Lake, Claudette: my Cold War recollections (November 16, 2007)

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Interviewee: Lake, Claudette

Interviewer: Hutchison, Sarah Beth

ABSTRACT: Interview with Claudette Lake, 16 November 2007 Claudette Lake was born in Hull, Quebec to a large family. (197)Only military family members were cousins, as father had been too late for the First World War, and was too old for the Second World War. Before her sister married an Army Officer and was posted to Europe, Claudette had no experience of the military whatsoever. After a stay of 9 months with her sister in Europe, during which time she met her future husband in Hemer Germany, she returned to Canada where they were married. (259)It was a good time to be in Europe, as the dollar was high: but it was difficult to find housing since NATO troops had arrived so recently. (586) Her first married posting was in Fredericton, followed by Petawawa and Kingston where her husband attended Staff College. They were posted to Europe next, to Soest for two years, then Lahr. By this time, her husband was a Captain and they had two children. (707)She lived in a Permanent Married Quarter on base. There was a community of wives on base who were assigned to care for women off-base for support. (1406)Fears of the Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis. (1662) After Europe, posted to Halifax, then Ottawa, then Montreal for three years. (1698) Husband sent to Syria while family was living in Montreal, and family visited Syria. (1815) Posted to Gagetown. (1903) Husband posted to Suffield AB, took a train ride across Canada to get there. (2142) Arabic language training for posting to Egypt, which was instead a posting back to Europe. (2210) Posted to Rome for 7 months. (2305) Husband military representative of Canada at NATO in Belgium, and entertaining duties. (2736) Did not have employment outside her family, because of difficulties when moving every two years or so. (2900) Her family viewed her marriage positively, since her sister had married a military man. (3003) Home means family, but always ready for a new adventure.

An interview/narrative of Claudette Lake's experiences during the Cold War. Interview took place on November 16, 2007.

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 2 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic Coverage Coordinates
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 51.5, 10.5
Additional physical characteristics
  • Original sound recording on audio cassette also available.
Physical Repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • LC_743
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • February 15, 2013
Technical note
  • Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 44 kHz. In .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2013. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
Rights
  • This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
DOI

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file details SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail
file details Lake_C_0743_01.mp3
file details Lake_C_0743_02.mp3