Gunner Allan Cantley Cameron—Died of Illness June 20, 1943

 Allan Cantley Cameron was born in New Glasgow, NS, on October 16, 1921, the son of Alexander Christopher and Queenie Mae (Fanning) Cameron. Alexander was the son of Allan and Annie (Dort) Cameron, Canso, while Queenie was the daughter of Andrew and Isabella (Davidson) Fanning, Drum Head.

Gunner Allan Cantley Cameron

According to census records, Alexander Cameron spent his early life in Canso, where his father Allan worked as a stone mason. Sometime after 1911, Alexander moved to Pictou County. He was working as a baker at the time of his December 24, 1920, marriage to Queenie Fanning in a ceremony that took place in the United Church Baptist Parsonage, New Glasgow.

Alexander and Queenie’s first child, Allan Cantley, was born at New Glasgow on October 16, 1921. Two more children—Cyril (c. 1925) and Isabelle (c. 1930)—later joined the household. At an unknown date, the family returned to the Canso area. Cantley left school at age 16, having completed Grade VIII. He was working for A. E. Cousins, Canso, as a “truck driver’s helper” when he enlisted with the 86th Heavy Battery, 6th Coastal Brigade, Royal Canadian Artillery, at Antigonish, NS, on October 11, 1939.

In fact, Cantley’s service record indicates that he joined the unit’s ranks on September 20, only 11 days after Canada’s declaration of war on Nazi Germany. He was five days shy of his 18th birthday at the time, which may explain the incorrect birth year of 1920 recorded on his attestation. Two later documents in Cantley’s service file indicate that he was born in 1921.

The 86th Heavy Battery, a Canadian militia unit, was officially established at Antigonish in 1920 as a field artillery battery. Its predecessor, the 18th Field Battery, had operated in the community since 1905 and was responsible for coastal defences in the Strait of Canso area. The 18th was dissolved in a post-war reorganization of Canada’s militia. Its replacement, the 86th, was a sub-unit of a newly created 16th Coastal Artillery Brigade, headquartered in Sydney. The battery consisted of two sections, each armed with three 18-pounder field guns.

In June 1938, the unit was redesigned the 86th Coastal Battery and was outfitted with a four-inch naval gun. At the same time, military authorities developed plans in the event of war to establish two batteries on the mainland side of the Strait of Canso. The rail terminals and ferry operation located there were considered vital transportation links, as coal and steel produced in Sydney would be critical wartime resources.

While hostile surface vessels were not expected to enter the Strait of Canso in wartime, submarines posed a real threat. In response, following Canada’s September 12, 1939 declaration of war on Nazi Germany, military authorities responsible for home defence established two batteries on the mainland. Beacon Battery, equipped with two four-inch guns, was located at Auld’s Cove to defend the Northumberland Strait entrance and commenced operation on October 1, 1939. The second battery, located at Melford, overlooked the Atlantic entrance and entered service three days later.

To provide the required personnel, the 86th expanded its manpower to 180 men. Each battery also possessed two long-range search lights, while the Canadian Navy provided patrol vessels. Radar defence systems were also placed at Auld’s Cove and Sand Point to guard against air attack. While anti-submarine netting was discussed, military authorities considered its use in defending Sydney and Halifax harbours a higher priority. In any case, the strong currents passing through the Strait would have made installation difficult.

Following his enlistment, Cantley served with the 86th Battery in the Sydney and Strait of Canso areas. He spent several days in Sydney Military Hospital with influenza in early February 1940 and was granted two weeks’ furlough at Melford on April 30, 1940. He also spent several days in Port Hawkesbury Military Hospital in late June for treatment of influenza.

Cantley served in the Strait area until October 11, 1940, when he was transferred to No. 6 District Depot, Halifax. One month later, he departed for overseas and disembarked at Gourock, Scotland, on November 28, 1940. The following day, he was assigned to No. 1 Canadian Artillery Holding Unit (CAHU), Bordon, UK.

Established as reinforcement pools for active artillery units, holding units were not intended to function as training centres. However, many of the recruits arriving overseas were not ready for active duty. As a result, holding units established an “instructional wing” with “training batteries,” each connected to an active field unit.

Following a 10-day landing leave, Cantley was admitted to British Isolation Hospital, Bordon, on December 14. Documents in his service file provide no details as to the reason. Discharged after a two-week stay, Cantley remained with No. 1 CAHU until mid-February 1941, when he was transferred to No. 2 CAHU. Among its responsibilities was anti-aircraft defence.

On March 15, Cantley was attached to No. 1 LAA (Light Anti-Aircraft) Regiment, based at Colchester, UK. During the war’s first months, the unit had served in France and Belgium with the British Expeditionary Force. Its personnel saw combat during the German invasion of France and Belgium in May 1940 and were evacuated from Dunkirk in late May and early June. Following its return to the United Kingdom, No. 1 LAA re-formed with personnel from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries and was assigned to “Home Defence Duties” during the Battle of Britain.

Cantley’s time with No. 1 LAA would have provided valuable instruction from experienced gunners. He received one week’s “privilege leave” in early May 1941 and once again was hospitalized for a week after returning to duty. His service file provides no information as to the nature of his illness. On September 20, 1941, Cantley was awarded a Good Conduct Badge, having completed two years of military service without a disciplinary infraction.

Throughout the autumn and winter of 1941-42, Cantley remained on duty in the United Kingdom. On July 1, 1942, he was issued an identification card for “Mechanical Transport Drivers,” indicating that he had completed a driver’s training course. In September, Cantley received a second Good Conduct badge. He spent almost three weeks in hospital in November, again for reasons that are not explained in his service file.

Following a week’s leave in late January 1943, Cantley returned to duty on February 4. One month later, he was admitted to Military Hospital, Reading. An entry on a later “Medical Report on Death” states that he was diagnosed with “ptosis left eyelid” on March 3, 1943. The medical term describes a “drooping” of the eyelid, caused by damage to the nerve that controls its muscles.

On March 24, Cantley was transferred to No. 4 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS). Two days later, he was admitted to No. 1 Neurological Hospital. A comment on his “Medical Report on Death” form states that medical staff had determined “involvement [of] both third, both fourth, both seventh cranial nerves” in causing Cantley’s eye condition.

Cantley spent six weeks at the neurological facility, departing the United Kingdom for Canada on May 13, 1943. Upon disembarking, Cantley travelled by train to Toronto, where he was admitted to Christie St. Hospital on May 23. An examination at the time of his admission “showed cranial nerves involved as above, with periods of drowsiness or lethargy of variable degree and duration.”

While Cantley’s condition initially improved, a June 14 entry on his medical records reported a “very obvious relapse, with increasing temperature and pulse rate, marked increase in drowsiness.” Over the next several days, his “condition rapidly progressed with marked morning temperature and increasing pulse rate.”

Gunner Allan Cantley Cameron's headstone, Fourth Hill Cemetery, Canso, NS

Gunner Allan Cantley Cameron passed away at Christie St. Hospital, Toronto, on June 20, 1943. His Ontario death certificate lists the cause of death as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain caused by an infection). Cantley’s remains were transported home to Canso, where he was laid to rest in Fourth Hill Cemetery. Queenie Cameron passed away at Canso in 1979, while her husband Alexander died the following year. Both were laid to rest in Fourth Hill Cemetery, near their eldest son’s grave.

Photograph of Gunner Allan Cantley Cameron courtesy of his niece, Sandra Beaumaster, St. Andrews, NB.

Sergeant Raymond Francis Pelrine—Killed in Air Raid May 23, 1943

 Raymond Francis Pelrine was born at Port Felix, Guysborough County, on July 30, 1922, the oldest of Charles Martin and Clarice “Clara” (Fougere) Pelrine’s 11 children. Raymond’s father Martin was also a native of Port Felix, the son of Charles Vincent and Margaret (Bellefontaine) Pelrine, and grandson of Charles (1826 - 1901) and Magdalene (Mannette) Pelrine. The majority of available documents spell the family surname “Pelrine,” although it was recorded as “Pellerin” in several instances.

The Pelrine/Pellerin surname originates from the French “pelèrin,” which means “pilgrim.” It is believed to have originated from the large number of French pilgrims who completed the annual Way of St. James/St. Jacques/Santiago pilgrimage that began at various locations in France and ended in Santiago, Spain, close to the French border, a route often described as “Camino de Santiago.” The term was used to describe individuals who had completed the journey and over time became a surname.

Étienne Pellerin was the first of his family lineage to arrive in North America. A native of Bacilly, Normandie, Étienne was one of the French settlers who emigrated to the settlement of Port Royal, l’Acadie, established by Pierre Dugua and Samuel de Champlain in 1605. His grandson Paul was the first Acadian to settle at Tor Bay. All of today’s Guysborough and Antigonish County Pellerins trace their lineage to Paul and his wife, Marie-Louise Petitpas [Pettipas], a native of Port Toulouse (St. Peters). Marie-Louise’s  grandfather, Claude Petitpas, was the first of his lineage to settle at Port Royal, and is the progenitor of today’s Tor Bay and Tracadie Pettipas families.

Paul Pellerin’s son Hubert was born at Chezzetook around 1777. He married Anne “Nancy” David, and later settled at Port Felix. Paul and Nancy’s son, Simon (1803 - 1877), married Angelic “Jane” Lavandier at Guysborough, and passed away at Port Felix. Their son Charles (1826 - 1901) married Magdalene Mannette, a native of Havre Boucher. The couple later became Raymond’s great-grandparents.

On the Fougere side of the family, Clara was the great-great-grand-daughter of Jacques Fougere, one of three brothers who initially settled at Havre Boucher, Antigonish County, in the 1790s. Jacques subsequently relocated to Molasses Harbour, Guysborough County, the original name for today’s Port Felix.

Jacques’ grandfather, Jean Fougere (1684 - 1749), was a native of Poupry-en-Bouce, Orleans, France, who emigrated to Port Royal. Jean married Marie Bourg and the couple eventually settled at Port Toulouse (St. Peters). The couple raised a family of eight children, three of whom were born at Port Toulouse. Following Marie’s passing, Jean married Marie-Madeleine Belliveau, a union that produced another 10 children.

Joseph Fougere (1720 - 1790), one of Jean’s sons by his first wife, married Marie Marguerite Coste, a Port Toulouse native. Joseph is a common ancestor of all Havre Boucher and Guysborough area Fougeres. The couple initially resided at Port Toulouse, where seven of their 12 children were born, and later relocated to Arichat.  

Joseph and Marie’s son Jacques (1759 - 1836) was born at Port Toulouse around 1759, and married Marie Madeline Petitpas (1768 - 1836), a Chezzetcook native. In the 1790s, Jacques and two of his brothers relocated to Tracadie, where he and Marie Madeline raised a family of six children. Their fourth child, Joseph, was born around 1795, and married Marguerite Charpentier in 1819. The couple settled at Havre Boucher, where most of their eight children joined the family.

At least one of Joseph and Marguerite’s children was born at Molasses Harbour, where most of their offspring eventually settled. Originally named for a keg of molasses that washed ashore after a nearby shipwreck, the Guysborough County settlement was later renamed Port Felix, in honour of a Belgian missionary, Father Felix, who tended to the community’s spiritual needs for many years.

Joseph Jr. (1825 - 1920), one of Joseph and Marguerite’s sons, was born at Havre Boucher and married Felicité Boudrot at Molasses Harbour in 1850. Their son Joseph was born at Port Felix around 1869 and fathered three children by his first wife, Maria Costa. A second marriage to Marie Arsenault, a native of Saint Joseph du Moine, Victoria County, resulted in three more children, the oldest of whom was Raymond’s mother, Clarice “Clara.”

During the First World War, Raymond’s father Martin was conscripted into military service at Halifax, NS, on March 6, 1918, and departed for the United Kingdom one month later. Upon arriving overseas, Martin was attached to the 17th Reserve Battalion (Nova Scotia), Bramshott, UK. The unit provided reinforcements for Nova Scotia’s two front-line infantry units—the 25th (Nova Scotia Rifles) and 85th (Nova Scotia Highlanders) Battalions.

Unfortunately, health issues delayed Martin’s transfer to an active unit. Hospitalized with diphtheria in late July 1918, he spent more than two months in hospital. By the time that Martin had made a full recovery, the November 11, 1918 Armistice had ended fighting on the continent. He remained in England until late June 1919, when he returned to Canada aboard HMT Mauritania. Martin was formally discharged from military service at Halifax on July 13, 1919, and returned to Port Felix.

Shortly after his return to civilian life, Martin and Clara married and established residence at Port Felix, where Martin worked in the local fishery. Sometime during the 1930s, the family relocated to Havre Boucher, where Martin assumed responsibility for his father-in-law’s local mail delivery route.

Raymond attended public school from 1929 to 1940, during which time he completed Grade 9 and “studied Grade 10.” He left school in the spring of 1940 and moved to Halifax, where he worked as a “handyman” at the Halifax Infirmary from May to August. By that time, Raymond had taken an interest in serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and submitted an application on August 1, 1940, requesting consideration for a “General Duties” position. 

While awaiting a response, Raymond worked as a “messenger” at the Canadian National Railway Post Office, Halifax. On February 3, 1941, he formally attested for service with the RCAF at Halifax. At that time, he received an initial rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class (AC2) and was assigned to the “General Duties” trade. One week later, Raymond commenced training at Eastern Air Command, Halifax.

After completing the first phase of his training, Raymond was promoted to the rank of Aircraftman 1st Class (AC1), General Duties, on May 3. His courses continued into the summer months, with Raymond receiving a promotion to the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC), General Duties Standard, on August 3. After a two-week leave, he returned to Halifax, where he completed the training for the “General Clerk (Standard)” trade before month’s end.

On August 28, Raymond commenced the second phase of his training with the rank of AC2 (Clerk Stenographer). For unspecified reasons, he was admitted to Stationary Hospital, Dartmouth, on November 1 and remained at the facility until December 25. Upon discharge, he completed the requirements for the trade of “General Clerk (Group C),” and advanced to the rank of AC1 (Clerk Stenographer) on March 4, 1942.

Raymond completed the final stage of his Clerk Stenographer training during the spring of 1942 and was promoted to the rank of LAC (Clerk General B) on July 1. One month later, he advanced to the rank of Acting Corporal with pay. For the remainder of the year, Raymond served in the Halifax area, receiving embarkation leave from January 1 to 25, 1943.

After returning to duty, Raymond departed for the United Kingdom on February 3 and arrived overseas 10 days later. On February 27, he was assigned to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC), Bournemouth, UK. Raymond received an annual week’s leave on March 27. Upon returning to duty, he was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant with pay. 

No. 3 PRC was the depot to which all overseas RCAF personnel reported, prior to dispersal to their respective units. The volume of documents in a typical RCAF service file—most consist of 150 to 200 items, many of which contain hand-written entries—is testimony to the vital work that clerks at such locations completed.

Bournemouth was also home to No. 11 Australian Personnel Dispatch and Receiving Centre.  As a result, its streets were teeming with military personnel throughout the war, a fact that soon drew the enemy’s attention. The city’s two largest hotels—the Metropole and Central—accommodated hundreds of Canadian and Australian personnel respectively. On any given day, thousands of Allied air personnel were stationed at various locations across the city, making it a tempting target for German air raids.

Prior to Raymond’s overseas arrival, Bournemouth had endured 47 air raids, directly targeting air force personnel. The strategy was horrifically simple—given the extensive amount of training required, it was more difficult for the Allies to replace air crew than the aircraft they operated. While the previous raids had inflicted casualties and property damage, none had a notable impact. When the air raid sirens sounded at 12:45 pm Sunday, May 23, 1943, nobody anticipated the immense devastation and loss about to occur.

About 30 minutes prior to the sirens sounding, a total of 46 Focke-Wulf 190 single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft departed from Caen, France, each carrying one bomb beneath its fuselage. The planes headed northward toward the southern coast of England. As they crossed the English Channel, 20 aircraft veered eastward toward Hastings, approximately 200 kilometres east of Bournemouth.

The remaining Focke-Wulf 190s continued northward and were soon detected by radar installations on the Isle of Wight. While the sirens sounded as the planes passed over Hengistbury Head, near Bournemouth, at an altitude of approximately 50 feet, there was insufficient time to scramble Royal Air Force fighters at two nearby bases before the attackers reached their target. By the time the Spitfires were in the air, the German aircraft were already heading back across the Channel.

Just before 1:00 pm, the planes dropped their first bombs. In the span of one minute, a total of 25 bombs struck targets across Bournemouth, an estimated 21 or 22 detonating upon impact. At the time of the raid, the Metropole Hotel contained hundreds of Allied servicemen, most of whom were having lunch at the time. The majority were Canadians, but Australian and American personnel were also in the building.

One bomb entered the Metropole’s second storey, struck a steel and concrete stairway, and detonated. The explosion almost completely destroyed the entire facade facing Holdenhurst Road. The hotel’s stoker, on lunch break at the time, made his way into the damaged building, turned off the electricity and dampened the fires, thus averting additional explosions that would have resulted in further casualties.

Direct hits on the Metropole and Central Hotels claimed the largest number of lives. An estimated 37 individuals were killed at the Metropole, although it is almost impossible to determine the exact number, as some of the wounded died over subsequent days. Fortunately, firemen were able to rescue 34 airmen trapped on the upper floors after the blast. 

The greatest loss of life occurred at the Central Hotel, where a single bomb resulted in 54 fatalities, including seven Australian airmen and six US Army personnel who were in the city on leave. A total of 59 buildings were destroyed in the raid, while another 3,422 suffered damage. At least 130 fatalities were attributed to the attack. The death toll included 81 civilians, 11 RCAF personnel, seven members of the Royal Australian Air Force, and six United States infantrymen. 

As for the attacking aircraft, one was shot down over Bournemouth, its pilot killed upon impact. A second plane was damaged and crashed as it attempted to land at Caen, killing the pilot. The remaining Focke-Wolf 190s returned safely to base.

Sergeant Raymond Francis Pelrine was inside the Metropole Hotel at the time of the raid and was one of the day’s 11 RCAF fatalities. According to a subsequent hospital report, he was “trapped in building which was bombed by the enemy” and suffered “multiple injuries” in the explosion, resulting in his death. Sgt. Pelrine was laid to rest in North Cemetery, Bournemouth, UK, on May 29, 1943, following a large funeral ceremony and procession.

Corporal Howard Nightingale Strople—Died of Illness May 9, 1943

 Howard Nightingale Strople was born at North Intervale, Guysborough County, on July 4, 1887, to James Robert and Mary Eliza (Lipsett) Strople. James was the son of William and Hannah Strople, Intervale, while Mary Eliza was the daughter of John and Mary Lipsett, Clam Harbour. The couple married at Manchester, Guysborough County, on September 28, 1875, and raised a family of 14 children—nine sons and five daughters—in their North Intervale home.

Howard Nightingale Strople (c. 1900)

 

 At age 18, Howard left home for the United States, crossing the border at Rumford Falls, near Vanceboro, Maine, on August 5, 1905, on his way to Boston, Massachusetts. By 1910, he was working as an “electric lineman” while residing in a Mattapan boarding house. On April 15 of that year, Howard completed a “Declaration of Intention,” an official application for American citizenship.

On September 21, 1914, Howard married Laura E. Stanley, daughter of Henry Stanley and Emeline Adams, at Newburyport, MA. Laura, a Quebec native and “shoe worker,” was living in Reading, MA, at the time of the marriage. The couple established residence in Reading, where their first child—a daughter, Mabel Edith Strople—was born on June 23, 1916.

It appears that Howard’s occupation as a lineman occasionally took him far from home. In October 1916, for example, he crossed the American border at St. Albans, Vermont, on his way home from Biggar, Saskatchewan. The following year, available documents indicate that the Strople family returned to Canada and established residence in Montreal.

Howard and his younger brother Guy (c. 1914)

The family’s relocation may have been prompted by the United States’ April 6, 1917 declaration of war on Germany, which led to the introduction of a military draft. On June 14, 1917, Howard enlisted with the 2nd Reinforcing Company, 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada, at Montreal. He spent four months in uniform before he was discharged as “medically unfit” due to “flat feet” on October 19, 1917. A note in Howard’s service file provided further details:

“Left foot is quite flat. Arch is completely broken down. Man suffers pain in left leg. Right foot is partially flat and man suffers some pain in his right leg after marching. Man has had to be taken off P. T. [Physical Training] exercises on account of his feet being so painful.”

Several weeks before his discharge, Howard and Laura’s infant daughter Mabel Edith died at Montreal, QC, on October 2, 1917, and was laid to rest in Cimetière Mont Royal, Outremont, QC.

Two of Howard’s brothers also enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. An older sibling, Chester Alvin Strople (DOB December 28, 1885), also spent time in the United States prior to the war. Chester returned to Canada in October 1912, crossing the border from South Dakota to Fort Frances, Ontario. The brothers may have been in touch with one another after Howard’s enlistment, as Chester attested for service with the same unit—2nd Reinforcing Company, 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada—on August 6, 1917.

On October 3, 1917, Chester was transferred to the 1st Depot Battalion, 1st Quebec Regiment, one of numerous similar units established across the country following the introduction of conscription in Canada. A combination of age and health issues meant that Chester remained in Canada for the duration of his time in uniform.

Promoted to the rank of Corporal on July 22, 1918, he was diagnosed with a “hernia” on December 9, 1918, and discharged from military service nine days later. A note in his service file states that Chester suffered from a “reducible left hernia” prior to enlistment and there was “no aggravation due to service.”

On April 30, 1919, Chester married Elodia Sybil Stanley—possibly a relative of Howard’s wife Laura—at Montreal, QC. Chester was working as a shoemaker at the time of the ceremony. The couple settled at Mercier, QC, where Chester passed away in 1960.

Whitfield Raymond Strople, a younger brother of Howard and Chester, also enlisted during the First World War. Born on September 26, 1895, Whitfield left Nova Scotia in March 1915 for the United States, where he joined his oldest brother Ralph, who was residing at Cambridge, MA.

Whitfield was likely motivated to enlist by the military draft implemented in the United States. Many Canadians living there at the time preferred to serve with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and made their way back to Canada to enlist. While Whitfield completed a draft registration card at Cambridge, MA, shortly afterward he travelled by train to Fredericton, NB, where he attested with the 236th Battalion (New Brunswick Kilties) on July 3, 1917.

Whitfield’s age made overseas service much more likely than his older brothers. On October 30, 1917, he departed for the United Kingdom with the 236th and disembarked on November 19. When the 236th was dissolved in early 1918, Whitfield was transferred to the 1st Canadian Reserve Battalion, Seaford. One week later, he was assigned to the 72nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), a unit that was recruited by the same Montreal regiment his older brothers had joined.

On the same day as his transfer, Whitfield crossed the English Channel to France. He joined the 72nd in the field on March 23, 1918. Exactly two months later, he was admitted to No. 13 Canadian Field Ambulance, having been exposed to poison gas from an artillery shell. On July 25, Whitfield was admitted to No. 14 General Hospital, Wimereux. Five days later, he was discharged to a Convalescent Depot, where he remained for a month.

Whitfield reported to the Canadian Infantry Base Depot on September 2, 1918, but did not return to the forward area until after the November 11, 1918 Armistice. On May 4, 1919, he crossed the English Channel to the United Kingdom and departed for Canada aboard SS Adriatic on July 8, 1919. One week later, Whitfield was discharged from military service at Halifax, NS.

While Whitfield appears to have returned home to North Intervale after his discharge—his British War and Victory medals were delivered to that address in March 1922—he eventually returned to the Boston area, where he worked as a “servant” in the household of Herbert Nelson, Sharon, MA. Other documents indicate that he spent time in Seattle, WA, as well.

Whitfield Strople passed away at Montreal, QC, on May 4, 1929. While genealogical sources claim that he died “from the effects of poison gas,” the information in his service file suggests that his exposure was mild. He spent only five days in hospital and no after-effects were detected in a medical examination prior to his discharge. There is no documentary evidence in his file to support a conclusion that his death was connected to his overseas service.

Some time after his military discharge, Howard and Laura Strople returned to the United States. The 1920 census for Manchester, New Hampshire, completed on January 5, 1920, lists Howard Strople, age 31, as a boarder in the household of Mary Adams, a 61-year-old nurse. Howard’s occupation is listed as “electrician at box factory.” Also in the home are his wife Laura, age 28, and  a daughter Doris Florence, age four months.

The family remained in the United States for a short period before returning to Guysborough County. At the time of the June 1, 1921 Canadian census, Howard, Laura and Doris were living with Howard’s parents, James and Mary. Some time afterward, the family travelled to Ontario, where Howard obtained employment as a lineman with the Toronto Hydro-Electric Company.

Howard (back) with children Bud (left), Gus, Phil & Doris (May 1931)

In the ensuing years, at least four sons—Philip (c. 1923), William Augusta "Gus" (c. 1929), John Allen (November 27, 1935) and Howard "Bud" (year of birth unknown)—joined the Strople family. Despite his age and family obligations, a year and a half after the outbreak of the Second World War, Howard decided to enlist with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) at Toronto on April 30, 1941.

Considering his age—Howard was 54 years old at the time—overseas service was out of the question. However, his skills as a lineman proved useful to the RCCS’s home defense efforts. Two weeks after his enlistment, Howard was transferred to Fortress Signal Company, Atlantic Command, Halifax, where he completed a training program. On June 1, he was awarded trades pay as a “Lineman’s Helper, Group C.”

During the war, No. 6 Fortress Signal Company assisted with the defence of Halifax and its eastern approaches. One of several similar units established across the country, its personnel were responsible for erecting and maintaining communication systems—telephone and/or telegraph lines—required by units conducting home defence operations. The Atlantic Command focused on strategic locations along Canada’s east coast.

On September 1, 1942, Howard was transferred to No. 1 Company, Atlantic Canada Signals. Two months later, he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal and awarded trades pay for “B Lineman.” Howard remained with No. 1 Company throughout the winter and spring of 1941-42. On July 1, 1942, he was attached to the Headquarters Gaspé Defences for pay and assigned to AA [Anti-Aircraft] Battery, Burnside, Dartmouth, NS.

At the beginning of the war, Canada’s meagre anti-aircraft defences consisted of eight four-inch guns. Military authorities initially focused on key ports along the Atlantic coast—Halifax and Sydney, NS, and Saint John NB—distributing the limited resources available to these three locations as protection from a possible German naval attack.

Halifax was second only to Liverpool, England, in the volume of Allied supplies that passed through its port. The Bedford Basin provided an important convoy assembly area. The harbour also contained an Imperial Oil refinery, established in 1918, a large ammunition magazine, a naval dockyard and troop transport berth facilities.

The strategic value of these resources prompted military authorities to locate two anti-aircraft guns at York Redoubt to guard the harbour entrance. In late August 1939—only days prior to Canada’s official declaration of war on Nazi Germany—No. 4 AA Battery arrived at Halifax from Kingston, ON, with four three-inch anti-aircraft guns. Two were deployed at the Imperial oil facility, while the other two were deployed at Burnside to protect the magazine.

In early 1940, four modern 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns arrived from Britain. Three were assigned to the Burnside battery, while a fourth was placed at Hartlen Point, across from Devil’s Island, for training purposes. Despite the increase in the number of guns, the Fortress Commander in charge of the area’s defences noted a significant shortage in personnel required to operate and maintain these facilities.

Arrangements were later made for the guns of British naval vessels docked in the harbour for refitting  and the AA armament of other naval units in port to be placed under the tactical control of the Fortress Commander. Telephone communications were established from the GOR [Gun Operational Room] at the Halifax Citadel to the various berths where naval vessels were docked, and all AA guns on board were manned for emergency use.

While this system was already in place at the time of Howard’s arrival in Halifax, communication lines between Fortress Command, the dockyards and AA batteries no doubt required regular maintenance and repair, a task that was assigned to Royal Canadian Corps of Signals personnel. During the time Howard spent in the Halifax area, he no doubt was part of these efforts.

On October 19, 1942, having spent almost 18 months in Halifax, Howard was attached “for all purpose” to Arvida Defences, Quebec. Located 240 kilometres north of Quebec City, near the banks of the Saguenay River between Chicoutimi and Jonquière, the “industrial city” of Arvida had been established in 1927 by the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcoa) as the site for its first aluminum smelter.

An abundant supply of hydro-electricity from nearby power plants at Isle Maligne, Chute-à-Caron and Shipshaw provided the smelter with the resources required to process South American bauxite into aluminum. The plant’s location close to the Saguenay River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence, provided water access for importing the required raw materials and exporting finished products to market.

During the Second World War, the operation became the Western world’s largest aluminum production facility. Such a valuable resource was a tempting target during wartime. Military authorities feared possible sabotage of the local power grid, an aerial attack on the plant, or a submarine attack on the nearby Port Alfred facility.

In response, a detachment of the Chaudière Regiment was stationed in the area in June 1940 and assigned the task of defending the smelter, dams and power plants. When the unit headed overseas, a Company of the Veterans Home Guard took their place. Military authorities, however, were concerned with defending the location from possible sabotage attack.

In response, on June 11, 1941, four three-inch guns previously located in Halifax were re-assigned to the Arvida area. No. 14 AA Battery, which had provided the required manpower in Nova Scotia, accompanied them to their new home. One section of two guns protected the Isle Maligne power plant, while the other two were positioned west of the Arvida plant.

In January 1942, No. 17 AA Battery, a newly-formed French-speaking unit, assumed responsibility for the anti-aircraft guns in the Arvida area. Three months later, eight new 40 mm guns were deployed in the area, in addition to the four older weapons. The commencement of the “Battle of the St. Lawrence”—a German U-boat campaign that resulted in the loss of 23 vessels from May 1942 to November 1944—further heightened concerns of a possible attack on the facility.

One week after his October 19, 1942, transfer to Arvida Defences, Howard was granted a 14-day furlough and quite likely returned home to Toronto for a visit. During that time, he was promoted to the rank of Acting Corporal with pay on November 1. Three and a half weeks later, he was attached to No. 17 AA Battery, Isle Maligne.

Howard’s time in the Arvida area was brief. On December 4, 1942, he was admitted to St. Vallier Hospital, Chicoutimi, were he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Medical staff soon determined that, due to his illness, he was “unable to meet the required military physical standards,” due to his illness. Discharged from hospital on December 21, he was granted a five-day special leave of absence on Boxing Day and once again likely returned home to Toronto.

On January 3, 1943, Howard proceeded to Quebec, where he was once again admitted to hospital. At month’s end, he was officially “struck off strength” by RCCS and assigned to No. 5 District Depot, Quebec. Howard was formally discharged from military service on March 17 and returned to his home at 553 Dufferin St., Toronto.

Cpl. Howard Strople's grave marker, Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, ON

 

Corporal Howard Nightingale Strople passed away at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, on May 9, 1943. He was interred in Prospect Cemetery, Toronto. A comment in his service file noted that his “death was due to service.” On October 22, 1946, military authorities dispatched Howard’s Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, War Medal 1939-45, and a Memorial Bar to his widow, who was residing at 765 Josephine St., Windsor, ON, at the time. Laura Esther (Stanley) Strople passed away at Windsor on October 15, 1972, and was laid to rest in Windsor Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

 

Thanks to Eric Strople, S. Woodslee, ON, for providing the portrait of Howard Nightingale Strople in his 20s; a photo of Howard and his brother Guy, taken sometime between 1913 and 1915; and the May 1931 picture of Howard with four of his five children.