Vernon William Boudreau was born in Little Dover, Guysborough County, on November 20, 1920, the youngest of John and Margaret (Rhynold) Boudreau’s seven sons. John was the son of Thomas and Catherine Boudreau (Boudrot), Dover, while Margaret was the daughter of James and Esther (Snow) Rhynold, Dover. The couple married in Canso on January 21, 1902.
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| Corporal Vernon William Boudreau |
John Boudreau was a widower at the time of his marriage to Margaret. On July 31, 1893, he had married Cora Grencon, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Grencon, Arichat. Cora passed away sometime before 1901, when the decennial Canadian census listed John as a 32-year-old fisherman and widower, living in Little Dover with his parents.
By the time of the 1911 census, John and Margaret had established a separate residence in Little Dover with their four oldest children—James, age six (DOB August 1904); Agatha, age five (DOB March 1906); Harold, age three (DOB November 1907); and Alvina, age one (DOB June 1910).
During the following decade, six more children joined the family—Fred (c. 1911), Douglas (c. 1913), Beatrice (c. 1915). Emmett (c. 1917), Francis (c. 1919) and Vernon. A daughter Violet, the last of John and Margaret’s 11 children, was born around 1927.
Vernon left school at age 14, having attended for eight years. As with most boys in a coastal community, he went to work in the local fishery. At the time of his military enlistment, he was “fishing and working at [a] fish plant”—Blue Ribbon Co-operative Society, Little Dover—“sealing cans” in its lobster factory.
On March 16, 1940, Vernon enlisted with the Halifax Rifles, a Canadian Active Service Force (CASF) infantry unit, at Halifax, NS. Eight months shy of his twentieth birthday at the time, his service file reflects his youthful energy. During his first two years in uniform, military officials recorded three “absent without leave” infractions and two other minor disciplinary violations. While not desirable behaviour in a young recruit, fearless tendencies often proved to be valuable qualities on the battlefield.
The Halifax Rifles commenced a significant change on May 26, 1942, as its personnel transitioned from an infantry to an armoured unit—the 23rd Tank Battalion. The regiment’s “other ranks” (OR) now held the rank of “Trooper” as they commenced an intense armoured training program.
The 23rd was assigned to the 2nd Canadian Army Tank Brigade (CATB), which also included the 20th Army Tank Battalion (Saskatchewan Horse), 24th Army Tank Battalion (Les Voltigeurs de Québec), and 26th Army Tank Battalion (Grey & Simcoe Foresters, Ontario).
Vernon’s supervisors saw potential in the young recruit, promoting him to the rank of Lance Corporal on September 15, 1942. He commenced a Gunnery Instructor course at Camp Borden, ON, in late November 1942 and advanced to the rank of Acting Corporal on January 4, 1943.
Despite failing to qualify as an Instructor, he was promoted to the full rank of Corporal on June 9. Three days later, Vernon was “struck off strength” by the Canadian Army (Canada) as he headed overseas with the 23rd Army Tank Battalion. The unit’s personnel disembarked in the United Kingdom on June 24, 1943
Earlier that year, Canadian overseas armoured units underwent a significant re-organization. While military authorities initially recruited and trained two army tank brigades, the restructuring plan resulted in the dissolution of 2nd CATB. Its four units thus became a reinforcement pool for existing armoured regiments.
As a result, Vernon was transferred to the 22nd Canadian Armoured Regiment (22nd CAR) on August 12, 1943. Like its Halifax Rifles counterpart, 22nd CAR had transitioned from infantry to armoured service. Officially known as the Canadian Grenadier Guards (CGG), the unit traced its roots to a militia regiment established in Montreal, QC, in November 1859.
During the First World War, the CGG recruited the 87th Battalion, which served in Belgium and France until May 1917, when dwindling recruitment numbers resulted in its dissolution. Called to active infantry service on May 24, 1940, CGG commenced its conversion to the 22nd Canadian Armoured Regiment (CAR) in January 1942 and departed for the United Kingdom in late September 1942.
Upon arriving overseas, the unit was assigned to the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade (4th CAB), which was part of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division (4th CAD). The Brigade consisted of three armoured regiments—the 22nd (Canadian Grenadier Guards), 21st (Governor-General’s Foot Guards), and 28th (British Columbia Regiment). A fourth armoured unit—the Southern Alberta Regiment—served as the Brigade’s reconnaissance (“recce”) group.
Following his arrival in the United Kingdom. Vernon completed several training programs. In early February 1944, he commenced a wireless operator’s course and qualified as a Wireless Operator Class Q1 on March 7. The same day, he was certified as a Gun Operator Class C. In mid-June, he met the requirements for “Driver I/C [internal combustion] tank.”
The 4th Canadian Armoured Division was not part of the D-Day invasion force. Military officials planned to send its units to France once the Normandy beach-head had been secured. On July 19, 22nd CAR left its camp near Crowborough and travelled to an assembly area at Forest Gate, Newham, East London. The following day, equipment loading commenced, a process that took several days.
Personnel moved to the loading area on July 21, boarded vessels and headed down river to the mouth of the Thames, where the ships awaited the remaining convoy vessels. At 1805 hours July 24, the flotilla weighed anchor and proceeded through the Straits of Dover, then along the south coast of England to a location off the Isle of Wight. From there, the vessels proceeded toward Normandy, arriving off Juno Beach at 2000 hours July 25.
The following day, personnel waited aboard their vessels as the unit’s equipment was unloaded. Finally, on July 27, the men came ashore and made their way to a regimental assembly area south of Buhot. The following day, the unit’s officers received notice that 22nd CAR would briefly relieve British 7th Armoured Division units in a location south of Caen before taking over 2nd Canadian Armoured Division positions in the line.
On the morning of July 29, 22nd CAR’s “recce” (reconnaissance) party proceeded to the new area, the unit’s remaining personnel and equipment reaching the location by 1730 hours. Almost immediately, a Guardsman was “killed by enemy shellfire,” the regiment’s first recorded combat fatality on the European continent.
The following day, 22nd CAR relieved the Fort Garry Horse near Grentheville, southeast of Caen. The procedure commenced at 0700 hours July 30, the move taking place one tank troop at a time at five-minute intervals. The unit’s initial assignment was to “act as a mobile counter-attack force.” The following day was quiet as personnel prepared to dispatch recce patrols to gather information on the situation in its sector.
During the first days of August, 22nd CAR endured enemy artillery and mortar fire as its personnel settled into their first combat tour. On August 2, the unit’s war diary noted, “By now [we] can more or less differentiate between the [shells] that will go over or land close by.” During its time in Grentheville, 22nd CAR’s squadrons carried out several “shooting” assignments but made no direct contact with enemy forces.
On August 6, the unit moved to a location near Faubourg-de-Vaucelles, where “as many tanks as possible [were] equipped with an extra track on the outside to give greater protection against 88mm fire.” The following day, its officers received a briefing on an impending major attack along the Caen-Falaise Road, given the code-name “Operation Totalize.” 4th CAD units would take part in the attack’s second, “break-out” phase, scheduled for the afternoon of August 8.
22nd CAR’s tanks moved out at 0030 hours August 8, encountering heavy traffic on the roads as they travelled toward their assigned “forming up” area near Troteval Farm. The unit received orders to move forward at 0845 hours but congestion made it impossible to do so at any speed. The squadrons “advanced as an exceedingly slow rate… as far as Cintheaux…, which was reached [by the first tanks]…at 1500 hours.” During the journey, three tanks were lost to mines.
The unit encountered its first enemy resistance as its tanks attempted to proceed around Cintheaux. Significant fire from German 88mm guns—the enemy’s most effective anti-tank weapon—inflicted 22nd CAR’s first armoured combat losses and halted forward progress. By early evening, the tanks had overpowered the guns defending the village but it was too late in the day to continue.
At 0330 hours August 9, 22nd CAR moved toward Bretteville-le-Rabet in preparation for a dawn attack on the town. The tanks reached the area around 0600 hours and immediately commenced the operation, clearing enemy forces by mid-afternoon. The unit spent the following day near Robert Mesnil, the Allied advance having stalled due to significant enemy resistance.
During the early morning hours of August 11, 22nd CAR’s tanks repelled a German counter-attack. Later in the day, personnel withdrew to the St. Hilaire farm area after being relieved by 21st CAR. Following a quick clean-up, the unit moved out to Gaumesnil, where the men enjoyed their first lengthy break in almost two weeks.
Altogether, 22nd CAR reported a total of 11 fatalities, 43 wounded, and 21 tanks lost during its first tour in the line. The men enjoyed a second day of rest on August 12 and had their first opportunity to utilize mobile bath facilities as they prepared to return to the line. That same day, Cpl. Vernon Boudreau was “struck off strength” and placed on the Canadian Armoured Corps’ reinforcement list.
Vernon’s role during 22nd CAR’s first days in Normandy is unclear. He may have been deployed with one of the unit’s squadrons to gain combat experience, but his service file makes no mention of a squadron assignment. It is also possible that he had travelled with the unit, waiting in a nearby camp as a potential reinforcement. As a non-commissioned officer (NCO), there were fewer opportunities to move into an active role than personnel with the rank of Guardsman, the equivalent to Private in an infantry unit.
Vernon’s time in reinforcement camp was brief. On August 16, he was assigned to 22nd CAR’s No. 2 Squadron. During his four-day absence, the unit had participated in Operation Totalize, a second major “big push” along the Caen-Falaise Road. It is likely that he replaced a Corporal who became a casualty during that operation.
On the day of Vernon’s return, 22nd CAR withdrew from the forward area to “rest, re-equip and re-fit,” its tank strength reduced to 23 operating vehicles after its second Normandy engagement. At 0900 hours August 17, the unit moved out toward Falaise as part of a support “echelon” travelling behind the Allied advance. Progress was once again slow due to the large number of vehicles on the road, the unit reaching Sassy by 1100 hours and halting there.
Later in the day, 22nd CAR received orders to proceed to Louvières-en-Auges, 20 kilometers east of Falaise, which became the first town its personnel “liberated.” The unit’s war diary described the experience:
“We had not seen civilians since leaving Caen until reaching Perrières… but at Louvières we were the first Allied troops to arrive and while our leading troops were taking prisoners and shooting [German soldiers], a thousand yards up the road, the civilians were shaking our hands and offering us wine. They were genuinely glad to see us…. Here we really began to feel like visitors, and the people treated us as such.”
At first light August 18, No, 1 and 3 Squadrons moved forward again, encountering surprised German soldiers who “were completely unaware of our presence in this area.” The unit continued its advance toward Trun, encountering regular anti-tank fire but overcoming the opposition as required. During the day, No. 1 and 2 Squadrons captured more than 40 German prisoners “and had a wonderful time searching through the captured vehicles” for souvenirs.
After a day of maintenance and “a bit of rest,” 22nd CAR moved forward to a hill east of Écorches during the morning of August 20. Simultaneously, various Allied units dealt with the remaining German forces trapped in the “Falaise pocket.” That afternoon, No. 2 Squadron received orders to proceed to a second area of high ground identified as Point 147.
Along its route, the tanks encountered German forces in “every hedge and bush” as they advanced but quickly overcame enemy opposition, taking approximately 70 prisoners. The Squadron spent a “black and rainy” night with little sleep at the location before rejoining the unit “in good spirits” at first light August 21.
Later that same day, 22nd CAR received orders to establish a line of contact with the Polish Armoured Division, which had advanced beyond the main Allied force into an area east of Chamois. As the Canadian tanks pushed forward, the roads were “lined and in places… practically blocked by destroyed German vehicles of every description.”
The unit’s war diary reported scenes that were quite disturbing: “Horses and men lay rotting in every ditch and hedge and the air was rank with the odour of purification. Most of the destruction must have been caused by the air force, but the [Polish tanks] had done [their] share.”
Before day’s end, 22nd CAR’s squadrons reached the Polish force, which had received no fresh supplies for three days. The unit also had several hundred wounded men in need of evacuation, while 700 German POWs “lay loosely guarded in a field.” 22nd CAR personnel brought much-needed supplies forward in armoured personnel carriers that were then used to evacuate the wounded.
The following day, Allied forces completely closed the Falaise pocket as 22nd CAR travelled eastward to Champosoult, where Allied units regrouped. At 0730 hours August 23, the units commenced a march northeastward in pursuit of retreating German forces. Once again, destroyed German vehicles “lined…both sides” of the road as bulldozers leading the line of vehicles cleared a route for the column to pass.
Anti-tank guns encountered around mid-day temporarily halted the advance, the echelon reaching Broglie around 0430 hours August 24. After an eight-hour rest, the column continued along its route, “civilians in large numbers [lining] the road” as they advanced. As 22nd CAR arrived in Bernay, “a group led by a big woman with tousled hair marched down the street singing La Marseillaise with great gusto.”
On August 25, the column crossed the Charentonne River near Fontaine-l’Abbé in fair weather. The 22nd CAR’s war diary described this portion of the journey as “sheer motoring. No resistance was encountered at all. The country is open and gently undulating with good crops and many orchards. Little evidence of war being visible apart from the odd German half-track or tank alongside the road.”
The local population continued to welcome the Canadians, who were somewhat surprised to find Le Neubourg “already in American hands” when they arrived there at 1430 hours. In the local area, only the town of Elbeuf on the banks of the Seine River remained under German control. After arriving in town, tank crews received some much needed time to do maintenance work and write a few letters home.
On August 26, 2nd CAR advanced to Port de l’Arch on the banks of the Seine, east of Elbeuf. The topography along the way was “very woody and close, certainly not tank country.” Personnel were relieved to encounter no opposition, but its recce party was targeted by artillery and mortar fire as it approached the Seine. Upon receiving word that it would not be moving out soon, the unit bedded down for the night “under cover of the trees.”
The following day was bright, sunny and “rather quiet” as personnel spent their time completing maintenance tasks and resting. During an evening meeting at 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade Headquarters, 22 CAR’s CO (Commanding Officer). Lt. Colonel W. W. Halpenny, received details on the imminent crossing of the Seine River. He then shared the details with the unit’s officers at a briefing shortly after midnight.
August 28, 1944, was another beautiful summer day with 22nd CAR moving out at 0730 hours. The unit’s war diary entry summarized the events that took place:
“The crossing [of the Seine] was uneventful but the regiment experienced heavy mortar fire in [an] orchard [as it advanced through an area southeast of Rouen]. Captain G. D. Sherwood was wounded and five other ranks were casualties, two being fatal…. Regiment settled in for the night at 1930 hours,”
A document in the Appendix to 22nd CAR’s August 1944 war diary identified four of the day’s five “other ranks” casualties. Guardsmen G. E. Gates and L. L. Windstorm were killed, while Guardsman E. K. Peacey and Corporal V. W. Boudreau were wounded in the mortar fire incident. Likely evacuated to an unidentified field ambulance or casualty clearing station, Vernon succumbed to his injuries before day’s end.
On August 31, 1944, Vernon was buried in a temporary grave at Trouville-la-Campagne, approximately 14 kilometres south of Elbeuf, France. His service file does not contain a copy of a telegram sent to his mother Margaret. As Vernon’s “Official Canadian Overseas Casualty Notification” form was completed on September 13, 1944, it is likely that Margaret received news of her youngest son’s death around that time.
On July 23, 1945, Corporal Vernon William Boudreau’s remains were re-interred in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Calvados, France. At the time of his death, one of his brothers, Francis, was serving overseas with an unknown Canadian unit. No further details are available on his military service.
Vernon’s mother Margaret passed away in Little Dover on April 27, 1952. She was four months shy of her 69th birthday at the time of her death. Vernon’s father John died in Little Dover on October 1, 1957, three months short of his 89th birthday. Margaret and John were both interred in a cemetery at Little Dover.
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