Pre-war years
James Coldwell was born August 19, 1914 in Mastin Moor, Derbyshire, England, where his father was a coal miner. In 1928, he came with his parents and brothers to live in Saskatchewan.
Before breakfast - Winter, 1936-7
In the yard, in front of the tree & in the doorstep
In the yard
Melita Parade - 1938
Six horse outfit, Melita Parade - 1938
Alex and James - 1938
Sawing logs - Spring, 1938
Seeding - the last round, Spring, 1938
Buttermilk Tank
"Jimmy" with Lorne McCallum and horse
Raising windmill
Last day cutting - 1938
Cutting feed - 1938
Harvest images - 1938
Skating images - Winter 1938-39
Three on the porch
Family photo in front of the house
Sitting in front of the car
James on porch in leather
James in suit
War years
Jim Coldwell's WWII portrait
He worked as a farm hand until he joined the South Saskatchewan Regiment in March 1940. James trained at Camp Shilo, Manitoba. L/Cpl Coldwell was one of the members of C Company of the S.S.R. who moved from Toronto on 13 Dec 1940 and set sail from Halifax on the Penland on 16 Dec. landing in Gourock Scotland on 25 Dec 1940.
1940 - Family photo
James' parents
Aim indicator Card
Aim indicator Card
Formed up in Weyburn
Unidentified building
In uniform with the ladies
James at home with brothers
In uniform with family at home
Three in front of the tree in the yard
With ? and ?
In uniform with ? and ?
River Crossing by cable
James with ? at ?
Royal Visit - 1938? - Queen's car
Camp Shilo, Manitoba
Camp Shilo
On the move in Dundurn?
England, 1940
With rifle and bayonet
Standing with rifle, bayonet
James second from left
Four with helmets
Standing with rifle, bayonet
With rifle, bayonet
Standing with rifle, bayonet
On far left, with fellow soldiers
Four with helmets
Camp Shilo, Manitoba
On the move in Dundurn?
Four unidentified soldiers
Unidentified soldier
Four unidentified soldiers, & two on motorcycle
Group photo & Four unidentified soldiers
Unidentified soldier, soldier on bicycle
Two unidentified soldiers
With rifle
Sgt & two soldiers
Sleeping in the sun & two soldiers
James & Betty Holmes in yard, in front of tree, and Betty Holmes in uniform
Betty Holmes in Ottawa with National War Memorial, and at home in Oungre
James in Shilo with ?
At home: Mr. & Mrs. Coldwell, and Betty Holmes with Peggy Holmes and ? sitting
Wedding in Oungre: ?, ?, George Chapman, Peggy Chapman(nee Holmes) and ?
Royal Inspection
Betty Holmes and her father, Quartermaster Maurice Holmes, in front of the recruitment office
Betty Holmes in the yard at home
Betty Holmes and (Bill this is your mom and my mother in front of their home in Estevan - Rick Chapman - rchap@eclipsewireless.ca)
Betty Homes in front of The Women's Active Service recruitment office in Ottawa
Betty Holmes(right) at the Champlain Monument & with ?
Betty Holmes at home
? and ?
Betty Holmes in Ottawa
? and Betty Holmes
James at home
James and ? and ? in ?
Alphabet Map Reading Card - cover
Alphabet Map Reading Card - inside
The Dieppe Raid - 19Aug1942
German photo of the beach at Dieppe after the raid.
REPORT ON DIEPPE BY L/SGT. COLDWELL, J.W.
"As we neared the coast of France we could see a battle going on on our left. All was quiet at the spot where "D" Coy had to land. When we hit the beach the enemy still held their fire, we came in contact with a wall which was about 10 ft high and had barbed wire on top. We had ladders in which we climbed the wall with and cut the wire on top with our cutters. As soon as we got over the wall we met MG fire which was very heavy. We worked our way through to the road where we were held up by MG fire. We used our smoke and made our way over the bridge, we suffered a number of casualties on the bridge. We reached the pillbox but the enemy had the range on us with his mortar. Some of our men climbed the cliff to give us covering fire while some went down the sunken road where we came in contact with Major MacTavish and Coy H.Q. with them were a number of Camerons. From here we planned to give covering fire while the Camerons attacked on the right flank but the enemy was too strong however we held our positions. At this point we captured two prisoners and also suffered a few casualties. At this point Pte. Fenner was wounded very badly being shot in both legs while engaging the enemy in Bren Gun fire, which he was doing very effectively. We dragged him down the hill on his back where we dressed his wounds as best we could and had him taken to the RAP where I learned later that he swam one half a mile to the ALC. From our position at the sunken road we got the word to evacuate the wounded and knew then that it would not be long before we withdrew. We dashed back to the pill box and trenches for cover as we gave covering fire. We finally got to the beach and it was here that we met with the most of our casualties. On the beach we were under every kind of fire, from the air, dive bombed, mtr and MG. Our air force and navy were excellent and too much praise cannot be given them. One of our destroyers was sunk. "
-from SSR - Documents - Dieppe Raid
A/L/Sgt Coldwell returned successfully to his unit after the raid. He left England, once again, on 6Jul1944, and arrived in France 8Jul1944 as CSM Coldwell.
As a POW in Konigswartha Hospital
Christmas Dinner, 1944
Stalag IVA was located at Hohenstein-Elsterhorst near Dresden. (Airfield at Dresden-Klotsche)
"Stalag IV A. Reserve Lazaret Konigswartha. - Seven new barracks are being built in the hospital grounds, which should improve the present overcrowding conditions. The water supply is reported to be insufficient, and is shut off for some hours a day. Bed linen is changed every three weeks. Food is prepared by German women. Red Cross parcels arrive regularly. (Visited October. )"
- from "The Prisoner of War", April, 1943. Volume 1, Number 12. A Red Cross publication. Source: http://www.wwiimemories.com/journal5/aa5p6.jpg
- map source: http://www.fallingrain.com/world/GM/13/Konigswartha.html
CSM Coldwell was wounded and taken prisoner on 20Jul1944 at Verrières Ridge. See casualty lists.Although James was not fatally wounded at Verrières Ridge, many of his fellow soldiers were. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission describes the action in which James was wounded and captured:
"The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. For the most part, those buried at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery died during the later stages of the battle of Normandy, the capture of Caen and the thrust southwards - led initially by the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions - to close the Falaise Gap. Almost every unit of Canadian 2nd Corps is represented in the cemetery. The cemetery contains 2,957 Second World War burials, the majority Canadian, and 87 of them unidentified." - http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=2032600&mode=1
In Stalag IVa?
Stalag IVa stamp on back of photo
In Stalag IVa?
? in Stalag IVa?
Christmas Dinner in Stalag IVa? & playing soccer
Unidentified POW and POWs?
First aid as POWs and POWs in the kitchen
POWs writing and POWs at cards
POW writing and haircut
Group photo in camp & camp creativity
Group photo in camp
Konigswartha POW Hospital - Dinner brochure - cover - Christmas Day, 1944
Konigswartha POW Hospital - Dinner brochure - Christmas Day, 1944
Konigswartha POW Hospital - Dinner brochure - signatures on back - Christmas Day, 1944
CSM James Coldwell was released from POW camp 21Apr1945.
Healing in England and Saskatchewan
Broken leg healing, although now shorter!
Love from Edith - photo card
16 Platoon - Roll - typed list
Sergeants' Mess Booklet - cover
Sergeants' Mess Booklet - inside
SSR Soccer team, England & The Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League card
Southern Railway ticket - Chesterfield
Group photo in front of Regina Armoury
Group photo around bed & James on crutches in Regina
Recovering in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Summer, 1945
Group photo around bed & three images of day at the beach Group photo with James resting at the beach Dining whilst reclining
In the military hospital set up at Regina Exhibition Grounds - Summer, 1945
Post War years
"Betty joined the R.C.A.F.(W.D.) in 1942. I followed suit and joined the C.W.A.C. (Canadian Women's Army Corps) in 1943 and George joined the R.C.A.F. Goerge and I were married in 1944. Betty married Jim Coldwell of Oungre in 1945 who was with the S.S.R. He had been wounded and taken Prisoner of War while overseas."
Read more about the Betty Holmes and her family at in the local history book A tale that is told. Estevan 1890-1980.
Jim's grandchildren gathered for his 80th. birthday.
Back row, left to right: Luke, Victoria (great grand daughter),
Krista, Tammie, Kim, Colin and Dustin. Front row: Betty and Jim
His 80th. birthday. Back row, left to right:
Bill, Mavis, Maureen and Alan. Front row:
Betty and Jim
His 85th. birthday. Back row, left to right:
Alan, Bill, Mavis and Maureen. Front row: Jim and Betty
His two sons; Alan (Armed Forces, Navy)
and Bill (Canada Customs).
He was returned to Regina in June 1945 and on December 1, married Betty Holmes. He assisted his father-in-law in the office of the rural municipality of Oungre and in 1951 started to work for Canada Customs, a position he held for thirty years. Jim died peacefully at the Palliative Care Unit of the Pasqua Hospital on Sunday, September 19, 1999.
GCS/gs 12-16/21Dec2006/4Mar2013
