Private Robert Leonard Lawrence—Died of Wounds August 13, 1944

 Robert Leonard Lawrence was born in New Glasgow, NS, on March 28, 1924. The names of his birth parents are unknown. Robert spent his first seven years in New Glasgow, at which time he was taken in by Norman Henry and Mae Alice (Bowden) Lawrence, Tompkinsville, Guysborough County. Norman was the son of Nathaniel Lawrence and Susan Bowden, Manchester, while Mae was the daughter of William Arthur Bowden and Margaret Ann Skinner, Guysborough. The couple were married in the United Church, Guysborough, on December 31, 1928.

Private Robert Leonard Lawrence's headstone, Bayeux Military Cemetery

 At the time of the 1931 Canadian census, the Lawrence household consisted of Norman, age 32, “labourer, road building,” his wife Mae, age 35, and Robert, “nephew,” age seven. It is unclear as to whom Robert was related, but his surname suggests that Norman was his uncle. Robert left school at age 14, having completed Grade VI. At an unknown date, he returned to Pictou County, where he worked in the Pictou shipyards for a period of time. Immediately prior to his military enlistment, he was self-employed, working as a painter while residing at 451 South Albert St., New Glasgow.

On August 8, 1943, Robert reported to No. 61 (Basic) Infantry Training Centre, New Glasgow, for compulsory military instruction as required under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA). Three days later, he reported to No. 6 District Depot, Halifax, where he formally enlisted with the Canadian Active Service Force on August 12, 1943. Robert’s enlistment was voluntary—under the NRMA’s terms at the time, young men could be conscripted into service in Canada only. It was common, however, for individuals “called up” for training to enlist for overseas service shortly afterward.

Robert reported to No. 60 (Basic )Training Center, Yarmouth, on September 2. Upon completing the eight-week program, he was transferred to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre, Aldershot, where he commenced advanced instruction. In mid-January 1944, he was admitted to Camp Military Hospital for reasons not disclosed in his service file. The most common camp ailment was mumps, which was highly contagious and a common barracks infliction. Discharged to duty in early February, he remained in Aldershot until mid-April, when he was awarded five days’ embarkation leave.

Upon returning to duty, Robert spent two weeks in Aldershot before departing for overseas on April 30. One week later, he set foot in the United Kingdom. On May 12, he was posted to No. 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU), the first step in joining an active unit. Robert was transferred to the 12th Battalion, No. 2 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group, on June 1. Ten days later, his name was placed on the reinforcement list for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.

Robert departed for France on June 22 and came ashore in the Normandy beach-head the following day. He did not immediately join the North Novas’ ranks, waiting instead in a reinforcement camp until ordered to report for duty. Subsequent events in the field led to Robert’s transfer to the North Shore Regiment on July 5, 1944.

The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment (NSR) traces its origins to the 73rd Northumberland New Brunswick Battalion of Infantry, a Canadian militia unit established on February 25, 1870. The  Bathurst-based unit underwent several title changes before it was officially designated the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment on April 1, 1922.

While the NSR’s predecessor recruited an infantry battalion—the 132nd (North Shore)—for service during the First World War, the unit never saw combat. Upon arriving overseas in November 1916, the 132nd provided reinforcements until early 1917, at which time it was dissolved and its remaining personnel were transferred to the 13th Reserve Battalion.

The NSR was placed on active service on September 1, 1939, and departed for the United Kingdom in mid-July 1941 as part of the 3rd Canadian Division’s 8th Brigade. Its personnel spent the next three years in England and Scotland. During that time, the New Brunswickers and their 8th Brigade mates—The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (Toronto, ON) and Le Régiment de la Chaudière (Chaudière-Appalaches, QC)—trained in preparation for an Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe.

At 0630 hours June 6, 1944, the Queen’s Own Rifles (QOR) boarded landing craft and came ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer as part of the first wave of the Allied D-Day invasion. The North Shore Regiment was part of the second wave, its landing crafts heading for Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer at 0810 hours. On its first day in France, the NSR pushed inland toward Tailleville and had advanced as far as Cairon, northwest of the city of Caen, by June 11. The battalion’s war diary commented, “This sector is fairly quiet and the troops are spending the time resting and cleaning their weapons.”

The unit completed regular rotations in the line throughout the month. Its first major combat assignment took place on July 4, when the NSR and its 8th Brigade comrades launched an attack on Carpiquet, a village on the southwestern outskirts of Caen. Located on high ground with an airfield nearby, the area was strategically valuable to both sides.

While the NSR successfully secured its sector of the village after an early morning assault, the fighting and subsequent retaliatory mortar and artillery fire took a major toll on its ranks. The Regiment suffered a total of 170 casualties, 46 of whom were fatalities. The day proved to be the unit’s worst in the line during its Second World War service. The significant losses explain why Robert was re-assigned to the NSR. It appears, however, that another two weeks passed before he joined the unit in the front line.

The NSR remained in Carpiquet until July 9, when its personnel participated in an afternoon attack on Bretteville-sur-Odon, southeast of the recently captured village. Simultaneously, other Allied units liberated the city of Caen. Upon clearing the village, the NSR remained there for another four days, enduring almost constant enemy mortar and artillery fire. Finally, in the early morning hours of July 13, the weary soldiers moved out to a rest area near Caen, having logged nine hard days in the line.

After four days’ rest, the NSR returned to the forward area. During the morning of July 17 the 8th Brigade cleared German forces from an industrial area across the Orne River from Caen as Allied units secured the river’s southern banks. The following day, the unit remained in the newly secured area. Before day’s end, a reinforcement group that included two Officers and 87 “other ranks” (OR) joined the regiment in the field. As this is the war diary’s first mention of reinforcements since Carpiquet, it is likely that Private Robert Lawrence was one of the new arrivals.

During the afternoon of July 19, the battalion relocated to Vaucelles, south of Caen. While checking the ares, soldiers found that many houses had been “booby trapped.” That same day, south of their location, British and Canadian forces prepared to attack Verrières and Bourgébus Ridges, two strategic areas of high ground held in strength by German forces.

The following day, the NSR relocated to a concentration area north of the recently captured village of Bourgébus during the evening hours. Over the next several days, personnel carried out regular reconnaissance patrols under cover of darkness. While there was no direct contact with enemy forces, German artillery heavily shelled the area each night.

At 0300 hours July 25, Allied forces launched Operation Spring, a major assault on Verrières Ridge. While the NSR was not involved, German counter-fire “caused a few casualties.” Two North Nova Scotia Highlanders Companies successfully reached the village of Tilly-la-Campagne atop Verrières Ridge before dawn but encountered stiff resistance and failed to secure their objective.

The NSR endured another day of constant shelling before withdrawing to reserve positions behind the forward area during the early hours of July 27. The new location proved just as treacherous, as personnel were still within German artillery range. After three more days of shelling, the battalion moved out to a rest area near Basily on the afternoon of July 30.

Personnel spent the first few days resting and cleaning equipment. On August 3, company and platoon training commenced. Over the next several days, a few soldiers from each Company were “permitted to go to the beach at St. Aubin-sur-Mer for a swim. From 12 to 15 [men] from each Company were taken on an all-day tour of Bayeux.” The Knights of Columbus set up a recreational hut and presented a show that “a number of men from each Company… [were] permitted to attend.” On August 6, the Knights showed movies throughout the day, an activity that “the troops thoroughly enjoyed.”

On August 7, the focus returned to military matters. Officers reviewed plans for Operation Totalize, a major Allied attack to be launched southward along both sides of the Caen - Falaise Road. While the 8th Brigade was not involved in the initial stage, scheduled to commence that evening, its units stood by while awaiting orders to move out.

The following day started with reveille at 0600 hours August 8. While instructed to be ready to move at one hour’s notice, it was almost mid-day before the NSR received orders to relocate to Cormelles. Progress was slowed by heavy traffic on the roads as numerous other units were also on the move. At the same time, Allied forces prepared for the second phase of Totalize. The initial part involved a massive bombing raid on strategic German targets by approximately 700 American “Flying Fortresses,” scheduled for the afternoon. Once the raids were completed, two armoured divisions were to continue the advance with infantry support.

Totalize’s second stage did not unfold as planned. While almost 500 aircraft dropped their bombs on targets along the line of attack, two 12-plane groups made “gross errors” in carrying out their missions. In one group, a “faulty identification by the lead bombardier” resulted in the plane dropping its weapons near Caen. Fortunately, “some other bombardiers of the formation cautiously refrained from dropping with him.”

The second instance involved a lead bomber that had been badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. The plane dropped its load short of its target “and the rest of the formation followed in regular routine.” One of the areas struck by the “friendly fire” was Cormelles, south of Caen. The situation was further complicated by the fact that dozens of Allied units were making their way forward behind the attacking forces, in anticipation of a major push southward toward Falaise.

That afternoon, the NSR received instructions to “hold up.” Its “recce” (reconnaissance) party selected a suitable location off the road on the outskirts of Faubourg de Vaucelles, in the direction of Cormelles. As perssonel scanned the horizon, they saw “a wall of fire and smoke coming toward us.” A group of American Flying Fortress headed toward the French coast passed overhead, dropping their bombs as they passed.

Officers at first assumed that German forces were using “captured American planes or a new secret weapon.” While the recce party managed to find cover and were unhurt, the bombs landed directly on a nearby medium artillery regiment, causing significant losses. The main body of NSR troops gathered at Cormelles were also struck by the “friendly fire” at 1605 hours. Due to inaccurate directions, the group had taken a wrong and followed the first road south to Cormelles in an effort to get back on track. Personnel were halted near an ordnance depot, awaiting word from the recce party, when the American bombers passed overhead.

Most of the men were aboard trucks. As officers observed a cloud of dust, smoke and fire rolling toward them, any moving vehicles stopped. The soldiers piled out of the trucks and dove under vehicles or into the ditches and surrounding fields, in search of cover. Not all made it to safety. While the battalion’s war diary reported 23 OR killed, with 73 OR and two officers wounded, a later regimental history states that 37 men were killed and 78 wounded in the incident. “A” Company suffered the vast majority of the casualties, essentially making it inoperable until reinforcements could be obtained.

In the aftermath of the tragic bombing, the wounded were evacuated to casualty clearing stations for treatment while remaining personnel boarded the trucks and traveled another eight kilometers along the road before stopping for the night. At 2240 hours, the unit’s CO was informed that “no more reinforcements were available, but they were doing their best to obtain them.”

Private Robert Leonard Lawrence was among the NSR soldiers wounded in the bombing incident and rushed to hospital for treatment. According to a September 9, 1944 letter from military authorities to Mae, “he was dangerously wounded on the 8th of August and became dangerously ill on the 9th of August, suffering from a bullet wound to the chest and buttock, which resulted in his death on the 13th of August 1944.”  The correspondence failed to reveal that Robert’s wounds were inflicted by bomb shrapnel, not gunfire, and were the result of a tragic error on the part of American bombing crews.

Robert was laid to rest in Bayeux British Military Cemetery, Bayeux, France. His military will appointed George H. Lawrence, contractor, New Glasgow, as his executor. It is not known whether Robert and George were related. Mae Alice Lawrence passed away at home on June 15, 1970. Her husband Norman Henry Lawrence died in Guysborough Memorial Hospital, Guysborough, on September 26, 1972.

Sapper Robert Irvine Westhaver—Killed in Action August 10, 1944

 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.

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.

Gunner William Leland "Bill" Grady—Killed in Action August 10, 1944

 William Leland “Bill” Grady was born in Port Shoreham, Guysborough County, on February 22, 1903, the seventh of William Henry and Eliza Sophia (Porper) Grady’s 10 children. William Henry was the son of William and Elizabeth Grady, St. Francis Harbour, while Eliza was the daughter of William and Mary Ann (Lipsett) Porper, Ragged Head. The couple married in Guysborough on December 13, 1892. 

Sapper William Leland "Bill" Grady

 At the time of the 1901 Canadian census, the Grady household consisted of William, age 47, fisherman, his wife Eliza, age 32, and their five oldest children—Frederick Lewis (DOB June 5, 1893); Mary E. “Mamie” (DOB May 6, 1894); Gordon Elmer (DOB February 29, 1896); Edith L. (DOB June 11, 1898); and Harriet A. “Hattie” (DOB June 11, 1900). Over the next decade, four more children joined the family—Jesse Tobias (DOB June 1902); William Leland; John Cecil (DOB February 1906); Oscar Henry (DOB September 1909). The couple’s youngest child, Urban George was born in 1912.

Midway through the following decade, two tragedies impacted the Grady family. On May 25, 1914, William Henry passed away after a two and a half year battle with tuberculosis and was laid to rest in Manchester Cemetery. Almost exactly one year later—May 23, 1915—William Henry and Eliza’s daughter Hattie succumbed to the same illness.

During the same time period, Eliza’s two remaining daughters married and left the family home. On March 11, 1914, Mamie married Arthur Byron Campbell, a native of Middle Manchester. She later relocated to the United States, where she resided in Gloucester, Massachusetts. On June 19, 1918, Eliza’s youngest daughter Edith married Ross Malcolm Smith, a native of Barneys River, Pictou County, in Truro. Ross and Edith settled in New Glasgow, where Edith died at home on February 3, 1933, the result of pleurperal septicaemia (infection following childbirth).

Eliza remained on the family’s Port Shoreham property, where she cared for a significant number of dependent children. Her oldest son Fred, who worked in the local fishery, also resided there while several of Eliza’s younger sons operated the family farm. At the time of the 1921 census, the Grady household consisted of Eliza, age 48, and six of her seven sons—Fred, age 28; Jesse, age 19, William Leland, age 17, John, age 15, and Oscar, age 14, and Urban, age 13.

Bill left school at age 16, having completed Grade VI. He worked a variety of jobs in the local area—lumbering and carpentry during the winter months, fishing and farming during the summer months—and drove a truck for several years. According to information in his service file, he also worked on wheat farms in Western Canada for a period of time. Family sources state that Bill’s brothers Gordon and John Cecil “Jack” headed west, where they homesteaded. Bill made several trips west on the annual harvest trains for several years, returning home for the winter months. Gordon remained in Alberta, while Jack eventually moved to Ontario, where he established and operated a restaurant in MacTier, near Perry Sound, for years.

Bill eventually returned permanently to Port Shoreham, where he purchased a 20-acre property that included a house, a fishing shed and gear. Focused and hard-working, he established a small mink farm and fished lobster and salmon for six years prior to his enlistment. Bill was also involved in the local forest industry, working with local contractor Edgar Scales, Boylston, when not busy farming or fishing.

According to a family descendant, Bill was engaged to be married until his fiancée ended the engagement. The incident prompted Bill to enlist with the Canadian Active Service Force at Sydney, NS, on October 6, 1942. At age 39, he was considerably older than most of his comrades in uniform. After finishing basic training at No 61 Canadian Army Basic Training Center, New Glasgow, he was selected for artillery service and reported to A2 Training Center, Petawawa, ON, for further instruction on December 1, 1942.

Upon completing his artillery courses, Bill received the standard two-week pre-embarkation furlough on February 21, 1943. He departed for overseas in late March and arrived in the United Kingdom on April 3. Bill initially reported to No. 2 Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit, where he awaited orders to report to an active unit. On June 18, 1943, he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Artillery’s No. 5 Anti-Tank Regiment.

While the tank made its military debut during the later stages of the First World War, it was not a particularly effective weapon at that time, due in large part of mechanical imperfections. Developments during the inter-war years transformed the armoured vehicle into a formidable weapon that played a critical role on the Second World War’s battlefields. Both sides established armoured units and deployed them in support of virtually every infantry attack. Similarly, both sides developed weapons and units to counter their opponents’ mobile armour.

At the time of the outbreak of war in Europe, Canada’s military was ill-prepared for armoured warfare. Its arsenal contained only 29 Bren guns, 23 anti-tank rifles, and four two-pounder anti-tank guns. Over the first two years of the war, plans to prepare the Canadian military for overseas combat gradually took shape. In January 1942, the Canadian government commenced an overhaul of its artillery resources in response to the threat that tanks posed to infantry units. The first step involved replacing its anti-tank regiments’ two-pounders with six-pounder guns. As time passed, the units were also outfitted with 17-pounder guns.

By the time Canadian forces entered combat in France in mid-1944, the American self-propelled three-inch M-10 gun—a weapon mounted on a tracked armoured vehicle resembling a small tank—and self-propelled 17-pounders had been developed for battlefield use. While some ani-tank regiments still retained “towed” six- and 17-pounders, the mobile American weapons proved to be the most effective and became the basic anti-tank equipment used in combat.

The 5th Anti-Tank Regiment was authorized on September 10, 1941, and established its initial headquarters at Sussex Camp, NB, in February 1942. The unit initially consisted of three batteries—the 96th (Edmonton, AB); the 65th (Grenfell, SK); and the 3rd (Ganonoque, QC). A fourth battery—the 14th—was added to the unit on January 1, 1943, following its overseas arrival.

Despite a shortage of suitable equipment, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment trained in Sussex and Tracadie, NB, before proceeding overseas on June 3, 1942. Upon arriving in Liverpool, UK, its personnel travelled by train and road convoy to Dudley Hill Camp, near Dorking, Surrey. The gunners initially trained under British command until the 4th Canadian Armoured Division (4th CAD) arrived in the United Kingdom several months later. On October 1, 1942, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment joined the 4th CAD at Camp Aldershot in southern England.

The 4th CAD’s composition differed from its infantry comrades. While the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions consisted of three Brigades, each containing three infantry regiments, 4th CAD included one Armoured Division, one Infantry Division and several transportation and mechanical support units. Its 4th Armoured Brigade included three armoured regiments—21st Armoured (Governor General’s Foot Guards); 22nd Armoured (Canadian Grenadier Guards); and 28th Armoured (British Columbia Regiment).

The Division’s 10th Infantry Brigade included three Ontario battalions—the Algonquin Regiment, the Lincoln & Welland Regiment and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s). On the battlefield, armoured and infantry units worked in close co-ordination, a tactic employed by both sides.

The 5th Anti-Tank Regiment was 4th CAD’s only anti-tank unit. Each of its four batteries consisted of three “troops” of personnel—the equivalent of infantry companies—equipped with four M-10s. Each troop was assigned a distinctive letter to distinguish it from its comrades. The 96th Battery consisted of Troops  A, B and C, while the 65th Battery contained Troops D, E and F. The 3rd Battery included Troops G, H and I, while the 14th Battery, added after the unit’s overseas arrival, was made up of Troops J, K and L. Upon joining the 5th Anti-Tank’s ranks in June 1943, Gunner Bill Grady was assigned to the 14th Battery’s L Troop.

As 4th CAD’s units were among the last to arrive overseas, they were not part of the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings. Allied plans called for their deployment in Normandy once the invading force had established an operating beach-head. In mid-July, the 4th CAD’s units began preparations to depart for France. An advance party made the crossing to the continent on July 18 while the unit’s four batteries gathered their equipment and made their way to Tilbury Docks, a port on the River Thames, over several days.

The departure process stretched over several days as equipment and personnel were assigned to different vessels. On July 24, the 96th, 3rd and 14th Batteries proceeded to France, their vessels dropping anchor off the coast of Normandy. Two days later, the 65th Battery followed in their wake. As with the loading procedure, it was several days before the entire 5th Anti-Tank Regiment was ashore. By July 28, all personnel and gear had landed and the unit began preparations for its first deployment.

On July 28, 4th CAD was notified that its units were to relieve the 7th British Armoured Division in the forward area south of Caen. The following day, an advance party visited the position, while the entire Regiment moved out later in the day. The forward batteries reported some artillery shelling during the evening hours but no casualties resulted. Around 1800 hours, the Regiment’s batteries began the process of relieving their British comrades.

The last of the unit’s personnel and equipment arrived in the forward area on July 30. Later that night, 4th CAD’s infantry units took up positions along the front line. It was not long before the first 5th Anti-Tank Regiment soldiers saw combat. On the last day of the month, the 3rd Battery’s G Troop supported the 2nd Canadian Division’s Calgary Highlanders as they launched an unsuccessful attack on the village of Tilly-la-Campagne, atop Verrières Ridge.

On August 1, all 3rd Canadian Division anti-tank guns withdrew from the line and were replaced by 5th Anti-Tank Regiment personnel and equipment. Before day’s end, the first casualties occurred—one 96th Battery officer and five of the 3rd Battery’s G Troop were wounded by mortar fire while deploying their guns during the late evening.

The following day, the wounded officer succumbed to his injuries, becoming the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment’s first combat fatality. The 3rd Battery’s H Troop also saw its first action, supporting a Lincoln & Welland Regiment attack on Tilly-la-Campagne. On August 3, 5th Anti-Tank Regiment’s officers inspected all gun positions as considerable artillery shelling was reported across the entire area. The following day, personnel installed boiler plates from a locomotive works in Colombelles to create shields over the unit’s gun turrets.

On August 6, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment received notice of an upcoming “push” along the main highway between Caen and Falaise. The following day, 4th CAD gathered its infantry forces southwest of Caen in preparation for a third attack on Tilly-la-Campagne. At 0200 hours August 8, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment and other 4th CAD units moved out to a concentration area prior to the commencement of the offensive.

At 0910 hours, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment once again began to move forward. Near mid-day, an American Fortress bomber that was supposed to strike strategic German targets prior to the attack mistakenly dropped its payload near Caen, killing two of the unit’s “other ranks” (OR) and wounding six others. At 1345 hours, a second “friendly fire” incident killed two OR and wounded three others. The column continued to advance after the incident, arriving at Colombelles at 1900 hours and settling in for the night.

On August 9, the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment distributed its battery troops to several different locations. Two 65th Battery troops assumed positions south of Verrières, while the 14th Battery’s Headquarters, J and K Troops were stationed at Racquincourt. The 3rd Battery’s three troops—G, H and I—assisted the Algonquin Regiment in its assignment. 14th Battery’s L Troop—Gunner Bill Grady’s unit—and the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (Southern Alberta Regiment)—SAR—assisted the Lincoln & Welland Regiment in a successful attack on the village of Langanerrie.

At 0500 hours August 10, the SAR’s B Squadron assumed positions in front of the captured village. Two troops of its tanks were dispatched to St. Hilaire, with instructions to guard the Algonquin Regiment’s left flank while it launched an attack on enemy positions. The 5th Anti-Tank Regiment’s L Troop accompanied the two SAR Troops on their mission.

As the approach to St. Hilaire was under enemy fire, a new route was laid out and the two units headed in that direction. The Sergeant in charge made “a miscalculation in map reading,” resulting in a wrong turn. By accident, both units—5th Anti-Tank’s L Troop and the two SAR Troops—moved forward into an enemy trap at Quesnay Wood. German forces immediately opened fire on the group.

The SAR’s war diary entry for August 10, 1944 reported that “the complete troop was knocked out from enemy anti-tank fire.” The 5th Anti-Tank’s14th Battery diary entry provided more details on the incident:

“Very bad news about L Troop. Four M-10s lost[,] two known to have been hit and burned up, two others lost but not known whether hit or captured. Crews all missing with the exception of Sgt. Grey’s crew[,] who escaped after [their] M-10 was hit.”

Gunner William Leland Grady was among the 17 5th Anti-Tank Regiment personnel officially reported “missing” on August 10, 1944. While his service file does not contain a copy of a letter or telegram to Eliza, military authorities would have notified her of the situation within seven to 10 days of Bill’s disappearance. One week after the incident, the remains of 10 L Troop gunners were recovered near Quesnay Wood. There was no trace of Bill or other six gunners.

Months passed with no further information on Bill’s fate. Finally, on April 2, 1945, military authorities wrote to Eliza, informing her that “no further news has been received relative to your son…., who had been officially listed as missing since the 10th day of August, 1944. The Army Council have regretfully constrained to conclude that he gave his life in action against the enemy in the Western European Theatre of War, and it is consequently being recorded that… Gunner William Leland Grady is now for official purposes presumed to have been killed in action on the 10th day of August, 1944.”

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.” Gunner Bill Grady’s name is among those engraved on the Memorial.

Several of Bill’s brothers served in the Canadian armed forces over the years. Gordon, the oldest of the Grady boys, enlisted during both world wars. On May 1, 1918, he was conscripted into service under the Military Service Act (1917) at Halifax. After completing basic training, Gordon departed for overseas aboard AMT Waimana on June 25.

Upon disembarking in the United Kingdom 12 days later, Gordon was assigned to the 17th (Reserve) Battalion, which provided reinforcements for Nova Scotian infantry units in the field. On October 30, he proceeded to France for service with the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles). Gordon remained at the Canadian Base Depot in Le Havre until November 8, at which time he left to join the 25th’s ranks. Five days later, he  arrived in its camp near Mons, Belgium.

Gordon remained on the continent for five months. During that time, the 25th relocated to post-war Germany, crossing the Rhine River to Bonn, Germany, with an Allied occupation force. On April 9, 1919, Gordon returned to the United Kingdom, where an unexpected illness kept him in hospital until early August. He departed for Canada aboard SS Minnekahda on September 6, 1919, and  arrived in Halifax eight days later. Gordon was formally was discharged from military service on September 20 and returned to Port Shoreham.

During the post-war years, Gordon headed west to the Canadian Prairies, where he homesteaded, eventually settling in Peace River, Alberta, around 1926. During the Second World War, Gordon served in th Royal Canadian Air Force. The nature of his service is not known. He remained out west for the rest of his life, passing away in Nanaimo, British Columbia, on October 3, 1984, at 88 years of age.

The two youngest Grady boys also spent some time in uniform during the Second World War. Oscar was with a unit in the Strait of Canso area—likely the Pictou Highlanders—for several months. The exact details of his service are unknown. Urban, the youngest of William and Eliza’s sons, attempted to enlist but failed the medical examination due to “flat feet.” At a young age, he had suffered an injury to his feet when a horse racing sulky on which he was riding overturned while crossing a narrow bridge. The injury is believed to have caused the foot problem that resulted in his rejection.

Bill’s mother Eliza lived in Port Shoreham for the rest of her years, passing away in her youngest son Urban’s home on August 30, 1954. 86 years old at the time of her death, she was laid to rest in Manchester Cemetery beside her husband William and daughter Hattie.

Special thanks to Floyd Grady, Port Shoreham, NS, for providing information on the Grady family.