from their guidebook series The Canadian Battlefields in Italy. Harold Wright introduced us to the brilliant Vern Pearson photo collection. My dear friend Mike Bechthold, scholar, teacher, and Canada’s top military map maker, drew the maps herein. Lastly, I must thank my wife Cindy. She is an editor, a sounding board, and a shoulder to lean on when telling the story of trauma and loss weighs heavy.