The son of Mr. Springman of the Raleigh-Harwich Town-line near Cedar Springs. Frank was born in Yugoslavia in 1926 and was 16 when he enlisted in the army at Owen Sound. At the time he was working for a Toronto firm. He had attended the CVS in Chatham before he accepted the employment. His father had come to Canada in 1926, the family followed him in 1928. Mr. Springman being one of the most respected farmers of the Cedar Springs district. He had a brother who was in the army for three years but had been honorably discharged in 1944.

When war broke out he enlisted and he decided to sign up for action at Owen Sound, he was 16 years old. He trained at St.Jerome and Earnham, Quebec and from there overseas.

The CDN 2/08/44 reported that Frank was wounded in France, 25 July, 1944, the nature of his wounds were not yet determined.    

The CDN 21/10/44 reported that he arrived aboard the hospital ship the ‘Lady Nelson’ which was returning to Canada with 13 officers and 108 other ranks. According to Frank failing to follow orders saved his life. “ I was driving a truck and after an officer had told me to park it somewhere else, I put it right in front of the door of a house near Caen. Later I was standing just inside the door of the house when the shell landed smack on the truck. If the truck hadn’t been there, it would have come right in the door after me.

“They cursed me plenty for leaving the truck there.” He suffered an injury to his right knee and left leg was broken, What they were so mad about was for the 15,000 cigarettes that were destroyed along with the truck. 

The Springman family were strong supporters of Marshal Tito, fighting the Germans in Yugoslavia.

The CDN 2/09/44 reported that Rifleman Springman had been wounded while serving in France 

Frank Springman

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

BFL-B, CDN, W. Springman

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