Toronto veteran, 97, awarded France's highest honour
Kim Morgan drove senior staff around Europe in World War II, and landed at Normandy
Kim Morgan strokes the ribbon of the French Legion of Honour medal with her wrinkled thumb.
"I went downstairs to my mailbox and there it was. I couldn't believe it."
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Morgan served as a driver during the Second World War, eventually landing in Normandy.
The French government awarded her the medal, the highest decoration bestowed in France, back in September. She's one of 234 Canadians to receive the honour this year, as the French Embassy works with Veterans Affairs Canada to recognize Canadians who served in that country.
Heading to war
"My father was in the First World War for four years and it became a family tradition," said Morgan.
It was June 1940. Her family had moved to Scotland to serve with the Scottish Command.
Morgan enlisted as a driver/mechanic with the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), a women's military corps of nurses and drivers. She served in the transport unit for four years.
By 1943, the tides of war had changed, and there were rumours that the Allies were planning an offensive in Europe.
Morgan transferred to the FANY company in London.
"I heard the 23rd Army was planning on trying to relieve the French from the Germans, who were the enemy at the time, and there was nothing I would enjoy more than joining in," she said.
She wanted to see action, and she found it in London in the form of nightly air raids.
"We knew the bombs were coming over and there was nothing we could do about it. So we tended to sort of put our backs to the wall and hope for the best."
Landing in Normandy
"We had to drive over on a swaying boat, and then on a bridge … from the boat to actually land in Normandy."
While British forces tried to capture the city of Caen, Morgan was living in coconut-matted trenches in Bayeux, five kilometres from the fighting.
"They were quite cozy actually," she reminisced almost fondly. "Except when occasionally shrapnel would come from some distance and land on your roof."
Morgan spent her time driving senior staff along mine-lined roads.
She recalls one terrifying drive through the flattened city of Caen to drop off a brigadier.
"Driving back, I was sent on my own and that was not nice at all, because it was total darkness. There were no military signs left. I was lost totally."
Morgan spotted a Jeep and followed it back to base, not knowing if the driver was friend or foe. She made it back safely that night.
Moving in
"In Berlin, we were shown what had been going on where and that was unspeakable, of course," said Morgan.
She won't elaborate, except for this.
"I do remember seeing in spite of all that, there were children and families that … had obviously still maintained something in order to survive and yet amazingly they look incredibly clean and tidy and almost well-dressed. It made one want to weep. It was very moving."
Légion d'honneur
Morgan's family had heard the French government had begun awarding those who aided the French effort in the war, so they contacted authorities in France and located Morgan's records.
"They said, 'Yes, we've found her and we've found some interesting stuff.'"
Consular officials in Toronto organized the awarding of the Legion of Honour.
Many of Morgan's fellow veterans didn't live long enough to be awarded the medal.
"What I'm sorry about, of course, is because of my age, I was one of the lucky ones who was able to actually see it and thank them so much for recognizing that we were a great help in getting them back their country."
