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Remembrance of a mysteryWhen he called the Free Press city desk and told his story — in a frail and fumbling voice — they weren't interested.He had said something about his colonel being murdered by one of his own men at Dieppe,Maybe the desk thought he was just a confused old soldier.In any event, after city desk hung up, my phone rang.It was the old soldier.□ □□He is sitting on the bed in his Deer Lodge Centre room and as he reaches out to shake my hand, his is trembling. The old soldier has Parkinson's disease.The story he begins to relate is long, detailed and compelling.Basically, though, his story comes down to this. Early on the morning of Aug. 19, 1942 an armada of 250 Allied vessels left England for the French port of Dieppe. Among the 6,000 troops were 503 Winnipeg Cameron Highlanders led by Lt.-Col A. C.Gostllng.The old soldier says he was in AH Gostling’s boat when, just before they were to land, one of the soldiers panicked.He wasn’t going.If he wasn’t going, he wasn't going, Gostling decided. The commanding officer pulled out his revolver and shot the kid.Dead.But then, as the boat hit the beach and the troops hit shore, another private turned and shot Gostling in the chest.Why was the old soldier telling the story now?Because I was afraid to before,” he says weakly, Now I want to get it off my chest.”□ □□The offical reports had Gostling killed by enemy fire as he stepped ashore. But as I began to research the facts the old soldier’s story began to sound more credible.First, documents in Ottawa mentioned Gostling had been killed by small arms fire.”Then I began calling surviving Highlanders in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba. To a man they talked about how tough and unpopular Gostling was with his troops.Then there was this.For years there had beenGostling: mystery manrumors that Gostling had been murdered at Dieppe.Winnipegger Russ Miller had heard the rumors. He knew Howie Reichart, a retired Morden area farmer, had been on Gos-tling’s boat at Dieppe.Miller said he asked Reichart about the murder rumors a couple of times. Both times he denied Gostling had been murdered.But when I called Reichart he said he had never heard the murder rumors. He said he saw Gostling hit on the beach.I told him the old soldier’s version.I can’t confirm it or deny it,” Reichart said. But I can’t believe it.”□ □□As 1 dug deeper into the story, Gostling began to come to life.He and his brother, Guy grew up without a father. Alf worked for Winnipeg Piano as a radio repair man and later opened his own store, Windsor-Gostling. The store still survives, although I found no next of kin.It appears he never married.CO's are usually SOB’s to their troops, but Hugh Comack remembers the one time Alf Gostling dropped his front. Comack had been in a traffic accident just before Dieppe. Gostling fined him a heavy five pounds and change. But as Comack began marching off, another officer came dashing after him. He said the colonel knew Comack was heading off on leave and Gostling wanted to lend him the five pounds. Comack said no but he never forgot the ges* ture.Two other facts stand out about Gostling. He was 39 on Aug. 18, the day before he died. If he had been 49, he would have been considered too old for the Dieppe raid.The other item I found in the Aug. 21, 1942, Free Press.It referred to the cable his brother Guy sent his mother after the battle.No hope for Alf,” it read.□nnAt the end of my research, I did something I should have done first.I called the old soldier's son.The old soldier said he had told his son about Gostling's murder.His son said he didn't.He hasn’t been the same since my mother died in 77,” the son said.His son said his dad tends to tell stories.1 asked the old soldier’s son if his father had mentioned talking to me.Yes,” he said.Did you believe him, I asked.“No,” he said.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Thu, Nov 10, 1988
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 02 Dec 2022
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