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Opavsky, John

Opavsky, John

Rank	Captain
Unit #	RCAF

Born in 1904 in Poland. When the war brokeout John joined the Kent Regt. in Chatham, ON. Spent 14 months with the kents before he transferred to RCAF 310 Polish Sqd., as a navigator. He served in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily and Italy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

Carl Opavsky (son), CFF-FD44, IODE(P).

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Did You Know?

During WWI, the families of the soldiers were given a Christmas tree, supper and entertainment at the Armoury At Christmas.

A Japanese method of destroying tanks was to bury an artillery shell with the nose exposed. When a tank came near a soldier would hit the shell with a hammer.

$1000 was donated to the National War Memorial Fund for the education of children of fallen heroes of the Great War.

In 1917, explosions beneath the German lines on Messines Ridge at Ypres in Belgium were heard in London 220 km (140 miles) away.

CK IODE’s flagpole was made from a ribs of the gunboat General Meyers built in Detroit, 1800.

CK IODE presented the 24th Kent Regiment with their Colours regimental flags in 1915 costing $400.

After WWI, Britain’s leadership in the world economy was gone forever. It had huge debts, high unemployment, and slow growth.

Woodrow Wilson’s campaign slogan for his 2nd term: “He kept us out of war.“ About a month after he took office, the US declared war on Germany, in 1917.

By the end of World War I there were 250,000 wounded British soldiers who suffered total or partial amputation.

During the course of the World War I approx. 11% of France’s entire population was killed or wounded.

WWI helped strengthen the power of central government in the US and Europe. A chief legacy of the war is the lasting power of the state over its citizens.

WWI brought a new era of warfare. The most significant development was air power, which brought civilians in the line of fire.

In 2012, CK IODE revived the Antique Show and Sale, in partnership with Victoria Ave United Church.

65 million troops were mobilized during WW1.

During WWI, money was raised by holding flag and tag days, cooking sales, needlework sales, quilting and packing bees.

After WWI, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland emerged as independent nations.

Germany’s power grid was more vulnerable than realized. If just 1% of the bombs had been dropped on power plants, German industry would have collapsed.

During the Japanese attack on Hong Kong, British officers objected to Canadian infantrymen taking up positions in the officer’s mess.

The WWI Books of Remembrance were completed, inspected and signed by Lord Byng then placed in the Armoury, in 1922.

During WWI, the total value of IODE war work was $58,080.

CK IODE joined other Chapters in 1919 to furnish a home, presented by the City, to the parents of Corporal Harry Miner for his bravery.

Major Leaders of the Axis were Adolf Hitler, Emperor Hirohito and Benito Mussolini.

Germany lost 136 Generals, which averaged out to be one dead General every 2 weeks.

Herbert Hoover encouraged people to plant “Victory” or personal gardens. Over 20 million Americans planted gardens; US food consumption decreased by 15%.

The long-term effects of WWI include the formation of the League of Nations, which laid the groundwork for the United Nations and a worldwide arms race.

Russia mobilized 12 million troops during WWI, making it the largest army in the war. More than 3/4 were killed, wounded, or went MIA.

The Books of Remembrance were started in 1917.

12,000 heavy bombers were shot down in World War 2.

CK IODE’s early projects included an isolation hospital, a school nurse, and a night school.

France, not Germany, was the first country to use gas against enemy troops in WWI. In April 1915, the Germans were the first to use poisonous chlorine gas.

In 1930, Lorne Smith from Chatham was awarded the National War Memorial Fund scholarship.

WW1 was the first known conflict in which chemical weapons were used (mustard gas).

Germany lost 40-45% of their aircraft during World War II to accidents.

When the US Army landed in North Africa, among the equipment brought ashore were 3 complete Coca Cola bottling plants.

After WW II, the Chatham Chapters compiled the second Books of Remembrance, honouring WWII heroes.

The Assasination of Archduke Ferdinand has been blamed as the catalyst for WW1.

Regimental Flags were deposited at Christ Church Chatham in 1940 for safekeeping, remaining there today.

An estimated 2,000,000 persons, including 1,500,000 Jews were murdered at Auschwitz.

In 1918, most women over the age of 30 were given the vote in British parliamentary elections. Two years later, American women gained the vote.

Did you know? Germany designed the Messerschmidt Me-264 bomber to hit targets in North America from France. Thankfully, only three prototypes were constructed as the Luftwaffe prioritized short-range fighter construction.

The Russian army liberates Auschwitz and reaches Berlin. Adolf Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 and Germany surrenders on May 7.

The US entered World War I on April 6, 1917.

There were 433 Medals of Honour awarded during WW2. 219 of them were given after the recipient’s death.

In WWI, Germans released about 68,000 tons of gas; the British and French released 51,000 tons. 1,200,000 soldiers were gassed; 91,198 died horrible deaths.

WWI was the catalyst that transformed Russia into the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR).

After WW1 France suffered as most of the loans it had made to Czarist Russia were never repaid, inflation was rampant, and parts of the country were ruined.

The U.S. was in WWI in actual combat for only seven and a half months during which time 116,000 were killed and 204,000 were wounded.

The Russians destroyed over 500 German aircraft by ramming them in midair (they also sometimes cleared minefields by marching over them).

CK IODE’s original name was The 24th Kent Regiment Chapter IODE, changed in 1936 as numbered regiments were discontinued.

During WWII, serving in Newfoundland was considered being overseas. Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.

The primary IODE fundraiser started in 1980 was an Antique Show and Sale, held for 29 years at the Kinsmen Auditorium.

During WWI, $200 was sent to the National Chapter to help equip a Hospital Ship.

During WWI, British tanks were initially categorized into “males” and “females.” Male tanks had cannons, while females had heavy machine guns.

Nearly 2/3 of military deaths in WWI were in battle. In previous conflicts, most deaths were due to disease.

The trench network of WW I stretched approximately 25,000 miles (40,200 km) from the English Channel to Switzerland. The area was known as the Western Front.

Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.

“Dogfight” is WWI term. Pilots turned off the engine periodically to prevent stalling on mid air turns; it sounded like dogs barking when restarted.

84 German Generals were executed by Hitler.

On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland and Britain and France declared war on Germany.

THE CK IODE motto “Unto the Last Ditch” is the same as the 24th Kent Regiment.

During WWI, $200 was donated to equip a field kitchen for the 186th Overseas Battalion.

In 1915, the Major George Smith Chapter was formed in honour of one of CK’s first casualties.

The world’s last passenger pigeon died on September 1, 1914.

During WWI, Mrs. Mary T. Bray was made the first life member of the Chapter in honour of her untiring war work.

The migration of African Americans from the South to the North during WWI was one of the most significant population shifts in the 20th century.

More than 65 million men from 30 countries fought in WWI. Nearly 10 million died.

Germans were the first to use flamethrowers in WWI. Their flamethrowers could fire jets of flame as far as 130 feet.

During WWI, the Spanish flu caused about 1/3 of total military deaths.

1913: CO Lt. Col Smith invited the ladies to share the newly completed Armoury with the Regiment, a tradition that continues today.

CK IODE awards a trophy to the best NCO of the 59 Legion Highlander Cadet Corps at their annual inspection.

Originally, a Chapter President was called a Regent.

The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 bought the US into WW1.

World War I was also known as the Great War, the World War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars.

Adolf Hitler fought in WW1 in the German Army.

During WWI 13,718 pairs of socks, many trench caps and mufflers were sent overseas.

The first military submarine (named the Turtle) was first used by the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Even though the U.S. government didn’t grant Native Americans citizenship until 1924, nearly 13,000 of them served in WWI.

Millions of soldiers suffered “shell shock,” or post-traumatic stress disorder, due to the horrors of trench warfare.

The Maple Leaf Cemetery gates were refurbished and rededicated in 1993adding plaques for WW II, Korea and UN Peacekeepers.

D Day: June 6, 1944, marks the date when the Allies invaded France and Paris was subsequently liberated.

By D-Day, 35% of all German soldiers had been wounded at least once, 11% twice, 6% three times, 2% four times, and 2% more than 4 times.

80,000 British troops suffered from shell-shock during WWI.

From 6 June 1944 to 8 May 1945 the Allies had 200,000 dead and 550,000 wounded in Europe.

CK IODE donated $100 towards furnishing the Sergeant’s Mess in the Armoury.

The United Sates joined WWI during the final year and half of fighting.

Kent Regiment Chapter was the first IODE Chapter in Chatham-Kent.

World War II ended September 2, 1945.

58000 British soldiers were lost in the first day at the battle of the Somme.

Over 100,000 Allied bomber crewmen were killed over Europe.

In 1914, German troops shot 150 civilians at Aerschot as part of policy known as Schrecklichkeit (“frightfulness”), to terrify civilians in occupied areas.

The total cost of WWI for the U.S. was more than $30 billion.

Major Leaders of the Allies were Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

The Battle of Verdun, 1916, resulted in over a million casualties in ten months.

WW2 covered territories of Europe, Pacific, Atlantic, South-East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa.

There are 13 Books of Remembrance, which reside in the Chatham-Kent Museum today.

Layettes for newborns and knitted items are shipped through the IODE Provincial Chapter to northern Canada.

A yew hedge and fence surrounding the CK Cenotaph was the 25th anniversary project, in 1938.

The French had what German soldiers called the Devil Gun. At 75 mm, the cannon was accurate to 4 miles. French commanders claimed their Devil Gun won the war.

Atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima August 6 and Nagasaki August 9, and Japan surrenders on August 14, 1945.

Beet juice was used by homemakers in WW II as substitute for red food colouring, which was unavailable.

Submarines made a large impact during WWI when Germany launched its fleet of U-boats. Generally, submarines submerged only to attack ships using torpedoes.

WWI increased suspicions of minority groups. Outsiders were considered a threat, especially Jews, who were seen as sleek profiteers of the armaments industry.

During WWI, each soldier was given a full equipment kit as he left Chatham.

1917: WWI removed women from their corsets, as the metal required to make them was needed for munitions.

There were over 35 million civilian and soldier casualties in WWI. Over 15 million died and 20 million were wounded.

Other names for WW1 include ‘The War to End All Wars’.

Over 200,000 men died in the trenches of WWI.

WWI helped bring about the emancipation of women. Women took over many traditionally male jobs and showed that they could perform them just as well as men.

CK IODE has supported 5 adopted schools in the north. Their current school is a Grade 4-6 class in Port Hope-Simpson, Labrador.

The huge scale of those who needed medical care in WWI helped teach physicians and nurses the advantages of specialization and professional management.

During WWI, trenches were infested with millions of rats, frogs and lice.

France’s René Fonck (1894-1953) was the Allies’ most successful fighter pilot, shooting down 75 enemy planes.

For the span of WWI, from 1914-1918, 274 German U-boats sank 6,596 ships. Most of these were sunk near the coast, particularly in the English Channel.

The average German officer slot had to be refilled 9.2 times.

40,000 men served on U-Boats during World War 2; 30,000 never returned.

The Phoney War was the period in Europe following the German invasion of Poland in September, 1939 and before the Battle of France in May, 1940.

The Holocaust had already begun, but in 1942 the concentration camp at Auschwitz started the systematic murder of Jews.

WWI hastened medical advances, such as, better wound management and setting of bones. English doctor, Harold Gillies, pioneered skin graft surgery.

Between 1939 and 1945 the Allies dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs which was about 27,700 tons of bombs each month.

“Little Willie” was the first prototype tank in WWI. Built in 1915, it carried a crew of three and could travel as fast as 3 mph (4.8 km/h).

The Treaty of Versailles left Germany humiliated and impoverished, which left the world vulnerable to another world war.

During WWI dogs were used as messengers to carry orders to the front lines in capsules attached to their bodies and to lay down telegraph wires.

8 million troops died and 21 million troops were wounded in World War I.

A room in the memorial wing of the Public General Hospital was furnished and $25 a year was given for its upkeep by the CK IODE.

By 1918, the CK IODE Chapter had 348 members.

In 1916, 6000 copies of a Patriotic Edition of the Chatham News were sold on the occasion of King George V’s birthday to raise funds for war work.

Tanks were initially called landships. Hoping to disguise them as water storage tanks rather than as weapons, the British decided to code-name them tanks.

Rittmeister von Richthofen (1892-1918) shot down 80 planes, more than any other WWI pilot. He died after being shot down near Amiens.

The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded in combat and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age.

Over 500,000 pigeons carried messages during WW I. Trained pigeons were parachuted into occupied areas and kept there until soldiers had messages to send back.

German trenches were built to last furnished with bunk beds, cupboards, water tanks with faucets, electric lights, and doorbells.

Four empires collapsed after WWI: Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian.

Germany’s indiscriminate submarine warfare was a primary reason the U.S. joined World War I.

The US Army had more ships than the US Navy.

During WWI, total cash donated for war work was $11,240.

The Treaty of Versailles imposed severe sanctions on Germany, which drove the country into a deep recession, setting the groundwork for WWII.

CK IODE dedicated the gates to Maple Leaf Cemetery in 1928 and placed plaques honouring WWI casualties.

Regardind WWI, British poet Siegfried Sassoon wrote, “When all is done and said, the war was mainly a matter of holes and ditches.”

During WWI, the CK IODE met every Friday due to the volume of work required.

During WWI, the first Khaki (Soldiers’) Club in No. 1 Military District was opened for enjoyment of the soldiers.

Nearly 62 million people died during and leading up to the conflict of World War II Events.

WWI transformed the United Stated into the largest military power in the world.

In 1961 the IODE membership dues were $3 for the year.

CK IODE lobbied local officials for mandatory TB testing of farm animals as many children suffered from bovine tuberculosis.

CK IODE donated $1000 toward the Cenotaph in Chatham, to honour the brave war dead from Chatham and Kent County, in 1922.

Koreans were among the “Germans” captured at Normandy. They were forced to fight for Japanese, Russians and Germans, until captured by the US Army.

WWI helped bring about the emancipation of African Americans. For example, Henry Ford recruited black people from the South to work in his factories.

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