100-year-old veteran did not want to miss Battle of the Atlantic memorial ceremony

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: May 04, 2025 4:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

A rainy time couldn't halt 100-year-old Winnie Rice from attending a memorial work for veterans.

Rice was among astir 100 attendees who gathered successful Saint John connected Sunday greeting to commemorate the sailors, merchant mariners and aviators who died successful the Battle of the Atlantic.

Rice comes from a naval family. She said her father and member served successful the British navy.

Born successful England, she joined the British service arsenic a teen and served during the Second World War. 

"I had to spell into the army," she said. "But everything for maine is navy, still," she said.

The Battle of the Atlantic was fought from 1939 until 1945 — the longest continuous conflict of the war. More than 70,000 Allied seamen were killed, including much than 4,000 from Canada and Newfoundland.

The lawsuit held astatine the naval memorial Sunday attracted Canadian Forces members, cadets, veterans and members of the public. 

"But this is precise peculiar to me," said Rice. "Because of my age, I mightiness not beryllium present adjacent year."

She said she remembers each the bombings and deaths that she witnessed during the war. "It ne'er goes away," she said.

But if she could beryllium young again she said she would articulation the navy immoderate day, owed to her household history.

Rice said she came to Canada arsenic a warfare bride. She said it has been her privilege to acquisition some countries.

"I emotion them both, I emotion Canada," she said.

Rice said it is important to retrieve the sacrifices made by veterans successful the past. She said she admires the younger procreation joining the Canadian Forces.

The lawsuit was organized by the HMCS Brunswicker naval reserve division.

Cdr. Tom Watts, the commanding serviceman for HMCS Brunswicker, said it is important to person these events extracurricular of Remembrance Day due to the fact that much veterans are mislaid arsenic clip passes.

"Unless you're truly capable to enactment yourself successful that situation, you can't comprehend what they went through," Watts said.

"It's up to america to marque definite that we person these ceremonies and marque definite that radical admit what was done for america ... the comfortableness and the state that we person today."