4th Canadian (Armoured) Division

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier From The Pas Who Died When A Flame Thrower Hit A Mine In Germany

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June 12, 2026. It’s wonderful when the search for a photo of a soldier takes flight, with many people actively involved in helping in this quest.  That’s what happened when Pieter looked for a photo of WWII soldier Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba. It was a search that took 18 months and involved many family members.

Near the end of December 2024, while we were on our way to a winter vacation, we woke up in our hotel room in Virginia with the wonderful news that a photo of Samuel had been found, and sent to us by Ralph McLean, a researcher that we’d written to earlier in 2024, and Samuel’s nephews Eric and Wilfred Sanderson.

Eric explained that he’d received the photo from Ralph who “…got the picture from Devyn Rusk. … I was so excited to receive the photo. I hope Diane and I can make the journey to see my uncle’s grave site….”  Eric and his wife Diane were the people Pieter first talked to about finding a photo of Samuel.  At the time, Eric explained that the photos were lost when his mother’s house burned down.

But, the search continued amongst family members and eventually a photo was found. Devyn, a teaching assistant at a school in The Pas, Manitoba, is the great-granddaughter of Samuel’s brother Aaron. She explained that the photo had been found “…in an old album.  It had all of Samuel’s Dad’s old post cards….”

…A cookbook connection with the Opaskwayak Cree Nation…

Born February 15, 1918 in The Pas, Manitoba, Samuel was the son of Louis Julius, a WWI veteran, and Mary Helen (nee Buck) Engen.  His mother was a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opaskwayak_Cree_Nation)

The search for a photo of Samuel had a personal connection.  More years ago than I care to remember, I taught for one semester at Keewatin Community College (now called University College of the North) in The Pas, and one group of community leaders from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation learned basic computer skills that led to a practical outcome with the development of a cookbook.  Eric told us that he was familiar with the names of some of the community leaders listed in the cookbook.

Cover of the Northern Cookbook designed and prepared by students from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.  (Photo courtesy of Valkenburg Family)

…Samuel enlisted in 1941…

Samuel had married Miriam Susan Pranteau on January 16, 1940, and was working for The Pas Lumber Company in The Pas, Manitoba, and as a trapper, when he enlisted at the No. 10 District Depot Recruiting Office in Dauphin, Manitoba on September 6, 1941.

On September 13, 1941, he was sent to No. 100 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre (CABTC) in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.  After successfully completing basic training, he went on to A15 Infantry Advanced Training Centre (Rifle) at Camp Shilo, Manitoba on December 4, 1941. His training included battle drill tactics, marksmanship, bayonet drill, and field exercises that simulated actual combat environments.

On January 6, 1942, Samuel was hospitalized in Winnipeg, Manitoba for 13 days with mumps, and returned to Camp Shilo upon recovery.  After completing advanced training as a rifleman, he was posted to the A15 Canadian Infantry Training Centre, also located in Camp Shilo, on May 15, 1942.

…Samuel left Canada for overseas service…

In preparation for being sent overseas, Samuel given embarkation leave from May 29, 1942 until June 2, 1942, the last chance he had to see his family.  In the end, Samuel didn’t report back to base until June 15, understandable considering the distance he would have had to travel to go so far up north and then back again.

On July 21, 1942, he left Canada for the United Kingdom, arriving on July 29, 1942, where he was assigned to No. 2 Canadian Divisional Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CDIRU).

A few weeks later, on August 21, 1942, Samuel was transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (C of C), joining the regiment in Hassocks, Sussex.  Training continued in anticipation of going into Normandy, France, and to implement lessons learned from other regiments that participated in Operation Jubilee, also known as the Dieppe Raid, on August 19, 1942. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid)

On December 16, 1942, Samuel was admitted to hospital.  Upon being discharged on January 14, 1943, he was assigned to No. 2 Canadian Divisional Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CDIRU).  He was hospitalized again, from April 23, 1943 until May 27, 1943.

On June 25, 1943, he returned to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (C of C), to participate in Exercise ‘Smashex’, part of ongoing intensive amphibious and infantry training to prepare soldiers before being deployed to Normandy the following year.

Unfortunately, Samuel was hospitalized again, from July 30, 1943 until August 14, 1943, when he was discharged.

…Samuel joined the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor)…

Samuel George Engen. (Photo courtesy of the Engen Family.  Photo restoration and colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

On August 27, 1943, Samuel was transferred to the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), the infantry component of an Armoured Brigade serving in an Infantry Division. Canada fielded only two such Motor battalions in WWII – Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division was one and the other was the Westminster Regiment (Motor) of the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division.

Map showing the Dieppe Raid in 1942, which marks the location of Red Beach. (Map source: https://cbf-fccb.ca/)

Training continued in Britain until July 26, 1944, when Samuel, along with the rest of the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), left the United Kingdom aboard ‘SS Houston City’ and landed in Normandy, France as part of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Brigade, 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division. Over the next two days, vehicles disembarked near Graye-sur-Mer on Red Beach, a codename for the heavily fortified Dieppe waterfront during the 1942 Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee), while the main battalion went ashore shortly after to join the Normandy campaign, which had begun on June 6, 1944 (D-Day).

They began active service on the front as of July 30, 1944, and over the next two months the Regiment battled its way through Normandy, Falaise, and across northern France into Belgium and The Netherlands. The men did whatever they could to increase the Regiment’s firepower with weapons, including those salvaged from destroyed Sherman tanks and 50 calibre machine guns from downed aircraft.  These were fitted onto their universal carriers and other vehicles.

‘The Mad Dash’ on August 14, 1944 through the Falaise Pocket to surround the Germans as part of Operation Tractable fought from August 14-21, 1944.  (Photo source: Posted by George Romick on Facebook page of Canadian Military Photos Lost and Found – Research Group)

…The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) sank 3 German naval vessels in Zeeland…

By October 1944, the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division was in The Netherlands, tasked with clearing the Germans from an area south of the Maas River. When fighting brought the Lake Superior Regiment into the village of Sint Philipsland in the province of Zeeland on November 4, Dutch civilians told troops that there were German naval vessels in the harbour of Zijpe on the island of Schouwen en Duiveland, just across the strait.

The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) bombed German naval vessels in Zijpe’s harbour.  (Map source: Google Maps)

The next day, with help from the tanks of the British Columbia Regiment, the Regiment bombarded the ships with their 6 pounder antitank guns and mortars. Within 15 minutes the Germans ceased fire. Due to high winds, it wasn’t until a day later that the Regiment’s boarding party later found a corvette burning and 3 other vessels sinking, with 20 fatalities and 80 wounded.

…The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) advanced into Germany in 1945…

Most of February saw the Regiment based in the ‘s-Hertogenbosch area of The Netherlands as they continued their patrols, but on February 21, 1945, the Regiment began moving towards Germany for the upcoming Operation Blockbuster, which began at dawn on February 26, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster)

By 2:00 am in the early morning of February 23, 1945 the Regiment had arrived at their initial position in the Reichswald Forest, just over the border from The Netherlands.  The next afternoon the Regiment moved to Kleve.

On March 1, 1945, the war diary for the Lake Superior Regiment recorded that instructions had been received for “…the assault on the Hochwald Forest Gap….” This attack was codenamed Operation Churchill.

Clearing the very narrow Hochwald Gap was a difficult task, given that the weather was anything but cooperative. An early thaw meant that the tanks got bogged down in mud, making them ‘sitting ducks’ for German troops who were positioned to pick them off, one by one. Troops had no choice but to press on, as the Battle of Hochwald Gap, part of Operation Blockbuster, was the final push towards the Rhine River.

Miraculously, Samuel survived these difficult battles, and was with the Regiment when it returned to The Netherlands for a short rest, before going again into Germany at the end of March.   The Regiment then fought battles in Meppen, Sögel, and Friesoythe.

The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division crossed the Twente Canal on April 4, 1945 and reached the Ems River.  However, flooded terrain made it difficult for the tanks to maneuver. On April 17, 1945, the Battle of the Küsten Canal began, with several Regiments involved in trying to capture and cross it.  The Küsten Canal was a 30.5 metre (100 feet) wide obstacle that was a challenge to cross due to the soft ground and German defences.  (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/kustencanal.htm)

….Samuel lost his life right after the Battle for the Küsten Canal…

Map showing movement of troops towards Bad Zwischenahn along the Küsten Canal. NOTE: Date on map is incorrect – it should say 1945, not 1944. (Map source: ‘In The Face Of Danger – The History Of The Lake Superior Regiment’)

An account by author Lt-Col George Stanley of ‘In The Face Of Danger – The History Of The Lake Superior Regiment’ told what happened as Allied troops moved beyond the Küsten Canal towards Bad Zwischenahn.  “….Lieutenant-Colonel Keane and several of his officers visited the bridgehead to get a clear idea of the tactical picture; for it was the Lake Sups who were expected to achieve the break out.

With the support of the tanks of the Canadian Grenadier Guards, they were to drive due north astride the road which led from Friesoythe to the little spa on the shores of Zwischenahn lake just ten miles away.

The next day the battalion began to move forward. The road had been badly damaged by gun fire and the holes hastily filled with rubble, thus making it passable for armoured vehicles. The fighting on the perimeter of the bridgehead was, however, very sticky and the Brigade commander decided that, rather than strike hard ahead over the mine strewn, body-littered fields ahead, the Lake Sups should stab eastwards along both sides of the Küsten Canal, in the hope, not only of widening the base of the bridgehead, but also of relieving some of the pressure upon the forward infantry battalions.

Thus it was that “B” Company, as soon as it crossed the Canal, struck immediately to the eastwards in company with a troop of Grenadier tanks and a Wasp flame-thrower. There was a road that ran along the north side of the Canal, but the going here was slow and halting.…

The first streak of daylight on April 23rd was the signal for “A” and “B” Companies to resume their drive eastwards along the Küsten Canal. On both sides the enemy was active …. There was no steady advance; rather the move took the form of a series of short bounds preceded by heavy firing and not inconsiderable battling. There were casualties… One of the Lake Superior flame-throwers was blown high into the air by a mine, both of its crew members being killed….”

Example of a Wasp flame thrower. (Photo source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

The April 23, 1945 war diary entry for the Lake Superior Regiment verified that Samuel was one of the two crew members who died.  “…At 0700 hours ‘B’ Company prepared to move forward…” of a crater “…to the road junction.  The motor platoons went forward on foot with a Wasp flame thrower in support.  Suddenly the flame thrower struck a mine and both members of the crew were killed, Pte Giving, R.V. and Pte Engen, S.G….”  The other crew member mentioned was Royal Victor GIVING of Kenora, Ontario.

….Samuel is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten….

Grave of Samuel Engen with Canadian and Manitoba flags placed by Pieter.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Samuel was temporarily buried in Oldenburg, Germany at the “…right hand side of the road running North near a red brick building…” before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands on March 23, 1946.  During our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, Pieter placed Canadian and Manitoba flags by his grave.

Pieter at the grave of Samuel Engen after placing Canadian and Manitoba flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…..Samuel is listed on the National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument….

Samuel is listed on the National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument just outside of Batoche, Saskatchewan.  (See https://www.metismuseum.ca/metisveteransmonument/)

His name can be found on Column 5 on the outside.  Row 40. (See https://www.metismuseum.ca/metisveteransmonument/column.php?v=LWSBNZ)

…..Engen Lake is named in Samuel’s honour….

Engen Lake was named in Samuel Engen’s honour in 1961.  (Map source: Google Maps)

Engen Lake in northwestern Manitoba, northeast of Reindeer Lake which straddles the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, was named after Samuel in 1961.

Devyn Rusk. (Photo courtesy of Devyn Rusk)

Thank you to Ralph McLean, Devyn Rusk, Eric Sanderson, and Wilfred Sanderson for finding and sending a photo.  Thank you to Judie Klassen for family history research.

The flags placed at Samuel’s grave during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour were donated.  Our thanks go to:

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
  • Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, who donated the Manitoba flag.

Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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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On The War Memorial Trail …The CQMS From Kirkland Lake Who Died Bringing Meals To Troops Just 8 Days Before WWII Ended

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May 30, 2026.  Several months ago, Judie Klassen wrote us about a book she’d read: ‘Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past Volume 2 WWII to Peacekeeping’ by Dieter K. Buse and Graeme S Mount.  We asked if there was an index of soldiers mentioned in the book, as there were a few from that area on the photo wish lists that Pieter receives from researchers.  Judie subsequently sent us an index, but had to return the book before we had a chance to cross reference the photo lists to the index, when we found 5 names on the photo wish lists.

However, it turned out that the book was in the library in North Bay, Ontario, and when we asked North Bay resident Don Coutts if he would take a look, he did and found that the references to the 5 soldiers were all succinct summaries from their service files.

One of the soldiers was William ‘Bill’ Steven STEELE, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

….Bill grew up in northeastern Ontario…

The distance between Charlton and Kirkland Lake is 52.6 km (32.7 miles).  (Map source: Google Maps)

Born May 27, 1920 in Charlton, Ontario, Bill was the son of Thomas ‘Tom’ Emerson and Mary ‘Gertrude’ (nee Barton) Steele.  The family moved to Kirkland Lake, Ontario when he was 15, and where his father worked as a miner. One of 6 children in the family, a photo was found after Pieter got in contact with a nephew named after him, retired teacher and volleyball coach Bill Steele, son of Clifford Ivan, the youngest brother of the soldier.  Bill looked into finding a photo, which he received from Brandy Winter, his cousin’s daughter.

….Bill enlisted in 1941…

When he enlisted with the Algonquin Regiment on July 29, 1941 at Military District No. 2 in Kirkland Lake, Bill had been working as a butcher and store clerk at the P and A Store, a grocery and general merchant business, in Kirkland Lake.

William ‘Bill’ Steven Steele. (Photo Courtesy of the Steele Family)

Bill was sent for basic training to A15 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, which he completed at the end of August 1942.  He remained in Shilo until November, when the Algonquin Regiment moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, tasked with guarding the Welland Canal and the Niagara River.

….Bill served in Newfoundland….

Location of Torbay and St. John’s in Newfoundland. (Map source: http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot.com/2012/12/wwii-canadian-forces-in-newfoundland.html)

After France was occupied by the Germans in 1940, Newfoundland’s defensive position became more precarious. That same year, Canada assumed responsibility for the defence of Newfoundland with the establishment of ‘W Force’, a Canadian garrison force responsible for defending Newfoundland against enemy invasion and attacks, and providing security for existing and proposed defence facilities during WWII. It included infantry, artillery, and anti-aircraft units. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Newfoundland_during_World_War_II)

On February 7, 1942, Bill, along with others in the Algonquin Regiment, was sent to Newfoundland, where they spent a year defending Cape Spear and the Torbay airport. In addition to the Algonquin Regiment, troops from the Black Watch of Canada, Royal Rifles of Canada, PEI Highlanders, Queens Own Rifles, also served at various times. (See https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/botwood-base.php)

Cape Spear Battery.  (Photo source: https://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca)

The most eastern point in North America, Cape Spear’s close proximity to convoy routes and the entrance to St. Johns Harbour was an essential place to have a coastal defense battery with 10 inch guns, post-war signal station, and searchlight emplacement during World War II. (NOTE: Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada on March 31, 1949.)

On April 21, 1942, Bill was admitted to Botwood Military Hospital with mumps, and spent 22 days there before returning back to base.

…..Several other soldiers were in Newfoundland…..

Bill was in Newfoundland at the same time as several other soldiers whose stories have been told on this blog:

….Bill returned briefly to Canada….

In January 1943, the Algonquin Regiment was notified it would be going overseas. It returned to mainland Canada from Newfoundland on February 8, 1943, and sent to Debert, Nova Scotia to prepare for overseas combat.

Bill completed advanced training as a rifleman in February 1943, just prior to being given embarkation leave from March 5, 1943 until March 12, 1943, the last chance he had to see his family.

On April 6, 1943, in addition to being a rifleman, he was qualified as a company stores clerk.  He was subsequently appointed Lance Corporal on May 21, 1943

….Bill left Canada for overseas service …

Empress of Japan.  (Source: City of Vancouver Archives, reference number CVA 371-1264, Collection of Major James Skitt Matthews)

Bill, and the Algonquin Regiment boarded the RMS Empress of Japan in Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 10, 1943, leaving the following day for Liverpool, England with a complement of 4,500 troops.  After disembarking on June 19, 1943, the regiment travelled to Heathfield, East Sussex, and was became part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division. Training continued in preparation for going into Normandy, France.

Bill asked to revert back to the rank of Private on September 14, 1943, a request that was granted.

….The Algonquin Regiment left for France in July 1944….

Training continued until July 20, 1944, when Bill and his Regiment boarded a ship in preparation for going to North West Europe.  They arrived in Normandy on July 22, 1944, one and a half months after D-Day.

All four companies of the Algonquin Regiment landed on Juno Beach on the morning of July 25, 1944. Over the next days, they were informed that they were to support the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, part of the 21st Army Group, in closing the Falaise Gap.  The upcoming Battle of the Falaise Pocket (also called Battle of the Falaise Gap), part of the Battle of Normandy, was fought between August 12 and 21, 1944. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocket)

By the end of August, 1944, the Regiment was in Belgium, fighting in the toughest battles, including the Battle of the Leopold Canal, fought from October 6-13, 1944 on the border between The Netherlands and Belgium, and the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt)

On September 22, 1944, Bill was promoted to Acting Corporal, then a few weeks later, on October 1, 1944, promoted again to Acting Sergeant.

By November 3, 1944, all four companies of the Algonquin Regiment had reached their target objectives and succeeded in the liberation of Welberg, and given a chance to have a much needed rest, from November 5 to 8, in the area of Steenbergen in The Netherlands.

Promotions continued for Bill.  He was made Acting Company Quarter Master Sergeant on November 17, 1944, then confirmed as Sergeant on January 19, 1945, followed by his last promotion, to Company Quarter Master Sergeant on February 14, 1945.

The Regiment remained in The Netherlands until February 1945, when they travelled into 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 at dawn on February 28, 1945 and ended on March 3, 1945, with the objective of clearing 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. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster)

NOTE: For an idea of some of the places that the Regiment travelled through in Germany, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/02/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-we-follow-the-route-taken-into-germany-by-canadian-troops-in-1945/

The Algonquin Regiment continued to fight, still under the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, for the final crossing of the Rhine River, an action that ended on May 4, 1945, an end that Bill was not part of.

Through all the battles in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, Bill had survived and thrived…until April 30, 1945.

….Bill died while bringing lunch to troops….

The war diary for April 30, 1945 recorded that it was a “…cold, wet day.  Rain turning at times to hail and snow. Visibility very poor…”  The men of ‘C’ Company had been out all night since the day before, and about 2:30 am the Company’s two forward companies had “…got to within 400 yards of their objective….when they met heavy enemy small arms fire and were pinned down…”

‘C’ Company’s detailed report for April 30, 1945 explained that the men had “…dug in, if you want to call it that, in water and mud 2 feet below ground level.  It rained continually all day, and the personnel in this company were wet and bedraggled, and lost all morale they ever had.  They remained in this unhappy state all day…..”

Things got worse.  “…Around noon, the jeep carrying the noon meal up to the company, by CQMS Steele, was blown up by a mine.  It killed our quartermaster and wounded slightly Pte R.G. Fraser, our relief driver…” Bill died a month before his 25th birthday.

The Regiment’s war diary verified ‘C’ Company’s report, and went on to say that Bill and Captain Donald William DYMOND of Chatham, Ontario, another casualty that day had “…arrived in France with the unit, had come unscathed through many actions, and it seems rather ironical that they should be killed at this late stage of the game….” 

The entry in ‘Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past Volume 2 WWII to Peacekeeping’ noted that Bill parents weren’t notified of his death until “…May 7, 1945, one day before V-E Day…”

Author Major G. L. Cassidy of ‘Warpath: The Story of the Algonquin Regiment 1939-1945’ noted the role played by Quartermaster Company Sergeants during WWII, writing that their “… fidelity to duty, particularly the prime job of getting the men fed under any conditions, is best attested by the casualties they suffered.  In the last week of the fighting, for instance, C.Q.M.S. Barlow of ‘D’ Company, and C.Q.M.S. Steele of ‘C’ Company, were killed in bringing up rations to their respective charges….”  C.Q.M.S. Joffre John BARLOW of North Bay, Ontario had died on April 24, 1945.

….Bill is buried in Holten…

On May 1, 1945, Bill was initially buried in Osterscheps, a rural village within the municipality of Edewecht in Lower Saxony, Germany, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands on March 8, 1946.

Grave of William ‘Bill’ Steven Steele in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.  (Photo source: Find A Grave)

On October 6, 1945, Bill was posthumously awarded a ‘Mention In Despatches’ by King George VI “…in recognition of gallant and distinguished services…” during WWII.

Bill Steele.  (Photo courtesy of Bill Steele)

Thank you to Bill Steele for sending a photo.  “…My whole family has been very touched by your efforts to acquire a picture of Bill….” he wrote. “… On a personal note, it has reminded me that his brother named his first son after Bill to honour his memory in giving his life to fight for our country.  I have again shed a tear as I did at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery when I was at his grave site.  Thank you, your wife and all the volunteers in Holten for keeping Bill’s memory alive….”

Thank you to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, to Judie Klassen for letting us know about a book that mentioned soldiers from Northeastern Ontario, and to Don Coutts for visiting the North Bay Library and finding the references to William Steele in the book Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past Volume 2 WWII to Peacekeeping by Dieter K. Buse and Graeme S Mount.

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

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/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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