11/11/2025
On Remembrance Day; as we honour the fallen and reflect in gratitude for their sacrifice, we also wish to remember and honour a very special hero in particular: Frank Balind. Frank was the father to our very own Lisa Adams.
Here is his story:
Frank Balind was born an only child in Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents and immigrated to Canada at the age of 10 years old.
Upon his death at 89 years old, his family stumbled upon a little book. A diary.
At the age of 21 years old, “January 21, 1944, joined the RCAF in Windsor, Ontario”
He tried to be a pilot but he was too short and couldn’t reach the pedals. So then he went to gunnery.
“I was transferred to the reception wing of photographie section on March 1, 1944.”
“On June 16, 1944, boarded the ship, formerly the Empress of Japan now Empress of Scotland. The ship pulled anchor and set sail for England.”
“VE day came the 8th of May, 1945 with a speech over the radio by Winston Churchill and King George VI confirming it.”
He never talked much about the war. It was a job he had to do. Frank travelled through England, France, Belgium, Scotland and Germany. One thing that was always present in his diary was how friendly and kind the people were. His squad mates were good guys and they spent holidays, birthdays and partied together. His unit was part of the group that documented the liberation of Belsen Camp (concentration camp) in Germany.
“Tuesday 8th January 1946, we boarded the Queen Elizabeth. On the 9th of January 1946, Churchill and his wife boarded the ship and we pulled anchor.”
“Entered the Release Centre Toronto on February 16th, 1946. I stayed in Toronto till Monday 25th of February 1946 because I met a grand girl by the name of Audrey Wright. Now that I am out of the Air Force as a photographer, I wonder what civy life has to offer me after slightly over three years.”
Frank went onto marry Audrey and they settled outside of Windsor Ontario. They had five children and 10 grandchildren. He lived a full life. Photographie became a love but not a career.
