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On The War Memorial Trail…..The Airman From Langham Who Became A POW Part 1: The Last Flight Of Halifax NP945

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October 30, 2026.  Occasionally, one story leads to more.  In February 2023, we posted on this blog the story about Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the pilot of Halifax DT630 that was shot down by a night fighter over the province of Drenthe in The Netherlands on February 3, 1943. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-pilot-killed-at-the-controls-of-his-halifax-bomber/)

A few months later, we were contacted by Yannic Wethly, one of the volunteers with Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe (Air Research Drenthe Foundation) in The Netherlands. This non-profit organization researches WWII air crashes in the province and places information panels near the crash sites.

Yannic asked if we would help in finding photos and families of other Canadian airmen that were on his photo wish list.  Of course we said yes, and then we were delighted to have a chance to meet him in April 2025, when we were in The Netherlands on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-sleen-general-cemetery/)

In January 2026, a memorial panel honouring the crew of Halifax DT630, was unveiled, closing the loop on the story about that flight’s pilot.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/03/18/on-the-war-memorial-panela-memorial-panel-honours-the-crew-on-the-last-flight-of-halifax-dt630/)

….The search for a photo of Hank Pankratz began…

On Yannic’s photo wish list was Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, one of four survivors of the last flight of 424 ‘Tiger’ Squadron’s Halifax NP945, which was shot down in Germany, near the Dutch border, on December 6, 1944, while on its return from a sortie to Osnabrück, Germany.  Hank ended up in a POW camp, and it was this that led to a photo being found.

During the search for a photo and family, with the help of Judie Klassen, she came across a reference to Hank in a book, ‘The Long Road: Trials and Tribulations of Airmen Prisoners from Stalag Luft VII (Bankau) to Berlin, June 1944 – May 1945‘, written by  Oliver Clutton-Brock, a British writer who had included a photo in his book.

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz. (Photo source: Henry Pankratz)

An email for the author came back as no longer in use, but there was a phone number, which hopefully still was in service.  I emailed British friends Jacqueline and Graham Hocking and asked if they would be willing to try and phone the author, and let him know about the photo search request.  Jacqueline did and we did receive a photo!

When I asked Oliver how he wanted the photo attributed, he said it should be Henry Pankratz himself.  “…He contacted my co-author, Ray Crompton (sadly deceased), back in the late 1980s / early 90s and sent him the photo….”

When told about the planned memorial panel by the Air Research Drenthe Foundation, Oliver went on to say that “…I am delighted to hear that the photo will be used for such a worthy cause. I have nothing but the highest praise and admiration for the way in which the Dutch historians and ordinary people go about remembering the fallen of so long ago. Well done to all of you….“

We had a photo, but the search for family continued, and many months later, Hank’s daughter Shana contacted us, providing more photos and information about her father.

…. Hank enlisted in 1942…

Red marker identifies the location near Langham, Saskatchewan where Henry Pankratz was born. (Map source: Sask Interactive Mapping, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment)

Born February 22, 1924 on a farm near Langham, Saskatchewan, Hank was the son of Wilhelm Heinrich (‘William Henry’) and Maria (nee Buhr) Pankratz. One of 5 children born into a Mennonite family that had immigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe, he had two sisters and two brothers.

“…The family’s origins were in Holland…” Shana explained “…and the surname was originally Van Kratz.  They went farming to Ukraine and the surname was changed to Pankratz by the Russians….”

Hank was interested in planes as a child, even writing a letter in the August 27, 1932 edition of the Star-Phoenix newspaper, about the first plane he saw. “…The first airplane I saw close by was on July 1, 1929, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, where we lived at the time.  It was a two-passenger open plane from Saskatoon to take people for rides….The pilot said he had flown about 120 miles an hour from Saskatoon….

The reason I am interested in aviation is because of the speed, the greater the speed, the better I like it, and the cool clean air one goes in.  If you are a farmer you do not get this kind of air…”

On September 6, 1942, at the age of 18, Hank enlisted with the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) as a wireless operator/air gunner in Galt, Ontario. His brother Bill also joined the RCAF. Judie Klassen, who helped in the search for family and a photo, understood what “…must have been a difficult decision for them to join, as the pacifist beliefs of the Mennonite community may have caused conflict with family, neighbors, or within their conscience….”

The Pankratz brothers weren’t the only Mennonites to enlist in WWII.  In the October 13, 2013 issue of Canadian Mennonite, the article ‘Let nobody judge them’ by Ross W. Muir, stated that “…as many as 4,500 Canadian Mennonites enlisted in this country’s military forces between 1939 and 1945….”

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz with his parents.  (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

Hank received his Leading Aircraftman designation (LAC) in Guelph, Ontario on February 22, 1943, his 19th birthday.  On September 20, 1943, he received the rank of Sergeant after graduating as a wireless operator/air gunner at the No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School in Mossbank, Saskatchewan.

He was soon sent to the United Kingdom. A photo of himself in a flight suit included a comment on the back of the photo.  “…Don’t let this picture fool you. I’m not a fighter pilot yet, but I can dream, can’t I?  Ha Ha….”

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz in a flight suit. (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

…. The last flight of Halifax NP945…

Map shows the plane’s path from England to Osnabrück.  On it’s return to England, it was shot down by German flak and crashed near Getelo, Germany near the border with The Netherlands.  (Map prepared by Wendy Nattress)

On December 6, 1944, Hank, now with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 424 ‘Tiger’ Squadron, part of No. 6 Bomber Group, was aboard Halifax NP945, nicknamed ‘Der Fuehrers Fate’, as it and 435 Halifax and Lancaster bombers, plus 18 Mosquitos, were sent on a bombing mission for a night attack over Osnabrück, Germany.  The plane departed at 4:43 pm from  ​RAF Skipton-on-Swale in the UK, located 4 miles west of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England.

Per the ‘The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book, 1939–1945’ by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, “…this was the first major raid on Osnabrück since August 1942. The raid was only a partial success. The railway yards were only slightly damaged but 4 factories were hit, including the Teuto-Metallwerke munitions factory, and 203 houses were, destroyed, and 39 people were killed….”

As the plane began the return flight to England, it was shot down near Getelo, in the vicinity of Uelzen, located in Lower Saxony, Germany, right along the border with​ The Netherlands. ​

In ‘Road Back Complicated’ published in the March 1983 issue of Airforce magazine, Hank explained that “…Our machine caught fire and the pilot gave the order to jump.  I was the third to go out into space and rain. My parachute opened inside the plane which was badly out of control by then but luckily it didn’t get tangled.…”

…. The crew aboard the last flight of Halifax NP945…

7 airmen were aboard Halifax NP945.  3 died and are now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Kleve, Germany.  4 airmen, including Hank, survived the crash and ended up prisoners of war (POWs).

  • Pilot: RCAF Flight Officer David Louis Caskey MCCULLOUGH, from Red Deer, Alberta, aged 22, KIA
  • Navigator: RCAF Flight Officer Albert Melville GARNER, from Toronto, Ontario, aged 23, POW
  • Bomb Aimer: RCAF Flight Officer Arthur Alexander Jaffray LOW, from Hamilton, Ontario, POW
  • Flight Engineer: RAF Sgt Robert ATKINSON, from Barrowfield Glasgow, Scotland, POW
  • Wireless Operator: RCAF Pilot Officer Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, from Langham, Saskatchewan, POW
  • Midupper Gunner: RCAF Pilot Officer John Robert ‘Jack’ LEE, from Caledonia, Ontario, aged 20, KIA
  • Rear gunner: RCAF Pilot Officer John Lightfoot KEOWN, from Fairfax, Manitoba, aged 25, KIA

…. Hank sought refuge at a nearby farm…

As Hank exited the plane he noticed that “…falling not far away from me was a big ball of fire.  It was the aircraft I had just vacated, and a moment later it blew up and went hurtling to the ground.…”  At this point, he had no idea where the other crew members were, and he found himself alone.

After freeing himself from the parachute harness, Hank “…sought shelter in a nearby clump of trees…” where he remained until dawn. He noticed “…a farmhouse a quarter of a mile away…” and walked over.  “…The house and barn were all one building.  The barn door was locked, so I sat down to wait…”

A few hours later, the farm couple found him, and took him inside the house to get warm. As Hank could speak German, he was able to communicate, and learned that he was “...near the town of Uelzen, about 10 miles from the Dutch border…”  He was there for 2 hours, during which time the farm family considered hiding him, but were worried what would happen if they were caught.

“…They made me their prisoner and decided to hand me over to the authorities…It was all done in a friendly manner and I was assured that the prisoners were well treated in German prison camps…”  This turned out to be not exactly true, as Hank would find out.

The farmer took him to Uelzen, and everyone they passed enroute to the police station “…came up and had something to say.  The farmer told them he had captured me this morning and that I couldn’t understand a word of German….” Not letting on that Hank could understand and speak German was a wise move.

Hank had survived the crash, and found temporary refuge at a nearby farm, but he now faced another ordeal, as a prisoner of war.  Hank’s story concludes in Part 2 as he found that life in a German POW camp was “…humdrum, unpredictable, and unbearable…” with many more challenges to face before finally being liberated, several weeks after WWII ended in Europe.

Shana Pankratz.  (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

Thank you to Shana Pankratz for providing information about her father, to Judie Klassen for her help in the search for a photo and finding family, to author Oliver Clutton-Brock, who included a photo of Henry in his book ‘The Long Road: Trials and Tribulations of Airmen Prisoners from Stalag Luft VII (Bankau) to Berlin, June 1944 – May 1945‘, to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, to Yannic Wethly for providing information on what happened on the night of December 6, 1944, and to Wendy Nattress for preparing the map showing the flight path for Halifax NP945. Thank you also to Jacqueline and Graham Hocking for telephoning Oliver Clutton-Brock and telling him about the photo search request.

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/

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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On The War Memorial Trail…..The Search For A Photo Of WWI Soldier James Lymon Cameron Is Over

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October 28, 2026.  Whenever Pieter visits the grave of a soldier he has researched, he always hopes to have a photo that puts a face to a name.  Sometimes, that’s not possible, as was the case when we visited Chester Farm Military Cemetery in 2017, located 5 km (3 miles) south of Ypres in Belgium, where WWI soldier James Lymon CAMERON is buried. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/10/23/a-visit-to-chester-farm-military-cemetery/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/27/the-search-for-a-photo-of-james-lymon-cameron-moves-to-youtube/)

Pieter by the grave of James Lymon Cameron at Chester Farm Military Cemetery in 2017. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

One of the undertakings for our On The War Memorial Trail research project began when Pieter first started researching the 48 names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island in 2015.  His goal?  To put a face and story to each name.  Over the years we’ve told the story of each one on this blog and in the County Line Courier newspaper, plus shared our visits made to their graves or memorials.

The Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance in the Borden-Carleton Legion displays photos of the men listed on the Cenotaph, with empty frames for those photos still waiting to be found. 

…A photo of James Lymon Cameron found in a Vancouver newspaper…

James Lymon Cameron. (Photo source: The Province newspaper. Photo restoration: Pieter Valkenburg)

We’d almost given up on finding a family member for James Lymon Cameron when a photo was found in the Saturday, August 5, 1916 edition of The Province, a newspaper from Vancouver, British Columbia, along with a notification of his death.

Then, in a remarkable serendipitous moment, the following day we were in contact with Robert John Gilbert, a great-nephew whose grandmother was the soldier’s sister, Ethel Laura (Louise) Gilbert!  Robert, who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers for 34 years until his retirement, had the same photo.

Edward and Susan (nee Harrington) Cameron.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Gilbert)

Born December 30, 1892 in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, John Lymon was the son of Edward Holland Cameron, a carpenter, and Susan Estelle (nee Harrington) of Hampton, Prince Edward Island.

…James Lymon left Canada for overseas service…

The family moved around due to Edward’s work as a shipwright, and when James Lymon, known as ‘Jim’ or by the nickname ‘Otto’, enlisted on March 18, 1915, he was living in Vancouver and working as a marine oilman for Puget Sound Machinery Depot in Seattle, Washington.  Robert explained that his great-uncle “…specialized in building heavy large engines for large ships….” and worked there from “…1910 to 1915…”

James Lymon went overseas with the second draft of the 47th Canadian Infantry Battalion, arriving in the United Kingdom on October 10, 1915. On February 3, 1916 he was sent to France with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

Sadly, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, he was killed by enemy shell fire on July 24, 1916, aged 24, at ‘The Bluff’ at Ypres Salient during the Battle of The Bluff near St. Eloi.  The Bluff is a mound near St Eloi, south-east of Ypres, which was created from a spoil heap during the digging of the Ypres–Comines Canal before the war.

…A tribute to James Lymon by the editor of The Maple Leaf…

A tribute to James Lymon was made by the editor of The Maple Leaf, a monthly magazine established by former Summerside, Prince Edward Island residents (Mr McInnis and Mr Harrington) who had relocated to Oakland, California. The magazine ran from 1907 to 1941, focusing on the news, genealogies, and lives of the ‘Sons and Daughters of the Maritime Provinces’.

Robert shared a 1916 article, ‘Another Island Boy Killed In Action’ which provided a brief obituary. “…The editor of The Maple Leaf knew ‘Jim’ personally and well, knew him as a brave and fearless young man, with a pure heart and mind, and when we heard of his death in defence of his country’s flag, after seven long months of privation and suffering in the trenches, we were not surprised…”

…The photo of James Lymon is now on the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

The empty frame that awaited a photo of James Lymon Cameron about to be filled! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The 11 year photo search has been successfully concluded!  The photo of James Lymon Cameron is now on the Legion’s Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance.

James Lymon Cameron (top left) is now on the Legion’s Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…5 photos still being sought for the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

Pieter hopes that more of the empty frames will one day be filled. “…Unfortunately, photos for 4 from WWI and 1 from WWII have yet to be found….” he said.  Can YOU help with this photo wish list?

Names still without faces from WWI

  • Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany
  • Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish
  • Charles LOWTHER, born in North Carleton
  • Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon

 Names still without faces from WWII

  • Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden

Robert Gilbert, great-nephew of James Lymon Cameron.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Gilbert)

Thank you to Robert Gilbert for sharing information about his great-uncle, to Judie Klassen for extensive research into finding family and a photo, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

If you can help with the photo search request for the 5 soldiers mentioned above whose photos are still being sought, or have a story to tell, Pieter encourages you to email him 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 the blog, 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/

You are also invited to 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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On The War Memorial Trail….Borden-Carleton Legion Honours Veterans By Placing Flags At Their Graves

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Pieter was well bundled up on a sunny but cold Saturday as he prepared to go out and lay flags at the graves of veterans. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

October 25, 2026. In preparation for Remembrance Day, Pieter, Mario Henry, and George Palmer, all three veterans from Borden-Carleton Legion Branch #10, visited cemeteries and cenotaphs in the area on a cold but sunny day on October 24, 2026.

George Palmer and Mario Henry at the entrance to Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

They ensured that veterans buried at 9 cemeteries, and whose names are listed on 4 cenotaphs, received a Canadian flag in 2026.

Pieter and Mario Henry at the entrance to Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery. (Photo credit:  George Palmer)

….Two additional veteran stories told in 2026….

Over the years, we’ve told stories about several of the veterans buried in cemeteries in the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion, and this year two more stories were told.

….Cemeteries and cenotaphs in the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion Branch….

The cemeteries covered by the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion Branch are:

  • Cape Traverse – Cape Traverse Community Cemetery
  • Cape Traverse – Cape Traverse United Church Cemetery
  • Central Bedeque – Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery
  • Kinkora – St. Malachy’s Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Lower Bedeque – Bedeque Cemetery (also called Lower Bedeque Cemetery)
  • North Tryon – North Tryon Presbyterian Cemetery
  • Searletown – Searletown United Cemetery
  • Seven Mile Bay – St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Tryon – Tryon People’s Cemetery

Flags were also placed at these Cenotaphs:

  • Augustine Cove Cenotaph
  • Borden-Carleton Cenotaph
  • Searletown United Cemetery Cenotaph
  • Tryon Cenotaph

The placing of flags at graves and cenotaphs has been done annually for well over 25 years. If you see Canadian flags by graves, please do not disturb them. They are a mark of respect for a veteran’s service to Canada, and will be picked up about a week after November 11.

Mario Henry asks that if a veteran’s grave was missed, or if a veteran has recently passed away, please contact the Legion, so that flags can be placed for next year. The Legion can be contacted by phone at 902-855-2660 (after 4 pm) or on its Facebook page. You can also contact 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/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Soldier From Piusville Who Was Seriously Wounded Twice But Survived The War

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September 26, 2026. We love it when a story about one soldier leads to a story about a family member! A few months ago, Brenda Graves of North Tryon, Prince Edward Island, had told us about her grandfather, Cyrus Joseph GALLANT, of Piusville, Prince Edward Island, who served in both WWI and WWII before his death from pancreatic cancer on October 31, 1942.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/06/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-soldier-from-piusville-who-enlisted-in-the-veterans-guard-of-canada-in-wwii/)

While researching Cyrus’s story, Brenda explained that his son, Everett John GALLANT, had served in WWII and survived the war, in spite of being wounded twice. Would we be willing to research her uncle’s service? Of course, we said, and that led to Brenda and me subsequently meeting with Everett’s daughter Elaine Gallant, who provided photos and information on her father’s post-WWII life.

Born August 19, 1923 in Piusville, Prince Edward Island, Everett was the son of Cyrus Joseph and Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Marie (nee Gallant) Gallant.

….Everett enlisted in 1943….

Everett John Gallant. (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family)

When he enlisted on March 11, 1943 at No. 6 District Depot in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Everett had several years already of work experience, as he’d left school after completing Grade 8.  He’d been employed as a stevedore in Halifax, Nova Scotia for Cunard Steamships, Ltd since 1942. Before that, he’d worked as a farm labourer, with seasonal work in woods as a chopper.  It was noted that he was fluent in English, and could speak French.

After successfully completing his basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Charlottetown, Everett was transferred to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) at Camp Aldershot in Nova Scotia on April 2, 1943. Here he would have been given for more intensive combat training in tactical firearm use and field exercises.

On July 17, 1943, he was given 6 days of special leave, the last chance he had to see his family before being posted overseas.

….Everett left Canada for overseas service ……

On August 27, 1943, Everett left Canada aboard a troopship in Halifax, and arrived in the United Kingdom on September 1, 1943.  Upon arrival, he was placed with No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU), a training and holding base for infantry reinforcements located in Airedale, Castleford in West Yorkshire.

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders were based in Fort Brockhurst in December 1943.  (Map source: Google Maps)

On December 10, 1943, Everett was transferred to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, joining them at their winter base in Fort Brockhurst in Gosport, near Portsmouth.  The Regiment was carrying out combined operations and tactical exercises in preparation for Operation Overlord – the landing on Juno Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944 – in what we know today at D-Day.

He would have trained with John ‘Weston’ CAMPBELL from Clermont, Prince Edward Island.   In ‘No Retreating Footsteps’, author Will Bird recorded that among “…the officers selected to land in France on D Day with the North Novas….” was Lt. J.W. Campbell who would be leading an anti-tank platoon. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/09/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-clermont-killed-during-operation-veritable/)

…Everett survived D-Day….

D-Day invasion map. The Canadians landed on Juno Beach in Normandy, France. (Map source: https://www.ddaylepe.org.uk/index.php/overlord-neptune/)

In April 1943, the Regiment moved to a marshalling area south of Southampton and continued training….and waiting….

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders, as part of the 21st Army Group’s Allied Expeditionary Force, left England for Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, after waiting in place in the English Channel on landing craft earlier.   The war diary for Sunday, June 4, 1944 noted that “…we are tied up with two other landing craft tank.   The Padre is on one, so he had a church service at 10:30 hours on the quarter deck of the middle craft…”

On June 5, 1944 the war diary recorded that “…at 14:00 hours the flotilla moved out to the open sea and formed up with the other craft taking part in the invasion…”

After landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, 21st Army Group, the war diary noted that the Regiment had 10 casualties that day– 4 killed, 6 wounded. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-commemorating-the-80th-anniversary-of-d-day/)

Everett had survived D-Day but his luck ran out a month later, as the Regiment moved through France towards Caen.

…Everett was wounded during Operation Charnwood….

On July 8, 1944, the war diary recorded that “….at 0600 hours this morning, operation ‘Charnwood’ commenced with a heavy aerial bombardment…” prior to the participation a few hours later by the Regiment.   Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from July 8-9, 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Operation Overlord. The objective of Operation Charnwood was to clear Caen up to the Orne river and, if possible, to secure bridgeheads in southern Caen. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Charnwood)

The Regiment’s task, once two towns were captured by other troops, was to “…capture Authie, exploiting forward to Franqueville….This phase of the battle began at 0900 hours…. At approximately 1045 hours, when the two villages were considered held, we pushed forward to the forming up point which was just south of Buron…Very heavy casualties were inflicted on us by mortar and 88 mm shell fire…”

Everett was one of the casualties, with a gunshot wound in his right leg.  He was evacuated to England, and then taken by train to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in Aldershot on July 10, 1944.   He was moved to No. 13 Canadian General Hospital on July 16, 1944, remaining there until September 5, 1944, when he was sent for a few days to No. 1 Canadian Special Hospital in Hellingly, East Sussex.

The Canadian Red Cross Overseas Headquarters received a request for a welfare check on Everett by his family on September 18, 1944, and the Matron in Charge at No. 1 Canadian Special Hospital was duly notified and requested for information.

By this point, however, Everett had been transferred to the 4th Canadian Convalescent Depot (CCD) in Farnborough, Hampshire on September 8, 1944. This was a military facility where recovering Canadian soldiers stayed to regain strength and physical fitness before returning to active duty or reinforcement units.  This was Everett’s home until he was discharged on December 22, 1944, and placed with No. 3 Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR) for additional physical conditioning before being sent back to active duty.

….Everett returned to his Regiment in March 1945….

Everett returned to active duty, rejoining the North Nova Scotia Highlanders on March 5, 1945. By this time, the Regiment was in Germany, part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, preparing to capture Xanten, near the end of Operation Blockbuster, in a battle that took place between March 8 and 11, 1945.   (See https://legionmagazine.com/the-taking-of-xanten/)

By March 20, 1945, Allied troops were on the banks of the Rhine River for Operation Plunder, a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of March 23, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plunder)

On March 25, 1945, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders were in Bienen, Germany for the climax of 9 Canadian Infantry Brigade’s role in Operation Plunder.

A few years ago, Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Groesbeek Cemetery Faces To Graves Foundation, had sent Pieter a list of 39 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who were killed during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945. Although there were more casualties from this battle, the list was of North Nova Scotia Highlanders buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

The date of the battle was very meaningful.  “…They died on my birthday! I was just one year old!…” Pieter had exclaimed.  This resulted in a series of stories about several of the fatalities, and a visit to Bienen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

….Everett was wounded a second time during the Battle of Bienen….

Map shows position of North Novies on March 25, 1945, near Bienen.  (Map source: Project ’44)

Stolpi on WW2Talk provided background on the leadup to the battle.  “… As night fell on D-Day, 24 March, only on the extreme left of the forces involved in the 21st Army Group’s Rhine Crossing was the situation sketchy indeed. There, in the 30 Corps’ sector at Rees, twelve British and Canadian battalions, supported by 44 DD tanks had crossed the river and formed a small bridgehead. The 51st Highland Division had reached the edge of Bienen, penetrated into Speldrop and were in, though not yet master of, Rees.

A further expansion of the bridgehead was canalized by the old river beds. Only two openings were available through which led the main roads to the north and northwest. One was on the left at Bienen, a narrow land bridge formed by the old river arm of the Alter Rhein and the Millinger Meer, through which passed the main road to Emmerich; the other was at Empel formed by the Millinger and Empeler Meer, here ran the main road to Isselburg. Both offered great advantages to the enemy defense: they were easy to block and he only could be dislodged by frontal assault.

Early on March 25th, it was decided to step up the 30 Corps’ operation to enlarge the bridgehead, by inserting the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade,commanded by Brigadier J.M. Rockingham, on the left. The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was to relieve the 154 Brigade and continue the attack on Bienen.

All through the 25th the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade made strenuous efforts to seize Bienen and open up a passage towards the north and northwest, in the direction of Millingen and Emmerich. The assignment went to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, which was the last of the battalions of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to arrive in the bridgehead….”

March 25, 1945 was Palm Sunday – one week before Easter. The battle began in the morning and didn’t end until late that evening.  Right from the start, troops were pinned down, “…suffering heavy casualties…” per the Regiment’s war diary for that day.  Worse, in terms of communications, “….contact between platoons was next to impossible because of the murderous fire and heavy mortaring….”

The one day battle proved devastating in terms of casualties, both dead and wounded, as they fought in a deadly battle on open ground.  Less than 3 weeks after returning to active duty, Everett was in the midst of his second battle.  Around 3 pm, he received serious wounds that ended his active war service: gunshot wound with shrapnel in his chest and shrapnel wounds in his right upper arm.  A bazooka bomb that had exploded near him during the battle resulted in permanent hearing loss. He was one of 68 men wounded, but unlike so many of the soldiers, he survived.

He was initially taken to the nearby No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. On March 30, 1945, he was transferred to No. 6 Canadian General Hospital in Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands, before being evacuated to No. 19 Canadian General Hospital in Basingstoke, England on April 17, 1945.

Everett was still in hospital recovering from wounds received during the Battle of Bienen when WWII ended in Europe.  On May 22, 1945, Everett was sent to Roman Way Convalescent Hospital in Colchester, Essex, for physical rehabilitation and recovery, remaining there until June 25, 1945.

NOTE: For an idea of some of the places that the Regiment travelled through in Germany, and our visit to Bienen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/02/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-we-follow-the-route-taken-into-germany-by-canadian-troops-in-1945/

….Everett returned to Prince Edward Island after being demobilized….

After leaving hospital, Everett remained on light duty in England until January 27, 1946, when he was repatriated back to Canada, and posted to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, until he was demobilized from the Canadian Army on April 17, 1946.

Edna and Everett Gallant on their wedding day.  (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

Everett married Edna Mary Gallant at St. Anthony’s Church in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, on August 6, 1947, and they raised 9 children.  “…My parents both grew up in Piusville and were neighbours….”  Elaine said.

Gallant’s Scrap Iron & Metal in Summerside is run by the Gallant family.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Everett worked for 14 years for the Department of Defence at the Canadian Forces Base in Summerside, before starting a scrap metal business in 1966. Gallant’s Scrap Iron & Metal is still run by the Gallant family.

A few years before his death, Everett was interviewed for a ‘Memories of D-Day’ article, published on July 27, 2001 in the Journal Pioneer newspaper. “….One of those serving was a 20 year old from Piusville, Everett J. Gallant.  For Gallant, now 77 and living in Summerside, the memories of D-Day have been left behind with time. 

Gallant says the more he talks about it, the more memories come back. He was a member of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders then and a young private in the army.  About a month after the landing he was wounded in France when a piece of shrapnel went into his right leg.  His first cousin ‘Johnny’ Gallant dressed his wound.

After spending some time in an English hospital he went out again to serve and was later wounded in Germany.  He still has a piece of shrapnel in his chest, but he says it doesn’t bother him a bit.

Once back in Canada, Gallant married a former classmate, Edna, and later became involved in the Miscouche Legion, of which he is past president...”

Elaine noted that it wasn’t until just a few years before Everett died that he learned that it was his cousin ‘Johnny’ Gallant, who also survived the war, who had dressed his wound so long ago in France!

….Everett is buried in Summerside….

Everett passed away, aged 82, at Prince County Hospital in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, on September 24, 2005, and is buried in Saint Paul’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Summerside.

Elaine Gallant by the grave of her parents.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Elaine, Brenda, and I visited Everett’s grave one sunny morning in August.  Asked to describe her father as we left the cemetery, Elaine reflected that he “…was a gentle man who loved his family, was devoted to Mom, loved his animals.  He was a hard working man who would give the shirt off of his back to anyone who needed it…”

Both Elaine and Brenda explained that Everett never spoke about the war, except to express his “…profound sadness at the loss of all the young men who died, including his friends...”

Elaine Gallant with photos of her parents.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Elaine Gallant and Brenda Graves for providing photos and information, and Stolpi on WW2Talk for background on the leadup to the Battle of Bienen.  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

….Previous stories about North Novies killed during the Battle of Bienen and buried in Groesbeek….

….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 WWII Soldier Born In Samburg Who Lost His Life During The Liberation Of Deventer

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

Kalyna berries and leaves. (Photo source: Wikipedia, by Lestat (Jan Mehlich) – Own work)

September 8, 2026. Sometimes Pieter asks me to select a soldier for him to research from one of the photo wish lists that he receives from the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.  Occasionally a name is picked because of the date of death and the Regiment, other times because of a surname or place of residence.

 …Jim Kosowan was of Ukrainian heritage….

When I came across the name James ‘Jim’ John George KOSOWAN, listed as being from Kalyna, Saskatchewan, I asked Pieter to choose that soldier.  Why him? he asked.  It’s a Ukrainian surname, I replied, and Kalyna, which we know in English as a viburnum shrub (Viburnum opulus, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viburnum_opulus) with red berries, is an ethnic and national symbol of Ukraine that symbolizes resilience, strength, and the fight for freedom.

Samburg, Saskatchewan is near the larger town of Prince Albert.  (Map source: Google Maps)

Ok, Pieter said, but when he began his research, he learned that the soldier was born on December 18, 1920 in Samburg, Saskatchewan, near the town of Prince Albert, the son of George and Maria (nee Pusta) Kosowan, who had both immigrated to Canada in the late 1800s from Eastern Europe. The Kalyna reference in his service file came from where his family was living at the time of his enlistment.

…Jim’s nephew contributed a photo…

Jim had 4 sisters and 6 brothers, and it was the family of Jim’s sister Rose Sanjenko that Pieter quickly got in contact with once he began his research. When we asked Jim’s nephew, Randy Sanjenko, how the photos he submitted should be attributed, his response was heartfelt.  “….Please just say they are from family who love and miss him….Thank you for keeping the story of all those brave young men alive because l am a believer in never forget….”

….Jim enlisted in 1942 under NRMA…

James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan.  (Photo courtesy of the Kosowan Family)

On March 12, 1942, Jim enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) at No. 2 NRMA Clearing Depot in Newmarket, Ontario. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

At the time of his enlistment, Jim stated he was an auto mechanic, had experience working on his family’s wheat farm near Kalyna, Saskatchewan, and was working as a packer at O’Keefe Breweries in Toronto for the past 18 months. In addition to English, he could speak Russian and Ukrainian. His brother Johnny was in the Royal Canadian Artillery.

He took his basic training at No. 23 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Newmarket, and then was sent to the A11 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden, Ontario on May 14, 1942.

On September 15, 1942, Jim was sent to No. 4 Aerodrome Defence Platoon, a specialized mobile defensive unit tasked with safeguarding critical military airports, airfields, and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) installations against ground assaults, sabotage, and enemy paratrooper attacks. A few days later, on September 19, 1942, Jim was temporarily attached to the 1st Battalion, Saint John Fusiliers (Machine Gun) in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The Battalion was stationed in Canada on home defence duty as part of the 18th Infantry Brigade, 6th Canadian Division.  With the Battle of the Atlantic underway off of the Canadian coast, and German U-boats actively targeting shipping vessels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and near Cape Breton, the Battalion was tasked with key security duties.  The men were on guard detail to protect vital infrastructure around the strategic industrial hub of Sydney and its heavily used wartime shipping harbour. As well, coastal defence support was provided in assisting nearby coastal batteries to deter potential enemy beach landings or sabotage. (See https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-the-atlantic)

Military training also continued for the men.  Jim qualified as a Driver i/c Track Class III on March 3, 1943.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Track Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

….Jim enlisted in the Active Army in 1943…

James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan playing a guitar.  (Photo courtesy of the Kosowan Family.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

On October 1, 1943, Jim transferred to the Active Army, enlisting in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, but remained with No. 4 Aerodrome Defence Platoon.  He was sent to No. 2 Transit Camp in Debert, Nova Scotia, where his training continued.

He qualified as a Driver i/c Class III (Wheeled) on October 19, 1943.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Class III (Wheeled) meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, but not tanks.)

On July 5, 1944, Jim was given 9 days of special leave, in what turned out to be the last chance he had to see his family.  Upon returning from leave, he was transferred to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia.  This was a final staging, preparation, and administrative processing area before being sent overseas.

….Jim left Canada for overseas service ……

On September 1, 1944, Jim travelled by train directly from Windsor to the Halifax docks to board a troopship, which left Halifax on September 2, 1944, and arrived in the United Kingdom on September 6, 1944. Upon arrival, he was placed with No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

He didn’t remain long in the United Kingdom, as on October 7, 1944, he was transferred to the X-4 Reinforcement List of the 21st Army Group, and sent to France on October 8, 1944, arriving a day later.

Red coloured soldier marks location of Royal Winnipeg Rifles on October 14, 1944. (Map source: Project 44)

On October 14, 1944, he was transferred to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, joining them in Maldegem, Belgium, near the border with The Netherlands.  The Royal Winnipeg Rifles War Diary for that day noted that “…a few reinforcements arrived and were immediately posted to their companys….”

The reinforcements were needed as on October 6, 1944, Operation Switchback, the second main operation of the Battle of the Scheldt had begun, with the goal of clearing the ‘Breskens Pocket’ – the German defences around Breskens in The Netherlands. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/breskenspocket.htm)

….Jim was wounded during Operation Switchback…

Blue arrow indicates Zuidzande where Jim Kosowan was wounded.  Blue circle shows location of Maldegem, where he joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. (Map source: Google Maps)

On October 28, 1944, during the final phase of Operation Switchback, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, the Regiment was clearing German strongholds and capturing prisoners of war in the area of Zuidzande, The Netherlands, near the Belgian-Dutch border.  As part of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, they faced heavy resistance, artillery fire, and minefields, as they tried to clear the Scheldt Estuary and open the shipping route to Antwerp, Belgium.

Jim was wounded by shrapnel from an exploding grenade and spent over a month in hospital. Three members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles died that day and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium….

  • Elmond Joseph CHOQUETTE, born in Mariapolis (Glenora), Manitoba, aged 26
  • Richard Francis GYLES, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, aged 20
  • Leonard Andrew HEEKS, of Edmonton, Alberta, aged 20

…. Jim returned to duty in December 1944….

Jim returned to duty on December 12, 1944, rejoining the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, now stationed in the Nijmegen area of the Netherlands, near the German border, where they remained over the winter.  While based in a relatively safe area, they still were busy, conducting defence operations and sentry duties near the German border, reconnaissance patrols to monitor enemy positions.

They also tackled infrastructure tasks, such as clearing ice on the Waal River and doing road maintenance.  On the day Jim returned to the Regiment, 7 men drowned in a tragic accident when the vehicle they were in lost control on a dike, slid down the embankment and into the water.  The war diary explained that they “…were pinned down under the carrier and were drowned….” They were part of a group of 13 men sent to repair a road running from a local railway bridge back to regimental headquarters.

…. Jim was involved in the liberation of North-West Europe….

By January 1945 the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were still in The Netherlands, and spent the New Year in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

On February 1, 1945, the war diary recorded that the Regiment was informed of the part that the men “…would play in Operation Veritable…” This would take them into Germany. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable)  The Regiment arrived in Millingen, Germany on February 9, 1945.

By February 16, 1945, the Regiment was based in Essen, Germany, as they cleared German positions in flooded areas of the Rhine flood plain and the Reichswald forest, which is close to the Dutch-German border.

On March 11, 1945, the Regiment began moving back towards ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands and the greater battle towards liberating the country.

….The Liberation of Deventer involved crossing the Schipbeek ….

Movement of Canadian troops towards Deventer.  Note that all first had to cross the Schipbeek.  (Map provided by Edwin van der Wolf)

On April 7, 1945, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were ordered to cross the Schipbeek and establish a bridgehead as preparation for an assault on the city of Deventer by the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade.

Crossing the Schipbeek was vital to the success of the bridge operation, not an easy feat as the Bridge was strongly defended by the Germans, but the Regiment was able to meet its objective.

NOTE: For an account of our visit to Schipbeek and Bathmen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-visit-to-bathmen-and-the-schipbeek-canal/

….Jim lost his life during the Liberation of Deventer…

On April 10, 1945, the Regiment was involved in the liberation of Deventer, a town lying on the right bank of the IJssel River.  With the approaches protected by a maze of waterways, it was necessary to attack from the east. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/deventer.htm)

In ‘Little Black Devils: A History Of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles’ authors Bruce Tascona and Eric Wells noted that Deventer “…was a town of 50,000, which the Germans had fortified with an anti-tank ditch.  The battle began with a night attack at 0100 by the Canadian Scottish on the enemy’s right flank, and the Rifles struck their left flank at 0700.

Over the next 10 hours, the Rifles were continuously engaged, first in pushing back the enemy’s outer positions on the open ground before the big ditch.  Casualties were heavy….”

Deventer was liberated by 5 pm, but Jim unfortunately didn’t see this outcome, as he lost his life at some point during the fight.

On our 2017 European War Memorial Tour, we’d visited Deventer and the surrounding area with Edwin van der Wolf, one of the research volunteers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, so we were familiar with the area where Jim and Clive Elbert Steele GEROW,  whose story was previously told, lost their lives. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/10/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-burks-falls-killed-during-the-liberation-of-deventer/)

Pieter and Edwin van der Wolf (right) walked along the route near Schalkhaar that Canadian troops took before  they liberated Deventer in April 1945.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Jim is buried in Holten…

Along with 45 other soldiers, Jim was initially buried beside an estate in Oxe before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands on December 17, 1945.

Pieter at the entrance to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

During our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, Pieter placed a Canadian flag by his grave.  Unfortunately, on this trip, we did not have any Saskatchewan flags.

Pieter at the grave of James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan after placing a Canadian flag. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…The Colmschate Memorial commemorates 46 Canadians….

On April 8, 2015, a memorial had been placed in Colmschate to commemorate the 46 Canadians who had been temporarily buried on the Oxe estate.

Memorial in Colmschate, commemorating 46 Canadians, including James Kosowan. (Photo courtesy of Edwin van der Wolf)

Text of Memorial in Colmschate, commemorating 46 Canadians, including Philip Laforte.  (Photo courtesy of Edwin van der Wolf)

Translation of the Dutch text was prepared by Pieter Valkenburg:

They Gave Their Lives

The liberation of Colmschate

During their advance from the Achterhoek, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, the Regina Rifle Regiment, and the Canadian Scottish Regiment, led by Brigadier General T G Gibson reached the neighborhood of Oxe on Friday April 6, 1945. Next to the house on the Oxe estate (Oxerhof), the liberators discovered the bodies of ten Dutchmen who had been murdered in cold blood by the occupiers the day before. The Canadians passed the Schipbeek via a quickly struck bailey bridge, which replaced the destroyed Swormertoren Bridge.

Despite heavy German resistance, they continued north. Many farms went up in flames and houses were badly damaged. Many families sought refuge in the already liberated Oxe. Some residents lost their lives.

On April 8, 1945, the liberators captured (a small part of) the Snippeling, Colmschate, and the Bannink. Via the Vijfhoek they reached the Crödden Bridge over the Overijssels Canal. Schalkhaar and Deventer were then liberated and with the help of the Queen’s Own Rifles the remaining part of the Snippeling.

Many Canadians lost their lives in the battle in this area. In April 1945, the bodies of 46 fallen Canadians were buried in a temporary resting place opposite the Oxerhof house. In January 1946 they were transferred to the Canadian Cemetery in Holten (Plot I and II).

Two other soldiers whose stories were previously told are listed on this monument:

….Kosowan Lake is named after Jim…

Kosowan Lake is in northern Saskatchewan. (Map source: Google Maps)

In 1952, Kosowan Lake in northern Saskatchewan, near the border with North West Territories, was named after Jim as part of the GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program.

Kosowan Lake is located at the coordinates 59°25′39″N 106°28′17″W.  (Map source: https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca)

Thank you to Randy Sanjenko, Jim’s nephew, for submitting photos and memories, to Bonnie Sanjenko for contacting her brother-in-law Randy, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

The Canadian flag placed at Jim’s grave during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was donated.  Our thanks go to Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque.

While we were at the cemetery placing flags, we met Jane Kondakova, a Ukrainian refugee from the Kyiv region, who was living in the village of Holten with her two young children.  She was placing flags at the graves of soldiers of Ukrainian descent, including James Kosowan, to honour them and her husband, who is in the Ukrainian military.

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/

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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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Sapper From Rogersville Killed In A Vehicle Accident Shortly After V-E Day

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

August 31, 2026. A few months ago, when I visited our local library, the library technician, Elsie Hovey, asked if I’d like to meet a woman who had just taken out ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’, a compilation of stories about many of the 1,394 Canadians buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

Written by Dutch journalist Jan Braakman, the book was translated by us from the original Dutch language book ‘Holtense Canadezen’, and a copy of the book was added to the Prince Edward Island Library Catalogue in the fall of 2025.  (For more information on the book, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/)

Laurie Ann McCardle with the Holten Heroes book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Of course, I said yes, which is how we met Laurie Ann McCardle of Lady Fane, a community not far from where we live. She explained that her great-uncle, Edgar BLAQUIERE, was buried in Holten, and his name was listed in the book’s index on page 124.   

Although Edgar was from New Brunswick, his father had been born in Rustico, Prince Edward Island.  Laurie Ann and her family are not only Islanders, but it turned out there was a rich history of military service.

“…My Mom, Shirley Gauthier, lives in Summerside, and is 90 years old.  Dad was Ron Gauthier, nephew of Edgar Blaquiere, whose mother Dorina was Edgar’s sister. Dad died 22 years ago….”  Laurie Ann explained.

“…Both of my parents were in the military.  Dad was a radar operator in the RCAF.  Mom was a plotter in the RCAF but had to leave the service when she got pregnant. Mom’s dad, George Emmerson Gallant, came from Bloomfield.  He was in the North Novies and survived the war….”

….Edgar enlisted at the age of 19…

Located about 90 km from Moncton, Rogersville, New Brunswick became part of the village of Nouvelle-Arcadie in 2022. (Map source: Google Maps)

Born July 25, 1921 in Rogersville, Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Edgar was the son of Jonas and Anna (nee LeBlanc) Blaquiere.  One of 6 children, he had one brother Edward ‘Eddie’, who also served in WWII, and four sisters: Doris, Elva, Dorina, Viola.

Edgar left school at the age of 14, and was employed as a miner and driller at NB Coal, a coal mining company in Minto, New Brunswick for two years when he enlisted at the Carleton & York Regimental Depot in Woodstock, New Brunswick on May 31, 1940.  Before that he had worked at Sturgeon River Gold Mines in Sturgeon River, Ontario, and was a member of the United Mine Workers of America.

Fluent in both English and French orally and in written English, he stated that he enjoyed playing team sports – baseball, softball, and soccer.  Edgar explained in an interview that he supported his mother and younger sister Viola, as his mother “…has throat trouble and loss of speech…” His father, a cobbler who had been paralyzed for many years, died in 1932, when Edgar was only 11 years old.

After completing his basic training, Edgar was transferred to the A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia on July 17, 1940 for more intensive combat training in tactical firearm use and field exercises.

He remained at Camp Aldershot until March 28, 1941, when he was transferred to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment in Sussex, New Brunswick, which was preparing for overseas duty.

Edgar Blaquiere. (Photo courtesy of the Gauthier Family)

On July 4, 1941, Edgar was given 3 days of embarkation leave, the last chance he had to see his family.

….Edgar left Canada for overseas service ……

Edgar left Canada aboard the Duchess of York troopship.  (Photo source: Wikipedia re New York Public Library digital gallery)

After returning from leave, Edgar, along with other members of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, travelled by train from Bathurst, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and boarded the troopship Duchess of York, which sailed for Great Britain on July 18, 1941. Part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, the soldiers disembarked in Liverpool, England on July 30, 1941, and began intensive physical and amphibious assault training.

On October 16, 1941, Edgar was posted to the 3rd Division’s Reinforcement Infantry Holding Unit, before being transferred to the No. 1 Canadian Engineers Holding Unit, Royal Canadian Engineers, in Hawley, Hampshire, as a sapper on December 3, 1941.

In a December 10, 1941 interview, Edgar expressed a wish to join a tunnelling company.  He subsequently passed the technical tests, and qualified as a Miner Group ‘C’ and a Driver Group ‘B’.  (A Group ‘B’ driver was qualified to drive non-combat transport trucks. A Miner Group ‘C’ Group ‘C’ qualification was focused on fundamental hard-rock mining, hand tools, and field safety.)

On March 6, 1942, Edgar was transferred to 1st Mechanical Equipment Company, a specialized unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers, whose role was to operate heavy engineering and mechanical equipment in support of large-scale construction, fortification, and infrastructure projects.

….Edgar was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company ……

Edgar’s wish to join a tunnelling company within the Royal Canadian Engineers became a reality on October 19, 1942, when he was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company, which was involved in airfield demolition, mining and power plant construction in the British Isles.

He was injured in his right knee on February 16, 1943 and hospitalized until March 19, 1943, after an accident while working on a military bridge.  According to the accident report, Edgar “….was part of a transom party.  He was carrying the end of a transom when he slipped in the mud. The end of the transom slipped down and hit him on the knee…”  Transoms of timber were used as support beams for military bridging or heavy tunneling equipment.

….Edgar was in the Italian Campaign ……

The Italian Campaign followed Operation Husky in Sicily. (Map source: Juno Beach Centre)

On August 16, 1943, as a member of a special detachment of No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, Edgar boarded a ship, which left the United Kingdom on August 17, 1943, and arrived in Sicily on August 24, 1943, part of the Central Mediterranean Force, just as Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) was ending and the Italian Campaign beginning. (See https://project44.ca/storymaps/southern-italy/)

Other units in No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company had been involved in Operation Husky since it began in July 1943.  From Sicily, the Company crossed over to the Italian mainland across the Strait of Messina via amphibious transport and landing craft as part of the Allied invasion forces, following in the general path of the British Eighth Army, in September 1943.

In the Italian Campaign, hard-rock miners and engineers immediately needed to begin blasting mountain passes, clearing high-altitude routes, and repairing demolished infrastructure obstructed by retreating Axis (German and Italian) forces.  The unit supported the British Eighth Army in harsh winter conditions, cutting roads into sheer rock cliffs, clearing mountain blockages, and maintaining vital supply routes.

….Edgar was hospitalized on Boxing Day 1943……

On December 26, 1943, the No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company was on the front lines of the Italian Campaign as Allied forces pushed through the rugged terrain of mainland Italy, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Ortona (which saw its fiercest fighting from December 20–28, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ortona).  While not in a direct combat role, the unit was clearing high-altitude routes, blasting obstructed mountain passes, and removing German demolitions so that British, Canadian, and American combat groups could advance.

61.8 km (38 miles) separate Torino di Sangro and Termoli in Italy. (Map source: Google Maps)

At some point during the day, Edgar was admitted to 216th Field Ambulance of the British Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), which was located in Torino di Sangro, Italy during the Moro River Campaign and the Battle of Ortona.  Later that day, Edgar was taken to the British Army’s 19 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS), located inside the San Antonio de Padua Seminary in the coastal town of Termoli.

The distance between Termoli and Bari is 213 km (132 miles). (Map source: Google Maps)

The following day, Edgar was moved 213 km (132 miles) down the coast to the 98th British General Hospital in Bari, Italy.  It wouldn’t have been an easy journey in war-time conditions.

The circumstance of why Edgar was hospitalized was not documented in his service file, but as no mention was made of combat injuries from blasting work, enemy shellfire, or falling rock, he may have been hospitalized due to a winter-related illness, such as cold or flu, trench foot from being in wet and cold conditions, or exhaustion.

Edgar remained in hospital until January 14, 1944, when he returned to duty.

….Edgar served in Italy until April 1945…

In March 1944, No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company was renamed No. 1 Canadian Drilling Company to better reflect its updated technical role and changing military technology, but the unit remained in Italy, undertaking critical infrastructure, demolition, and engineering tasks, until April 1945, long after other Canadian forces had left for North-West Europe.

Edgar qualified as a Driver i/c Wheeled on September 5, 1944.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Wheeled meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

On April 17, 1945, Edgar left Italy as part of Operation Goldflake, arriving in Marseilles, France the following day.  Operation Goldflake was the codename for moving troops from Italy to North-West Europe.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goldflake)  While the main body of the 1st Canadian Corps had moved earlier in February and March 1945, specialized engineer units like No. 1 Canadian Drilling Company completed their final transfers out of Italy in April.

After arriving in France, and now serving under the 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Engineers, the unit moved to temporary transit camps set up around Marseilles, where they processed administrative paperwork, underwent equipment checks, and prepared their heavily specialized diamond-drilling and tunneling gear for northern transit.  Travelling by convoy trucks and trains, they went north through the Rhone Valley towards Belgium and The Netherlands.

Arriving in North-West Europe shortly before Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on May 8, 1945, the unit was tasked with supporting structural engineering tasks.  After the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division captured the city of Oldenburg, Germany on May 2, 1945, the unit was one of the engineering and drilling units tasked with securing infrastructure and clearing pathways.

….Edgar died in a vehicle accident…

Edgar had survived to see V-E Day, but he was not fated to return home to Canada.  On May 14, 1945, while filling in as a despatch rider while the regular despatch rider was on leave, 24 year old Edgar died in a vehicle accident in Germany.

In a statement during the Court of Inquiry following the accident, Sgt F. M. GRONERT, Acting Platoon Commander for No. 2 Drilling Platoon, stated that at 1 pm on the afternoon of May 14, Edgar had been sent “…to pick up situation reports from other platoons and deliver them to Headquarters…”

Red circle shows Oldenburg where Edgar was based.  He was travelling on the 21 km (13 miles) route from Papenburg towards Leer when the accident happened. (Map source: Michelin Maps)

One of the witnesses, Bombardier J. P. REID of 58 Battery, 4th Canadian Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, testified that “…on the road between Papenburg and Leer there was a despatch rider going in front of our vehicle at about 25 miles per hour. There was a Polish convoy coming from the other direction. There was a bump in the road…”  Edgar was going towards Leer, the Polish convoy was coming from Leer.

Trying to avoid the bump, Edgar “…swung to the centre of the road… and lost control….” Unfortunately, he crashed his motorcycle “…into the first vehicle of the Polish Convoy….”

In trying to avoid the motorcycle, the Polish driver “…pulled over to the left of the road and crashed into our lorry. When the vehicles finally came to rest, the motorcycle was between the two lorries and the despatch rider was under the right wheel of the Polish vehicle…”

The soldiers tried to help free him from the wreckage and “…a Canadian padre took him to a hospital towards Leer…” but his injuries were fatal.

….Edgar is buried in Holten…

Edgar was initially buried, on May 16, 1945, in a temporary cemetery just south-west of Winschoten, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten on April 12, 1946.

Shirley Gauthier with her daughters Michele Vander Kooi (left) and Laurie Ann McCardle (right) visited the grave of Edgar Blaquiere on September 10, 2012.  (Photo courtesy of Laurie Ann McCardle)

Thank you to Laurie Ann McCardle for providing photos and information.  Thank you also to Etienne Gaudet for clarifying terminology in French language documents. 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 WWII Soldier From L’Ardoise Who Lost His Life During The Battle of Walcheren Causeway

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August 23, 2026.  When Pieter begins the search for a photo of a soldier, he never knows what to expect.  His day is made when a photo is found, and if there is anything more, such as letters or postcards, it’s a welcome addition. Such was the case when Dr. Ian Grant sent him an article written several years ago by his mother, Dorothy Grant, about her Uncle Joe, WWII soldier Joseph ‘Joe’ Julius Augustus LAWRENCE, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands.

L’Ardoise, pronounced locally as ‘Lord-Ways’, is located along Highway 247 on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.  (Map source: Google Maps)

Born December 21, 1918 (the attestation form when he enlisted incorrectly recorded his birth date as December 22, 1919) in L’Ardoise, located on the southeastern shore of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Joe was the son of Augustus and Mary ‘Jane’ (nee Johnston) Lawrence.  One of 5 children who lived to adulthood, he had two younger brothers, John ‘Albert’ (who also served in WWII) and Francis, and two older sisters, Florence and Mary Elizabeth.  The family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia shortly after Joe was born and was living there when Joe’s father died on January 24, 1925.

Dorothy Grant was the daughter of Joe’s sister Florence. In a November 2011 article in Bedford Magazine, she wrote that she remembered her uncle “…even though I had been only a little girl when I last was with him….” in 1939.  “…At that time, he was a strong young man who would toss me high in the air over his head, while to my great delight, I would loudly proclaim, ‘Put me down, Uncle Joe! Put me down!’…”

….Joe enlisted with the 1st Anti-Aircraft Battery….

Joe left school after completing Grade 8, and worked as a bell hop and night clerk at The Halifax Hotel on Hollis St in Halifax from 1935 to 1937 (the hotel closed in 1943).  In 1937, he became an apprentice furrier at George Hay Tailoring Company in Halifax, and continued working there until he enlisted in the active army in 1939.

He had joined the 1st Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), a Non-Permanent Active Militia, in Halifax on April 13, 1938. After Canada entered WWII on September 10, 1939, the Battery became part of Canada’s eastern coastal and air defense preparations, and had transitioned into an active army unit.

Joseph ‘Joe’ Julius Augustus Lawrence. (Photo courtesy of Dr Ian Grant)

On September 30, 1939, Joe quit his job as an apprentice furrier and enlisted with the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery’s Active Service Force.  The Personnel Selection Record noted his interest in sports: swimming, skating, hunting and fishing, basketball, and softball.  He also had an interest in model planes and could play the harmonica.

Training as a bombardier began.  As well, based on his extensive sports experience, Joe became one of the physical training instructors within the unit.

….Joe almost was posted to Iceland….

On June 28, 1940, Joe was assigned to the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery’s ‘Z’ Force, a special deployment to provide artillery support for Canada’s secret garrison mission to Iceland in June 1940. Why Iceland? The British had invaded Iceland in an attempt to prevent Nazi occupation, and Canada was to supply troops to relieve British garrisons. This specialized deployment became known as ‘Z’ Force.

As an infantry force required artillery cover to protect ports and airspace from Luftwaffe attack, anti-aircraft and coast defence gunners were in Halifax transit camps, packed and prepared for immediate overseas embarkation. However, the Battery never left Halifax because its deployment was abruptly cancelled just as the ship was about to be boarded, leading to the artillery force being disbanded and absorbed into home defence units.

On August 1, 1940, the unit amalgamated to form the 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA).

….Joe left Canada for overseas service….

Map shows location of Gourock, Scotland in the Firth of Clyde.  (Map source: scotslanguage.com)

On December 16, 1940, Joe boarded a ship in Halifax, and with other members of 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, now part of the 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), in support of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, left Canada for the United Kingdom, disembarking in Gourock, Scotland on December 26, 1940.

Joe continued training, and on April 12, 1941 was sent to Royal Naval Air Station Ford, 4.8 km (3 miles) west of Littlehampton, for a Predictor course, to learn how to operate an anti-aircraft predictor – an early mechanical analog computer that measured the speed, altitude, and trajectory of enemy aircraft. It then calculated the ‘future position’ of the target so that the gunners could aim ahead of the plane, accounting for shell travel time and wind speeds.

Joe was sent for a number of training courses, and was promoted to Acting Sergeant on February 11, 1943, just ahead of a transfer to the 11th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), on February 24, 1943.

On May 14, 1943, Joe received a promotion to Sergeant.  Then, from June 22 until August 21, 1943, he was sent to a 42 day Canadian Military Headquarters (CMHQ) Conversion Course at the Canadian Army Battle Drill School in Stansted Park in Rowland’s Castle, Hampshire, England. The physically and exhausting course trained officers and NCOs to standardize infantry and joint-force tactics before deployment, and to be able to train their own units in simulated combat conditions.

From January 9 to 16, 1944, Joe was sent to Ripon, Yorkshire for a Clearing of Mines and Booby Traps course, run by the British Army Royal Engineers to prepare troops for the upcoming invasion of Europe, which began with D-Day on June 6, 1944.

….Joe was impatient for front line action….

On March 21, 1944, Joe was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit (CARU), a specialized depot unit that provided final preparation before sending soldiers on to active Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) units in the war zones.

Joe was impatient to see action, but instead of being dispatched to the front as he expected, he remained in the United Kingdom.  In an interview on June 13, 1944, it was noted that he was “…very anxious to get to a field unit. He is getting rather fed-up being chased around in RCA and has even thought about transferring to Infantry….”  The interviewer went on to recommend that as his “…intelligence is high…” he should be “…given training in anti-tank and despatched to field as soon as possible…”

As an outcome following his interview, Joe was sent to a Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Light Anti-Aircraft Course, from July 9 to August 5, 1944.  The course focused on tactical leadership, unit gunnery, site deployment, how to camouflage a gun position, and training to command a 6-to-8-man gun crew under intense combat pressure.

On August 12, 1944, a week after completing his course, Joe was temporarily transferred to the Canadian Fusiliers, and a few days later given 9 days of leave.  On September 28, 1944, he was assigned to the X-4 Reinforcement List of the Canadian Infantry Corps (CIC), part of the 13th Battalion. The following day he left for France, arriving a day later and sent to the 2nd Canadian Base Reinforcement Group (CBRG), positioned behind the advancing front lines in France and Belgium.  Joe was about to be part of advance into Belgium toward the Scheldt Estuary and the Battle of the Scheldt.

… Joe was transferred to the Black Watch of Canada…

On what became known as ‘Black Friday’, the Black Watch of Canada had suffered 183 casualties – killed, wounded, missing, taken as prisoners of war – during Operation Angus on October 13, 1944.  In the Battle of the Scheldt’s ongoing goal of securing the port of Antwerp for Allied shipping supplies, Operation Angus was to clear German forces near Woensdrecht and cut off the South Beveland isthmus in The Netherlands.

Needing to replace their casualties, the Black Watch’s War Diary entry for October 14, 1944 recorded that “…today we received 151 reinforcements, bringing the total, since the 11th, to 3 officers and 279 other ranks…” Joe was one of those reinforcements, joining the Regiment in Ossendrecht, The Netherlands. Over the next week, intensive training sessions were held as most of the reinforcements were inexperienced, and the Regiment was about to be involved in another battle as part of the 5th Canadian Brigade, along with the Calgary Highlanders and Le Régiment de Maisonneuve.

In The History Of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Of Canada Volume II: 1939-1945, author Roman Johann Jarymowycz wrote that on the evening of October 29, 1944, the Regiment was “…ordered to attack the last bastion of the Scheldt defences – Walcheren Island….”

The war diary entry for October 30, 1944  noted that the Regiment proceeded “…via the main road towards the Walcheren Causeway, to a concentration area in the centre of the Calgary Highlanders position…..” They left at 2:00 pm and arrived at their designated area by 3:30 pm.

… The Regiment was involved in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

Map showing troops at the beginning of the Battle of Walcheren Causeway.  (Map source: Wikipedia)

On Tuesday, October 31, 1944, the war diary entry stated that a morning briefing determined that “…this Brigade shall form a bridgehead across the causeway, on Walcheren Island, 1000 to 1500 yards deep.  A recce made this morning shows that the causeway is intact to beyond the centre…”

In what became known as the Battle of Walcheren Causeway, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, the struggle to cross the Causeway was hampered.  A deep crater on the causeway had been blown by German engineers as an anti-tank obstacle and the surrounding landscape was severely damaged by bombing.

Jarymowycz gave a clearer picture.  “…Reconnaissance showed the Germans had cratered the centre of the approach and the surrounding area was a slough with marshland impassable to infantry, let alone armour. The ditches and gaps were filled with water that reached the chests of most men: anyone shorter or weighed down by grenades and other gear would be swamped….”

Nevertheless, noted the war diary, the men began their advance, “…with ‘C’ Company leading, followed by ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘D’…”  However, “…as soon as the leading Company approached the causeway, the enemy went into action and started dropping shells and mortar on our end of it….”

It got worse. “…The enemy had his guns sited to give cross fire on the causeway, with one tank dug in, and an anti-tank gun firing down the centre of the road. Enemy snipers had positioned themselves in the marsh bordering the causeway and were very accurate….”

(For more information, see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Walcheren_Causeway and https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/walcherencauseway.htm)

… Joe lost his life in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

Joe was among those killed on October 31, 1944, one of 86 casualties – “…10 dead, 67 wounded, 9 missing…” – per the war diary for the Black Watch of Canada between October 14 and November 1, 1944, with most casualties occurring directly during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway. He was 25 years old.

Dorothy wrote that months after Joe’s death, her grandmother received a letter from “…Pte Fred Joliff….” giving an account of Joe’s death.  “…I was with him in the attack and a shell fell at his feet. For some reason, I was not killed. I know your mind will be at rest if you know your son felt no pain and that I can only say I was five feet from him and did what was at all possible under shell fire, but he had passed away in a matter of seconds.

I am only one of few left that was under your son’s orders and we have yet to find a man to replace him. I will never forget how at night he would sing a song to us and tell us that we would all be home soon.  He was always thinking of us fellows and never of himself.

I know how sad you are but, please remember, your son was one of the bravest men to fight for the Black Watch and he died that we may live in peace…”

After the Black Watch of Canada suffered so many losses during the crossing on October 31, 1944, when Joe was killed, the Calgary Highlanders sent two companies over in succession, one close to midnight on the 31st and the other just before dawn on November 1. Leonard William PORTER of Moncton, New Brunswick, was one of 64 Calgary Highlanders killed or wounded.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-moncton-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-of-walcheren-causeway/

The Germans surrendered the area on November 5, 1944.  Today, the Causeway that caused so many casualties no longer exists. Land on both sides of the dyke has been reclaimed and the Sloe Channel is now farmland. However, remnants of German concrete fortifications still exist both on Walcheren Island and South Beveland.

NOTE: For an idea of the scope of the Battle of The Scheldt, read about the visit we made during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour to the Freedom Museum Zeeland (Bevrijdingsmuseum Zeeland in Dutch) in Nieuwdorp, a privately run museum that focuses on the Battle of the Scheldt.  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/01/31/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-2025-visit-to-freedom-museum-zeeland/

….Joe is buried in Bergen Op Zoom…

Leonard was initially buried in Lewedorp.  (Map source: Google maps)

Joe was initially buried on November 5, 1944 on Walcheren Island, behind the Roman Catholic Church in Lewedorp, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom on July 11, 1945.

The Roman Catholic Church in Lewedorp.  (Photo source: Wikipedia)

Grave of Joseph Julius Augustus Lawrence.  (Photo courtesy of Bergen Op Zoom Cemetery)

Dorothy Grant, niece of Joseph Lawrence. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Ian Grant)

Thank you to Dr. Ian Grant for providing a photo and the article written by his mother, Dorothy Grant.  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/

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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On The War Memorial Trail…..The Soldier From Birch River Who Served In Italy And North West Europe But Lost His Life 5 Months After WWII Ended

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August 17, 2026. One can imagine the relief that soldiers and their families felt when WWII in Europe was officially over, after the Allies formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945.  While some soldiers slowly began returning home, others remained in Europe, tasked with various duties in liberated countries and as a post-occupation force in Germany.

Unfortunately, not everyone who had survived WWII returned home. Accidents and illness led to the death of several soldiers.  One such soldier was Edward Alexander MUNRO, who died in a road accident in Germany in October 1945, at the age of 27, while serving with the 2nd Line 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (Canadian Army Occupation Force).

Birch River is in northern Manitoba, near the border with the province of Saskatchewan. (Map source: Google Maps)

Born September 17, 1917 in Birch River, Manitoba, Edward was the son of Thomas ‘Tom’ Henry and Margaret ‘Maggie’ (nee Moore) Munro.  He had three brothers: John Peter, Angus James, and Charles ‘Charley’ George, and two sisters: Kathleen (married name Delyea) and Sarah Louise.

Blanche Cowley-Head, a First Nations genealogist, wrote to let us know that Edward’s mother Maggie, and her sister Harriet, “…were sisters that married Munro brothers.  The two sisters were the daughters of Peter Moore of the Shoal River Band (now known as Sapotaweyak Cree Nation). They lost their Treaty and Indian status upon their marriage to non-status Indians….” (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapotaweyak_Cree_Nation)

The search for a photo of Edward was successful when Glenda Foster, Office Administer at the Swan Valley Legion Branch #39 in Manitoba was able to find one. Glenda explained that she “…was born and raised in Birch River, I do know of the family and was well acquainted with Charley….”

….Edward enlisted in 1942…

When he enlisted at Military District No. 10 ‘B’ Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba on August 27, 1942, Edward was working at his father’s mixed farming operation in Birch River, and said that he’d left school at the age of 17.   His Personnel Selection Record stated that he was “…pleasant mannered and cooperative…” and “…walks with a slouch, talks freely and is quite friendly…” and noted that all three of his brothers were in the army – two with the Royal Canadian Artillery and one with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.  He enjoyed playing softball and was interested in becoming a barber after the war.

On September 19, 1942, Edward was transferred to No. 100 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre (CABTC) in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Shortly before completing his basic training, his Platoon Commander stated that he was a “… good soldier…” with a “…smart appearance, talkative…” and “…might be a good prospect for Provost duties, as a Corporal in charge of a small group of men…”

Edward Alexander Munro. (Photo submitted by Glenda Foster of the Swan Valley Legion Branch #39 in Manitoba)

After completing his basic training, Edward was sent to A20 Royal Canadian Army Service Corps Training Centre in Red Deer, Alberta on November 18, 1942 for further training.  He qualified as a Driver Class III wheeled vehicles on December 23, 1942.  (This meant he had passed the tests to drive standard military trucks and soft-skin wheeled vehicles at a beginner-to-intermediate trade proficiency level.)

After receiving his Class III certification, he was granted Christmas leave until December 27, 1942, in what turned out to be the last chance he would have to see his family before going overseas.

Once he returned back to Red Deer, he was hospitalized on December 30, 1942 until January 4, 1943 with a fractured rib.

….Edward left Canada for overseas service….

On March 11, 1943, Edward left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on March 17, 1943 he was assigned to No. 1 Canadian Army Service Corps Reinforcement Unit (RCASC RU), effective the following day. This logistical training and staging unit was based in Aldershot in Hampshire, and administered by Canadian Military Headquarters (CMHQ) in London.

Newly arrived soldiers from the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) received additional operational and combat training. As active field units in the First Canadian Army needed reinforcements due to casualties, No. 1 Reinforcement Unit could deploy combat-ready replacements directly to the front lines.

On June 4, 1943, Edward was assigned to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade (CIB) of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC).  A few weeks later, on June 25, 1943, he was sent to 1st Canadian Infantry Divisional Troops Company (12 Company) RCASC for more training, before returning to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade (CIB) on July 7, 1943. Edward was among the soldiers being prepared for the Italian Campaign – the upcoming Allied invasion of Italy, which began after the successful landings in Sicily (Operation Husky). (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/military-history/second-world-war/italian-campaign)

  ….Edward served in Italy….

On August 16, 1943, Edward boarded a ship that left the United Kingdom the following day and arrived in Sicily on August 27, 1943, where his unit, No. 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, RCASC, was taking part in the final stages of the Operation Husky before going on to mainland Italy for the upcoming Italian Campaign.

The unit had a transport and supply logistical role, supporting the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 1ar Canadian Infantry Division with essential tasks such as hauling ammunition, food, fuel, and equipment across treacherous mountain roads and river valleys in Italy.

On September, 1943, Edward and the rest of his unit later crossed the Strait of Messina to land on mainland Italy at Reggio di Calabria under Operation Baytown, the start of the Italian Campaign.  (See https://project44.ca/storymaps/southern-italy/)

The Italian Campaign followed Operation Husky in Sicily. (Map source: Juno Beach Centre)

Vehicles would be driven under severe conditions, with heavy reliance on relay drivers and field maintenance during the upcoming battles as troops moved up through mainland Italy, including Ortona and the breakthroughs of the Hitler and Gothic Lines.

On November 4, 1943, Edward was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, RCASC, and a few days later, on November 12, 1943, seconded to 112 Forward Maintenance Centre (FMC), one of several highly mobile logistical hubs set up just behind the front lines, where ammunition, fuel, food, and spare parts were stored.

Edward remained with 112 FMC until July 4, 1944, when he was hospitalized at No. 15 Canadian General Hospital in Caserta, Italy.  There is no indication that Edward was wounded, so it’s possible that he was in hospital for an infection.  During the summer of 1944, malaria was a major issue, due to the marshy, mosquito-heavy terrain that had been intentionally flooded by retreating German forces.

After his hospital discharge on July 15, 1944, Edward was placed in an X-4 Reinforcement Unit for a short period, until July 25, 1944, when he was transferred to No. 2 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, RCASC.  The unit was stationed in a rest area along the Volturno River valley in southern Italy, near the towns of Piedimonte d’Alife (today’s Piedimonte Matese) and Raviscanina.

Edward had a chance to recuperate more fully, before returning to No. 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, RCASC on August 23, 1944. The unit was in central Italy, positioned just south of the Gothic Line, and had begun staging logistics for Operation Olive, an offensive aimed at breaking through the German Gothic Line fortifications. This meant moving large quantities of ammunition, rations, and fuel up mountainous terrain to sustain front line infantry units.  The main assault on the Gothic Line began 3 days later, on August 26, 1944.

It was also a period when Edward took additional training, qualifying as a Driver i/c Class III on September 15, 1944.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, but not tanks.)

On October 18, 1944, he qualified as a Driver Mechanic (MV) ‘C’, which meant he not only was qualified to operate military vehicles, but was also able handle field repairs, basic mechanical troubleshooting, and routine vehicle maintenance.

Shortly after completing his training, his unit moved north across the Apennines to prepare for the assault on the Gothic Line.

….Edward left Italy for northwest Europe…

On March 7, 1945, Edward and his unit left Italy from Leghorn, the port in Livorno, as part of Operation Goldflake, arriving in Marseilles, France two days later.  Operation Goldflake was the codename for moving troops from Italy to North-West Europe.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goldflake)

Once in France, the unit travelled north by road and train to join the 1st Canadian Army in Belgium and The Netherlands, again providing crucial logistical and transport support.  In The Netherlands, the unit was part of the support provided for the advance across the IJsselmeer, the liberation of Apeldoorn, and beginning on May 2, 1945, for Operation Faust, the delivery of food, coal and medical supplies across German lines for the relief of the starving Dutch.

Operation Faust ended on May 9, 1945 with the surrender of Germany, but in that short one week period had delivered between 840 and 1,141 tons of food and supplies EACH day!  (See https://rclsa-asrlc.org/stories/op-faust/)

….Edward was in Germany with the CAOF….

With the end of WWII, Edward was granted a well-deserved leave to the United Kingdom, from May 18 to 31, 1945.  Shortly after returning to his unit, he was transferred to the newly formed 2nd Line 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade Company (Canadian Army Occupation Force), RCASC as a Driver Mechanic (MV) ‘C’ on June 14, 1945. This new unit was sent to Germany to support the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division (Occupation Force), as part of the Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF), which was involved in policing, rebuilding, and securing the British Zone of occupied Germany.

Edward’s unit was responsible for transporting bulk supplies using 3-ton to 10-ton trucks, and accounting for the supplies and rations, and maintaining fuel depots.  On-site mechanics, like Edward, kept the unit’s vehicle fleet operational.

He was given an 11 day leave to the United Kingdom, from August 12 until 24, 1945.  On September 27, 1945, Edward was admitted to No. 6 Canadian Field Dressing Station (RCAMC) in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, a distance of 257 km (160 miles), remaining there until he was discharged on October 3, 1945.

The distance between Apeldoorn and Oldenburg is 257 km.  (Map source: Google Maps)

….Edward died in a road accident in Germany…

Drawing of accident site from Edward Munro’s service file.

Just a few days after being discharged, Edward lost his life in a vehicle accident while a passenger in an armoured scout car that was returning from ‘Alexandra Airport’ (Flughafen Oldenburg/Alexanderheide) located 5 km (3 miles) from Oldenburg.  His brother, Charles ‘Charley’ George, who also served in 2nd Line 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade Company, was a passenger in the front seat of the vehicle, and was injured in the same accident.

According to the Court of Inquiry, an accident occurred “…on the Bad Zwischenahn Road between Bad Zwischenahn and Oldenburg, Germany at 2305 hours 5 Oct 1945…” with 4 soldiers in the vehicle.  The speed of the vehicle was judged to be “….normal, at approximately 25 miles per hour….” and evidence indicated that “…the accident occurred due to a combination of weather conditions, slippery roads, bad lights, and poor visibility…”

Edward “…was instantly killed as a result of this accident…” Three other soldiers from the same unit were injured: Pte A. THOMSON (the driver of the vehicle); Pte C. G. MUNRO (Edward’s brother); and L/Cpl M. D. WHITE.

Testimony by several witnesses who stopped to help following the accident reported that the vehicle had hit a tree.  Pte R. E. QUADE stated that he “….looked inside the vehicle and noticed that three of the men were inside, and one, I would say, was dead or dying….and the fourth was outside, walking around with blood on his face….”

Cpl Roy W. STATES, another witness, said he’d stopped to help, tried unsuccessfully to immediately get help, before returning to the vehicle and “…saw to my horror a body with his head smashed in…”

Edward, with a fractured skull, was the only fatality.  He was taken to No. 16 Canadian General Hospital in Oldenburg, with the death certificate signed on October 6, 1945.

Charley was seriously injured with “…head lacerations, concussion, and a fractured right scapula…”  He returned home to Birch River after being discharged from the Canadian Army and died in 2002.

….Edward is buried in Holten…

Edward was initially buried in the Canadian Military Cemetery in Osterscheps, Germany (near Oldenburg) before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands on March 8, 1946. During our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, Pieter placed Canadian and Manitoba flags by his grave.

Pieter at the grave of Edward Alexander Munro after placing Canadian and Manitoba flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter reflected that Edward’s death resonated after learning that not only had he helped so many soldiers as a member of the essential services provided by the RCASC, he had been part of Operation Faust. “…After being involved in saving the lives of so many starving Dutch citizens, it is tragic that this man lost his life in a vehicle accident over which he had no control…”

…..Edward will be listed on the National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument….

Once we noticed that Edward is not listed on the National Métis Veterans Memorial Monument just outside of Batoche, Saskatchewan, but his brother Charley is, we sent in an application to have his name added.  (See https://www.metismuseum.ca/metisveteransmonument/)

In January 2026, we received an email from Ryan Nordmarken, Senior Administrative Coordinator at the Gabriel Dumont Institute – Métis Culture & Heritage Dept., advising that the application was approved. “…This submission has been added to the list to be included with the next engraving.  Thank you!...”

…..Munro Peninsula is named in Edward’s honour….

Munro Peninsula in northern Manitoba was in Edward Alexander Munro’s honour. (Map source: Mapcarta)

Munro Peninsula, on Obuyi Lake (formerly known as Pincock Lake) in northern Manitoba (approximately latitude 59°07′ N, longitude 97°07′ W) was named after him in 1995. ‘Obuyi’ comes from the Chipewyan language and means ‘trees have been burned around the lake’.

Thank you to Glenda Foster of the Swan Valley Legion Branch #39 in Manitoba for sending a photo, and to Jennifer Laviolette, Editor at The Swan Valley Star and Times newspaper, for referring us to the Swan Valley Legion.  Thank you also to Blanche Cowley-Head for confirming that Edward’s mother Maggie had Indigenous roots.

The flags placed at Edward’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/

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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On The War Memorial Trail….The Flight Engineer From Urbainville Aboard The Last Flight Of Lancaster KB914

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August 9, 2026. Several months ago, an article sent by Don Coutts, nephew of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, about Flying Officer Bernard Delbert FORBES, an airman from North Bay, Ontario, who died in a February 1, 1953 plane crash in Newfoundland, led to the discovery that one crew member was Corporal Joseph ‘Donat’ GALLANT of Urbainville, Prince Edward Island.  (See Shared from BayToday.ca: Tragic 1953 crash that killed North Bay airman still remembered: https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/tragic-1953-crash-that-killed-north-bay-airman-still-remembered-11879654?utm_source=Email_Share&utm_medium=Email_Share&utm_campaign=Email_Share)

Wedding photo of Donat Gallant and Émilie Gaudet. (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant. Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

Born March 17, 1918 in Urbainville, Prince Edward Island, Donat was the son of Cyrus and Edna Gallant.  A WWII veteran, he was living in Wellingon, Prince Edward Island, with his wife Mary Émilie (nee Gaudet) Gallant, who he’d married on October 4, 1943.  They were the parents of three children – Ronald, Sandra, and Gerald.

We were interested in finding a family member, if possible, and thanks to several Gallants who lived in the area where the airman came from, Pieter was soon put in contact with Evelyn Gallant, wife of Donat’s son Ron.

….The leadup to the crash…

Joseph ‘Donat’ Gallant. (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant)

Donat had re-enlisted in the RCAF on January 8, 1948 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. According to an article in the February 20, 1953 edition of the Telegraph-Journal of St. John, New Brunswick, Donat had been “…stationed at the Chatham RCAF base before transfer to Greenwood, where he completed a flight engineer’s course in November…”

Based in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, he was a member of No. 405 ‘Eagle’ (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron, a long-range patrol unit involved in maritime surveillance and Arctic sovereignty. Originally formed on April 3, 1941 in England as the first RCAF bomber squadron overseas, and serving as an elite Pathfinder force unit. Disbanded on September 5, 1945, it was reformed on April 1, 1947 as No. 405 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron at RCAF Station Greenwood, and was later re-designated No. 405 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron in 1950, and today is known as No. 405 Maritime Patrol Squadron. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/405_Long_Range_Patrol_Squadron)

A Lancaster of the type used by No. 405 Squadron.  (Source: Wikipedia)

In January 1953, two Lancaster KB868 and Lancaster KB914 crews, from No. 405 ‘Eagle’ (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron, were sent to Keflavik, Iceland, to take part in an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise.

However, on Saturday, January 31, 1953, both crews received orders to proceed to Goose Bay, Labrador, to participate in the search for a missing civilian twin-engine Beechcraft 18 Expeditor. The plan was to fly to the vicinity of Bluie West One (now Narsarsuaq Airport) located near the southern tip of Greenland, and then do a track crawl to Goose Bay, while looking for any signs of the missing aircraft.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narsarsuaq_Air_Base)

Both Lancasters left Keflavik on Sunday, February 1, 1953. Lancaster KB914 left Keflavik at 7:31 am (1031 Zulu).  Lancaster KB868 arrived safely around 3:30 pm (1826 Zulu) at RCAF Station Goose Bay, landing with the plane coated with heavy snow.  Goose Bay was getting dumped on by heavy snow and the base was ‘socked in’.  (NOTE: Zulu Time is the world standard time used in aviation. Also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), it remains constant, unaffected by Daylight Saving Time changes.)

…. Lancaster KB914 didn’t have a safe arrival….

Map shows the plane’s path from Keflavik to where it crashed near Goose Bay.  (Map prepared by Wendy Nattress)

By the time that Lancaster KB914, which had been directed to the search area, began approaching Goose Bay at 4:26 pm (1926 Zulu), not only was the base ‘socked in’, but the Ground Control Approach (GCA) system was unserviceable, and the aircrew had no visibility.

With the situation preventing the plane from landing at Goose Bay, the pilot, Thomas Claude WAGAR, was ordered to divert to the RCAF Station in Torbay, Newfoundland (now St. John’s International Airport). The plane was at a height of 2,135 metres (7,000 feet) and had five hours of fuel left. The order was acknowledged, a course was plotted to their new destination, and the plane headed in an easterly direction.  The estimated time of arrival at Torbay was 7:09 pm (2209 Zulu), well within safe fuel limits.

At 5:30 pm (2030 Zulu), however, an urgent message was sent to Goose Bay notifying them that the pilot had just feathered two of the four Rolls Royce Merlin engines and they were returning to Goose Bay. Feathering refers to turning the propeller blades so their thin edges point directly into the oncoming air. This stops the blades from spinning in the wind and cuts down heavy drag, helping to keep the plane steady.

Arrival at Goose Bay was estimated at 6:00 pm (2100 Zulu). 16 minutes later the pilot requested a weather update for Goose Bay. This was sent but not acknowledged. Radio contact between ground personnel and the plane suddenly ended. Lancaster KB914 was declared missing.

…. Lancaster KB914 wasn’t found until June….

When a massive air search, hampered by more bad weather and two other missing aircraft that also required attention, was unsuccessful, the search was called off on February 16.  In addition to the missing Lancaster and Beechcraft, a British York transport, carrying troops to Jamaica via Gander, vanished over the Atlantic on February 2, with cold, blowing snow still sweeping the area.

A February 3, 1953 article in the Globe and Mail noted that “…an extensive search from Greenland and Labrador bases found no trace of a Philadelphia-owned Beechcraft which disappeared Friday on a flight between Goose Bay, Labrador, and Greenland.  The Lancaster went down Sunday while searching for the civilian plane, which carried two men…”

Months went by, until, on June 15, 1953, the wreckage of the Lancaster KB914 was spotted from the air by D.P. Saunders, a civilian pilot with the Ottawa-based Laurentian Air Services.  An RCAF ground search party flew out to the wreckage site to recover the human remains and to investigate the scene.

Preliminary study of the ground showed that the aircraft had gone in almost vertically. Forest damage was limited due to the impact, although debris had struck trees up to 91 metres (100 yards) distant when the Lancaster exploded. The human remains were recovered on June 21.

….Why did the plane crash?…

According to the crash report, the plane crashed 153 km (95 miles) southeast of Goose Bay at around 5:46 pm (2046 Zulu). The plane’s engines had been covered with ice, and the plane’s de-icer did not work properly.

A summary of the evidence in the crash report indicated that “…from the position of the crash….” the plane was “….62 miles off track….”  (62 miles is about 100 km)

“….The pilot had reported that he was returning to Goose Bay with two engines feathered….”  No 1 and No 4 engines showed no issues, while the “…propellers of Nos. 2 and 3 engines indicated that they were in the feathered position…” suggesting that the plane “….was flying on the two outboard engines….”

With the inboard engines feathered, this meant that “…as some of the pilot’s instruments are operated by vacuum pumps (one on each inboard engine) he would be denied the use of his artificial horizon, turn and bank and directional gyro…”

As well, “….the hydraulic system would be inoperative….” as these were also on the inboard engines.  “….As the carburetor air intake shutters are hydraulically operated, the pilot would be unable to change the position of the shutters…” from where they were positioned before the engines had been feathered.

Why were the two engines feathered?  About one hour after the ordered diversion from Goose Bay to Torbay, “…the pilot was compelled to feather Engine No. 2 due to severe icing…” but the port de-icer didn’t work.  “….A short time later, the pilot found it necessary to feather No. 3 engine due to overheating…”

The pilot couldn’t see where he was flying, his artificial horizon and directional aids were inoperable, as was the hydraulic system.  Then, “…shortly before the accident, No. 1 engine failed or partially failed due to icing, resulting in complete loss of control by the pilot…”

Evidence showed that “…as two of the crew members had their parachutes on, it is more than likely that the pilot was attempting to have the crew bail out after he experienced loss of control…”

….The crew of Lancaster KB914…

Donat was one of two Flight Engineers aboard the last flight of Lancaster KB914.  The rest of the crew members were:

  • Pilot – Flying Officer (F/O) Thomas Claude WAGAR DFC, from Kingston, Ontario but born in Parham, Ontario, aged 32. (DFC refers to Distinguished Flying Cross)
  • Co-Pilot – Flying Officer (F/O) Charles Bruce SCOTT, from Saint John, New Brunswick, aged 27.
  • Navigator – Flying Officer (F/O) Stephen James DECKER, born in Cooks Harbour, Newfoundland, aged 24.
  • Navigator – Flying Officer (F/O) Douglas David Richard WOOD, from Peterborough, Ontario, aged age 21.
  • Radio Officer – Flying Officer (F/O) Bernard Delbert FORBES, from North Bay, Ontario, aged 23.
  • Radio Officer – Flying Officer (F/O) Frances ‘Frankie’ Steward FOWLOW, from St. John’s, Newfoundland, aged 24.
  • Radio Officer – Flying Officer (F/O) Thurland Mabury TATE, from Grand Manan, New Brunswick, aged 22.
  • Flight Engineer – Corporal Roger David Joseph LALONDE, from Kirkland Lake, Ontario but born in Cobalt, Ontario, aged 30.

….A mass funeral was held for all 9 men in Greenwood…

A mass funeral was held in Greenwood for all 9 airmen. (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant)

A mass funeral was held on June 26, 1953 in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, for the nine airmen. The ceremonies took place in the Catholic Chapel and in the Station Drill Hall after which the body of each airman was transported to his Canadian hometown for final burial.

A mass funeral was held in Greenwood for all 9 airmen. (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant)

 

A procession on the day that the mass funeral was held in Greenwood for all 9 airmen. (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant)

….Donat is buried at Baie Egmont (St. Jacques) Cemetery…

Map shows location of the church in Egmont Bay, as well as Urbainville and Wellington.  (Map source: Google Maps)

Evelyn Gallant noted that after the mass funeral service in Greenwood, there was another service held  “….in Egmont Bay church….” (St. Philippe et St. Jacques Roman Catholic Church)

Ron Gallant, the oldest of Donat’s children, was 7 when his father died.  He said he “…remembered the soldiers at the church and the guns at the funeral. After the funeral, Father Burke brought us home.  My mother never remarried, and is buried next to my father….”

Pieter by the grave of Joseph ‘Donat’ Gallant after placing Canadian, Prince Edward Island, and Acadian flags.  A stone marker in front is that of his wife. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Donat was buried in Baie Egmont (St. Jacques) Cemetery in Prince Edward Island.  We visited the cemetery one beautiful, sunny day in June, and Pieter placed Canadian, Prince Edward Island, and Acadian flags by his grave.

….A memorial in Greenwood honours the crew of Lancaster KB914…

On May 27, 2022, a ceremony to honour the crew of Lancaster KB914 was held, with a memorial placed in the Commemorative Garden at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum at 14 Wing Greenwood.  (The family of Frances ‘Frankie’ Steward FOWLOW did attend the ceremony: https://auroranewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Archive/2022/4322news.pdf)

Ron Gallant at the memorial in Greenwood honouring the crew of Lancaster KB914.  (Photo courtesy of Ron and Evelyn Gallant)

Ron said he never met the families of the other crew members, and was unable to attend the 2022 ceremony as he was recovering from an operation.  However, he and Evelyn subsequently visited Greenwood to see the memorial.

Ron Gallant at his home in Richmond, Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Ron and Evelyn Gallant for providing photos and information, to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research, and to Don Coutts for letting us know about the last flight of Lancaster KB914. Thank you to Wendy Nattress, who prepared the map showing the flight path for Lancaster KB914.

The flags placed at Donat’s grave during our visit were donated.  Our thanks go to:

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
  • Matt MacFarlane, MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, Prince Edward Island, for the Prince Edward Island flag.
  • La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau, for the Acadian 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/

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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On The War Memorial Trail….The Canadian National Vimy Memorial Is 90!

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Canadian National Vimy Memorial from a distance. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

July 28, 2026.  On July 26, 1936 the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, designed by Walter Allward, was officially unveiled – 90 years ago. In September 2017, we visited Vimy Ridge during our 6 week, 7,000 km (4,350 miles) war memorial journey in Europe that took us through 4 countries. Pieter placed flags at the known graves of men listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island, and we stopped at many memorials during our visit.

I was reminded of the 90th anniversary as the most anticipated stop in 2017 was Vimy Ridge in France, where two WWI soldiers listed on the Cenotaph are also named on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial: John ‘Lymon’ WOOD and Patrick Raymond ARSENAULT.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/07/28/learning-about-the-two-names-on-the-vimy-memorial/)

Pieter at the entrance to Vimy Ridge in France. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The turn-off to the Vimy Ridge memorial and visitors centre is a tree-lined public road, with jogging and walking paths, that leads to the nearby villages of Givenchy and Vimy.

….The Canadian National Vimy Memorial took 11 years to build….

Although we were familiar with the memorial from seeing it on TV, it’s much larger and beautiful when seen in person.  While we knew that the land around Vimy Ridge was gifted to Canada by the French government in December 1922 as a mark of gratitude for Canada’s involvement in the defence of France during WWI, it wasn’t until we were there in 2017 that we understood why it took so many years to build.

The memorial sits on the highest point of Vimy Ridge, known during WWI as Hill 145.  The ground was littered with unexploded shells and grenades, rusted weapons and wire, and 91,440 metres (100,000 yards) of earth had to be removed by hand to prepare for the monument’s base.

Nearby dugouts and tunnels had to be emptied of explosives that were still stored there, and filled with wet chalk or concrete. Finding underground caverns hidden beneath the monument’s base was crucial, as the memorial weighs more than 50,000 tons.

Work on the monument itself finally began in 1925, took 11 years to build and cost 1.5 million dollars. The white limestone used for the memorial came from an ancient Roman quarry in Seget, Croatia, and didn’t arrive on site until 1927.

The familiar two tall columns represent Canada and France. The pillars together and the horizontal base also form the top half of a cross. The monument includes 20 figures representing honour, justice and peace.

‘Canada Bereft’.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

One female figure, known as ‘Canada Bereft’, stands alone looking out over the slopes of the ridge. The base of the monument is engraved with the 11,285 names of Canadians who have no known grave in France.

….Previous stories about WWI soldiers listed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial….

In 2017, we were aware of only the two names previously mentioned: John ‘Lymon’ WOOD of North Tryon, Prince Edward Island, and Patrick Raymond ARSENAULT of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.   Since then, we’ve also told the stories of two more soldiers whose names are engraved on the monument:  Merrill Augustus MARSHALL of Covehead, Prince Edward Island, and Lloyd Clifton SHORTLIFF of Barton, Nova Scotia.  Here below are links to their stories:

….Stories about our 2017 visit to Vimy Ridge….

Missed our stories about our 2017 visit?  You can read them here:

Our visit to Vimy Ridge will never be forgotten.  Meanwhile, 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/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.