July 6, 2024.  Back in 2015, Pieter received a photo of WWII soldier Edward Gabriel PERRY, whose name was on a photo wish list from the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. 

Edward was born in St. Nicholas, a small community west of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, on October 6, 1924, the son of John F. and Zelia Perry. He was one of 11 children, with 5 brothers, three of whom also served overseas during WWII, and 5 sisters.

….Edward enlisted at age 18….

When he enlisted at the No. 6 District Depot in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on February 25, 1943, he was only 18 years old, too young to be sent into an active combat zone.  At the time, he stated that he grew up on a farm, but had spent the past two months working as a carpenter for Fred Cameron of Saint John, New Brunswick, who had a lumber business.

Edward’s Personnel Selection Record noted that he “…plays hockey…” and that his “…chief diversion is reading….”  It went on to describe him as “…reserved, determined…” and concluded that he would “…make an efficient soldier…”

From Charlottetown, Edward was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and from there to No. 61 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre (CABTC) in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on March 13, 1943. 

After completing his basic training, Edward was sent to the A1 Canadian Artillery Training Centre in Petawawa, Ontario on May 12, 1943 to be trained as a gunner. 

On June 14, 1943, he was assigned to the 23^rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the 50^th Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery.  Edward’s new assignment was coastal defence in Sydney, Nova Scotia.  During WWII, Sydney was the second-most-important port for convoy formation after Halifax.

He remained in Sydney until March 23, 1944 when he was transferred to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in preparation for overseas service. Then, on May 15, 1944, he was reallocated to the Training Brigade Group in Debert, Nova Scotia for further training.

….Edward left Canada for overseas service….

On July 19, 1944 Edward left Canada, arriving in the United Kingdom on July 27, 1944, where he was assigned to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

A month later, on August 29, 1944, he was sent to France, and then transferred to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s), part of the 21st Army Group, on September 2, 1944. On December 10, 1944, he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

….The Battle of Hochward Gap was deadly….

The end of February 1945 saw the Regiment in Germany for the Battle of Hochwald Gap, part of Operation Blockbuster, the final push towards the Rhine River, along with several other Canadian Regiments.  This offensive began on February 28, 1945 to clear the Germans from the Reichswald, a heavily forested area between the Maas and the Rhine Rivers, driving them back over the Rhine, taking the fight well into German territory for a full-scale invasion of Berlin.  (For more information, see https://canadianbattlefieldtours.ca/operation-blockbuster/ and https://civilianmilitaryintelligencegroup.com/10742/the-battle-of-hochwald-gap-one-of-the-largest-armor-engagements-you-probably-have-never-heard-of)

Troops faced a battlefield that was cold, wet, and muddy, and a ferocious fight by desperate Germans who recognized that they were about to lose the war. On March 1, 1945, Edward was badly wounded during the battle, and brought to a field hospital just after 6 pm “…in very poor condition…” and given “…1 pint of plasma….” 

He was sent on an urgent basis to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Centre, arriving at 9 pm. The medical report noted that he had “…shell fragment wounds with compound fracture of the right femur, injury of the femoral vessels, and multiple lacerations of both legs, and a penetrating wound to the abdomen…”  Edward was rushed into surgery, but died at 5:15 am on March 2, 1945. 

….Edward is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek….

Edward was initially buried in the Canadian Military Cemetery in Bedburg, Germany, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. 

Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

 ….Previous postings about soldiers who died during the Battle of Hochwald Gap….

• Gerald COOLEN, who served with the Black Watch, lost his life on February 26, 1945. See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/28/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-11/

• Anthony PETTA, who served with the Algonquin Regiment, lost his life on March 2, 1945. See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/06/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-in-north-bay-the-ww2-soldier-who-was-appointed-company-sergeant-major/
• Ralph Kenneth SILLIKER, who served with the Lake Superior Regiment, lost his life on March 2, 1945. See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/04/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-oleary-who-lost-his-life-during-operation-churchill/

• Clarence Wilfred WAKEGIJIG, who served with the Canadian Grenadier Guards, lost his life on March 2, 1945.  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/08/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-clarence-wilfred-wakegijig/

….Want to follow our research?….

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4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/ 

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