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*1st Canadian Parachute Battalion*
*of January* 1944*
~*~Welcome~*~

~by~
Irvin Willsey the person originally on this sight has passed away in 2007.So personally the builder of this sight had served in the Queens Own Rifles of Canada and can not provide any info other then what is posted. how ever if you have info or pictures you wish to add to this sight please e mail me .other than that i hope you may find contact through my guest book
AND PLEASE SIGN THE GUEST BOOK SO OTHERS CAN SEE YOU HERE
THANK YOU


Are You one of us?

All names are front row first.
left to right
Cpl.Renwick,W.J. Cpl.Kemp,J. Cpl.McWilliams,G.A Cpl.Huard,C.E Sgt.Stammers,A.N
Sgt,Beaudoin,D.N Sgt.McIsaac,R.M Sgt,Trenholm,J.H
2.nd row
Nicholls,T.W- Martin,T.J- Isley,B.M- Heggie,A.Y- MacPherson,J.R- Connaghan,G.C
MacKenzie,- Smith,H- Willsey,I.D
3rd row
Tyson,R.G- Pledger,K.M- Colbert,G.c- Sutherland,R.C-
Blunt,A.T- Dunn,B.H- Shulist,S.P
4.th row
O'Leary,L.E- Sargent,J.M- Blower,A.S- Pastorius,M.K- Wilson,R.M
Broadfoot,J.G- Anderson,B.M- Christison,G.M
Top row
Brewer,W.A- Dray,F.A- Mendzat,M- Smith,P.A
Novel,W- Church,L.G



Lt.Rousseau,J.M- Capt.Griffin,P- Lt.Toseland,N
Sgt.Irvin,W- Sgt.Pasquill,T.H
2.nd row
Symak,J- Stephanko,J.P- Milne,J.H- Pauk,W- Boyce,H- Kane,W.A
3.rd row
Flynn,C.D- MacInnes,A.J- Schillemore,A.A- Nickerson,C.H
Luton,R.H- Sachro,J.F
4.th row
Gismondi,P- Davies,T.J- Turner,D.G- Humes,A.W
Adam,A.W- Thompson,J.L
5.th row
Warnock,L.G.S- Sangster,W- Kivinen,H.W- Ross,L.D
Harrington,A.N- Jones,R.VPartington,A.n



Sgt.Outhwaite,R Sgt.Capraru,G Cpl.Pearson,A.P Cpl.Barlow,W.M
Cpl.Ellefson,O.M Cpl.Mero,P Cpl.McKettrick,D.E
2.nd row
Currie,D.A- Crowe,B.W- Price,D.T- Sumons,V.H- Melenius,J.J
Ticknor,D.S- Makela,E- Mcgarry,J
3.rd row
Hellerud,L.H- Page,E.W- Jenkins,W.C- Roberts,J.E- Brady,W.J
Hodge,V.WTedrick,J.RBaskin,E.N
4.th row
Harvey,K.R- Fengstad,C.O- Elgaard,T.U- Bartko,P
Armstrong,H.N- Geddes,R.A
top row
Reid,C.H- Patterson,C.W- Boulet,C- Lajoie,L.L

If anyone finds a face that do not mach the name
pls let me know so i can make correctiones

~About us~

We were shipped out to Ringway for our jump training
after which we were returned to Bulford where we remained till June 5. 1944
On June 6,1944, 0200 hrs.,as part of the British 6th Airborne Division,
we were planed and bound for France. Our instructions were to support the takeover of a telephone exchange
our approach of the French shores was met with heavy anti-aircraft fire
This and poor weather conditions may have been a factor
for when we landed there was only 24 of us that managed to get together
As it turned out we were dropped in the wrong place.
We were dropped near Pont L'veque, France
The next four days we spent trying to hook up with the rest of the group
but our efforts were hindered by German patrols, and by the end of the
fourth day, June 9,we were diminished to only three of us left
By the night of June 9 the three of us had been taken prisoner.
With our hands tied behind our backs we were marched to a cave
where we were held over night
I have recently found out these were caves under a monastery
just outside of Pont L'veque
The next day we were taken to a school in town where we were kept
for three or four days. During this time nuns took care of us.
From here we were taken by truck to Chartron then on to Chalons
where we were loaded into a boxcar with other prisoners.
On route our train stopped for and survived many airraids
finely arriving at our destination of 4B POW camp,in Muhlburg, Germany.
In Sept.,1944 we were moved once again, this time to
a labour camp in Longburg to work in the sugar beet fields.
We barely had time to settle in as we proved to be worthless at the task.
so, we were moved to Hanburg where we were used as labourers on a surface mine
and here we stayed until early May,1945 when we started hearing the sounds of Russian artillery
at which point the guards decided to take us out of camp on a three day march
as we soon learned, straight to the American lines where the Germans surrendered.


I enlisted with the Canadian Postal Core
in Saskatoon, Saskathewan in March, 1941
We were shipped out via the ship Rio Del Pacifico In Sept.,1941
as part of the 5th Canadian Armored Division
We landed in Liverpool and were transported to Aldershot
to be stationed with the Cape Breton Highlanders
In 1943 I transferred to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
at Bulford in the Salisbury plains



Finaly
Some recognition
click here to see it
and
a bitersweet reunion




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this page was created
in honour of the
FIRST CANADIAN PARACHUTE BATTALION
On behalf of I Willsey
by Julius Bagi
Last update jan5 016
at 600