Hero Spotlight: Harold and Elaine Turner
Both Harold & Elaine Turner volunteered to serve in the war, but for different reasons, they were not accepted. Instead they served the war effort by working at the Cominco Smelter in Trail, BC. during those years. The family has honoured their memories and their contribution to the war, albeit here in Canada, through the sharing of their story and the planting of two trees.
Harold was born on July 18, 1910. He was 30 when the war started, and he was a proficient “lead burner,” a speciality job, at the Cominco Smelter. He had some health issues so he was unable to join the military. Since he already had a job that was important to the war effort and due to his health issue, he could best contribute by working here in Canada. He continued to work for Cominco for 35 years. Harold experienced many health issues, some due to the working conditions at the plant. Ultimately he died from lung cancer just 9 months before his retirement date. He was a wonderful, kind and generous man.
Elaine was born on February 26, 1926. She began working at Cominco when she was just 17, after answering an ad asking women to come to work at the smelter to replace the men who had gone to fight in the war. Her job there was to clean huge zinc sheets in an acid bath, a very difficult and dangerous job. As soon as she turned 18, she traveled from Trail to Vancouver to volunteer for the war effort. But, because she did not have nursing skills which were needed at that time, and she was already working in a “man’s” job at the smelter, she too was told she could best help by continuing her job at the plant. Elaine, along with the other women who worked “men’s” jobs during the war, were asked to leave their positions when the war ended and the men came back home.
Elaine and Harold were married in 1945 and later had two daughters, Kathryn and Patricia. After Harold passed, Elaine attended the BC Institute of Technology, where she studied nursing, became an R.N. and a Registered Psychiatric Nurse. She was well loved by her patients.
Harold passed Oct. 29, 1969 and Elaine recently passed on Nov 10, 2019. She waited impatiently to see Harold’s 50-year memorial the family had published in the paper, and then she seemed content to join him.
Their daughters, Kathryn and Patricia have honoured their parents’ contribution and sacrifice for the war effort by sharing their stories and by planting two trees in their honour.
