Robert Irvine Westhaver was born on February 16, 1910, in Marie Joseph, Guysborough County, to George Allan and Effie (Clarke) Westhaver. George, a native of Sober Island, Halifax County, was the son of James Benjamin and Mary Eliza (Lawlor) Westhaver. The Westhaver family traced its Nova Scotia roots to German Protestants who settled the Lunenburg area in the 1750s. James Westhaver was born in Lunenburg County but relocated to the Sheet Harbour area at an unknown date. His son George first worked as a labourer at a local lumber mill and later operated a pulpwood and lumbering business in the Sheet Harbour area.
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| Sapper Robert Irvine Westhaver |
Robert’s mother Effie was born in Goldenville, Guysborough County, the daughter of John and Annie Clarke. John was working in the local gold mines at the time of Effie and George’s marriage, which took place in Marie Joseph on August 19, 1905. The newlyweds established residence in Marie Joseph, where their first child—a son George Allan—was born in August 1907. A daughter Amy arrived in December 1908, followed by Robert Irvine in February 1910. Two more children—Lewis Alexander (DOB June 18, 1913) and Annie Patricia (DOB March 25, 1919)—joined the household during the following decade.
Robert’s two younger siblings passed away during their early years. Annie died of lobar pneumonia at age 11 on November 30, 1930. Lewis married Luella Kate Misner, daughter of Andrew Misner and Olive Pace, Liscomb, on April 23, 1930. According to an online family tree, he died in 1937 at age 24. No further details are available on the cause of death or location of his passing.
Robert Westhaver left school at age 13, having completed Grade V. For several years, he remained in the local community, working on the family farm and doing bush work for his father, who had established a pulpwood contracting business by that time. Sometime after 1930, he headed to Ontario, where he worked for Hoyle Gold Co., South Porcupine, for eight to 10 years.
On June 22, 1940, Robert married Helen Jean Tessier, daughter of Joseph and Annie (Arnold) Tessier, Pembroke, ON, in a ceremony held in Timmins, ON. Robert was working as a miner at the time, while 28-year-old Jean was employed as a hairdresser. Eighteen months later, Robert enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force at Timmins on December 22, 1941.
A note in Robert’s service file stated that he had “friends” in uniform and felt “a sense of duty” to serve his country. An early assessment described him as having “little education but appears intelligent and keen. Big husky fellow [Robert was six feet tall and weighed 180 pounds] with very open, pleasant personality. Anxious to get more education.”
Robert was quite busy during his first five months in uniform. On January 9, 1942, he reported to A-10 Infantry Training Center, Borden, for basic training. Two months later—March 8, 1942—his wife Jean gave birth to their first child, Robert Edward, in Timmins. There is no service file entry indicating that he was home at that time. Two days after his son’s birth, Robert was transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers Training Centre A5, Petawawa, ON, where he was assigned to No. 8 Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE), for “sapper training.”
After completing the course of instruction, Robert received one week’s embarkation leave in mid-May. He returned to duty on May 26 and departed for overseas on June 1. One week later, he arrived in the United Kingdom, where his training continued. On September 26, 1942, Robert met the requirements for Pioneer “C” training. He was promoted to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal in mid-March 1943, but three weeks later “cease[d] to hold the rank.” His service file provides no explanation for this change.
On August 1, 1943, Robert reported to No. 7 (Education) Wing, Canadian Training School, for Pioneer “C” training. Pioneers received advanced instruction in a number of engineering and construction tasks crucial to military operations, such as clearing mines; building roads, fortifications, and bridges; and disposing of explosive ordnance. They held a position above the basic rank of Sapper, which was the equivalent of Private in infantry service.
On September 6, Robert was once again promoted to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal. On November 1, he voluntarily reverted to the rank of Sapper, in order to increase his chances of being assigned to an active RCE unit. That same day, he was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Engineers Reinforcement Unit (CERU).
A November 10 entry in Robert’s service file states that he had failed to qualify as a Pioneer. Eight days later, he was assigned to No. 8 Field Squadron, RCE, the same unit with which he had trained in Canada. In mid-February 1944, he was transferred to the 4th Canadian Armoured Division Headquarters. On March 1, 1944, he was assigned to No. 9 Field Squadron, RCE.
Both No. 8 and No. 9 Field Squadrons were attached to the 4th Canadian Armoured Division (4th CAD). Once deployed in the field, the two units would provide engineering services to the DIvision’s 10th Infantry Brigade and 4th Armoured Brigade. Each Squadron was divided into three Troops, which in turn consisted of Sections. After joining the unit, Robert was assigned to the No. 2 Section of No. 1 Troop, 9th Field Squadron.
Training continued into the spring and summer of 1944 as 4th CAD prepared for deployment in France. As a late overseas arrival, the Division was not included in the Allied force that came ashore in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. Two days after the D-Day landings, Robert qualified as a Miner “B” with No. 9 Field Squadron as the unit completed final preparations to depart for the continent.
No. 9 Field Squadron was stationed at Chelwood Gate, Sussex, prior to its departure for France. In mid-July, the Squadron received notice that a move to the continent was imminent. Personnel spent July 17 “packing and loading and getting ready for the move to the Marshalling area.” The following day, the Squadron moved out at 0945 hours and reached its destination at 1700 hours. The unit’s war diary commented, “The Troops were in high spirits because after waiting for so long they at last are sure we are going in the next day or so.”
After reaching the Marshalling Area, the Squadron was divided into two parties, each assigned to a different LST (Landing Ship, Tank). At 0615 hours July 20, the Squadron headed toward the docks in two groups. Loading was completed by midday, at which time both crafts sailed to an anchorage area off Southend. The following day, one LST departed for France at 0700 hours, while the second headed out to sea at 1900 hours.
The first LST arrived off the Normandy beaches at 1700 hours July 22 but was forced to wait until morning to come ashore, having missed the high tide. After landing the following day, the party made its way to the designated concentration area near Crépon at 2200 hours. Personnel immediately set about camouflaging vehicles and equipment, and “studying any mines we have been able to lay our hands on so far.” Later that night. the unit’s second group arrived in camp.
On July 25, No. 9 Field Squadron commenced its service in the forward area. No. 2 Troop completed road maintenance around the Divisional Administration Area and prepared to build a Divisional Water Point. The following day, No. 1 and 3 Troops “carried out training on enemy mines” while No. 2 Troop constructed the water point and completed its road maintenance work.
The Officer Commanding (OC) visited the forwarded areas southeast of Caen on July 27 as the Squadron was scheduled to move there shortly. Two days later, the OC and a “recce” (reconnaissance) party left for Colombelles at 0500 hours, while the Squadron’s 14 vehicles and remaining personnel departed at 1220 hours. Due to the large volume of traffic in Caen, the convoy arrived at its destination at 1600 hours and immediately set about establishing camp.
The following day, the men improved their slit trenches and rested while officers conducted a recce of Caen. On July 31, No. 1 Troop personnel was busy “blowing ammunition for RCASC [Royal Canadian Army Service Corps]” and digging in vehicles at 10 CIB [Canadian Infantry Brigade] HQ.” No. 2 Troop “train[ed] on mines” while No. 3 Troop stood by in preparation for a route maintenance assignment.
The first day of August found No. 9 Field Squadron “camped above the Orne River, below the steel mill” across the river from Caen. Personnel carried out preliminary surveys for a “Caen by-pass” to alleviate the traffic problem created as dozens of units passed through the city daily. Enemy artillery shells fired from the vicinity of Falaise landed in the area during the day, while German aircraft conducted a three-minute “air raid” at 2300 hours. Neither incident caused damage or casualties.
On August 2, No. 3 Troop carried out preliminary work on the Caen by-pass in the Cormelles area, while No. 1 Troop “stood by” on call and No. 2 Troop trained on enemy equipment. During the day, No. 1 Troop received a call to “blow pits for [an] artillery ammunition dump.” Fine weather continued into the following day, “all personnel sleeping in slit trenches and all vehicles dug in or sand-bagged.” Two sections of No. 1 Troop stood by all night in support of an infantry attack on Tilly-la-Campagne “that proved abortive.” A “pick squad” from the unit “is preparing to booby trap five [damaged] tanks in front of Tilly-la-Campagne that enemy snipers have been using.”
The August 4 war diary noted that “mosquitoes [are] very troublesome even by Canadian standards.” The unit’s Troops worked in shifts on the Caen by-pass, under the supervision of Canadian Field Engineers. Once again, several artillery shells landed in the area but inflicted no casualties. The unit’s “clean sheet” ended the next day, when German “CB [counter-battery] fire fell near [the] Caen by-pass” where men were working, wounding two No. Troop 2 sappers.
Road work continued on August 6 as the unit moved to a concentration area prior to a major Allied attack along the Caen - Falaise Road, in preparation for “Operation Totalize.” The plan called for Canadian and British units to advance on opposite sides of the main highway, in hopes of breaking through the German defensive line south of Caen. During the operation, No. 2 Troop would become “an assault troop mounted in half-tracks,” and would advance with the 4th CAD’s 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
On August 7, the Squadron “stood by” at Giberville, where the “mosquitoes were thicker than ever.” At 0400 hours August 8, the unit moved out to join the “line of march” as Operation Totalize commenced under cover of darkness. Personnel sat “in a wheat field south of Caen” all day, No. 1 Troop busy “blowing artillery positions under heavy mortar fire,” which wounded one sapper.
Later in the day, the Squadron “had a grandstand view of the American bombing of German positions near Cormelles and Colombelles” as Operation Totalize’s second stage commenced. In late afternoon, personnel finally moved out to Troteval Farm, near Verrières, and dug in for the night.
The weather continued “fine and hot” on August 9 as the Squadron worked on road maintenance in their new location. The war diary entry for August 10, 1944, notes that the “country [was] enveloped in dust” from the recent heat. The Squadron moved out from Troteval Farm at 1800 hours, assuming new positions on the northern edge of a quarry near Bretteville-sur-Laize.
After arriving at their destination, No. 1 Troops’s No. 2 Section—Sapper Robert Westhaver’s company—was dispatched “to remove road blocks on [a] level crossing…. When they failed to return at midnight[,] search parties were sent out who failed to locate them. Confused fighting made the recce [reconnaissance] interesting.”
The following day, the weather continued hot and the dust was “oppressive.” The search for the missing section continued “until what was left [of the group] was found 100 yards north of [the] level crossing.” Its vehicle “had been blown to bits, only the rear wheels… remaining, and two bodies were found of the 13 men.”
Sapper Robert Irvine Westhaver was among the missing No. 2 Section personnel. Approximately one week later, military officials informed his wife Helen that he was officially “missing in action.” Months passed without any trace of Robert. Finally, on April 21, 1945, officials officially presumed that he had been killed in action on August 10, 1944.
A letter to Helen from military authorities, dated April 24, 1945, informed her that “it is… being recorded that…. Sapper Robert Irvine Westhaver is now for official purposes presumed to have been killed in action on the 10th day of August, 1944.” According to Commonwealth War Graves records, No. 9 Field Squadron, RCE, suffered a total of 12 fatalities that day. The bodies of seven sappers were recovered and interred in Bretteville-sur-Laize War Cemetery.
The remains of five sappers, including Sapper Robert Westhaver, were never recovered. In the months after the conclusion of fighting in Europe, Commonwealth War Graves Commission officials erected a Memorial at Bayeux, France, displaying the names of “men of the land forces of the British Commonwealth and Empire two fell in the early stages of the campaign in northwest Europe and have no known grave.” Robert’s name and those of his four missing comrades are engraved on the Memorial.
Robert’s mother Effie Mae Westhaver passed away in the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, on July 28, 1966, at 86 years of age. Effie’s husband George Allan Westhaver Sr. died in Sheet Harbour on September 29, 1972, at age 88. Robert’s sister Amy was informant on both death certificates. In the years following Robert’s death, his widow Helen Jean remained in Timmins. She passed away in 1988 and was laid to rest in Timmins Memorial Cemetery, Timmins, ON.
Sapper Robert Irvine Westhaver's photograph obtained from the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
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