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World War Two Roll of Honour

Flight Sergeant William Alexander Cameron
July 19, 1944
425 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
Service Number A/2401
Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. Age 23
Son of Alexander and Louise E. Cameron, Chilliwack, B.C.

The only son of Mrs. Cameron and the late Alexander Cameron was born in Edmonton, Alberta and moved to Chilliwack four years later. He attended Chilliwack School and Kitsilano High School in Vancouver and was one of the original members of the 11th Air Cadet Squadron of Kitsilano High School. William enlisted in the R.C.A F. in September 1939 and graduated as an air gunner in August 1943 leaving for overseas shortly afterwards. He joined 425 "Alouette" Squadron and when on a mission against Wesseling, Germany, July 19, 1944 was shot down near Cologne crashing at Koln-Riehl on the west bank of the Rhine. Only one crewman of the Halifax aircraft, Sergeant J.A. Arsenault R.C.A.F. survived becoming a prisoner of war. Those killed were Flying Officer A.F. Taillon, Pilot Officer W.W. Watson, Sergeants J.T.G.G. Dufour, J.Z. Giroux and N.A. Boucher all of the R.C.A.F. and Sergeant R.P. Kinnear, R.A.F.

 

Trooper Robert Woodrow Cantelon
August 9, 1944
British Columbia Regiment
Service Number K/37557. An original member of the B.C. Regiment
Bretteville‑Sur‑Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France. Age 26
Nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Pearson, Sardis, B.C.

"Bobby" Cantelon was born in Westhope, North Dakota June 1, 1918. His family owned a well drilling business, and as a result moved frequently. After completing school at Meeting Creek, Alberta he visited the west coast and met with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Pearson of Sardis. Bobby remained in Sardis and worked at the James Higginson Farm and for C.F. Webb. Cantelon served with the British Columbia Regiment (The 28th Armoured Regiment) of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division. His unit landed in France, July 27, 1944 and proceeded along the Caen‑Falaise Road. The German Brigade Fuehrer Kurt Meyer was responsible for the defence of Falaise and amongst his troops was the 12th Waffen S.S. of the Hitler Youth. This unit was responsible for some of the most intense fighting against Canadian troops during the war. In defending Falaise, Meyer chose the high ground overlooking the Liaison River and Hills 195, 143 and 111. Map reference, Hill 195 was to become a devastating obstacle for members of two Canadian units, The Algonquin Regiment and the British Columbia Regiment. In the fourteen-hour engagement, of August 9, 1944 the British Columbia Regiment lost their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel D.G. Worthington, 101 other ranks and 46 tanks. Trooper Bobby Cantelon was one of the casualties.

 

Lance Corporal Howard Ralph Carter
September 22, 1943
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Service Number K/69413. Original Unit of Service – Irish Fusiliers (V.R.)
Chilliwack (Canadian Legion) Cemetery, Little Mountain, British Columbia. Age 20
Son of George Elvin and Alice Margarite Carter, Chilliwack, B.C.

Prior to the commencement of the Second World War, Howard Carter worked as a professional photographer. After his enlistment with the Canadian Army he was recommended as an officer candidate and began officer training. While on manoeuvres at Camp Dundern, Saskatchewan, September 22, 1943, Carter lost his life when trying to save another soldier who had lost hold of a guide rope stretched across a creek. Carter was not found for ten minutes and could not be revived. Other members of the troop saved the originally distressed soldier.

 

Private Claud George Clerf
February 5, 1943
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Service Number K/71678. Original Unit of Service – Irish Fusiliers (V.R.)
Vancouver (Mountain View) Cemetery, British Columbia. Age 29
Nephew of Mrs. Arthur Graham, Chilliwack, B.C.

In 1913, Claud was born in Greenwood, British Columbia. At the age of three he went to live with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Graham of Chilliwack. He received his education in town and later worked for Don MacNeill, who was the C.N.R. agent at Chilliwack. Although work was not plentiful in the 1930s he managed by working for a short time with Totem Food Stores and later with the boundary slashing crew working between Sumas and Princeton. He then became involved in placer mining in Montana and at Lillooet, where he managed to make a fair daily wage. In 1941 he joined the armed forces and after a year overseas with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, was invalided home January 3, 1943. Upon his return Claud was admitted to Shaughnessy Military Hospital where he died February 5, 1943.

 

Leading Seaman Archibald Henry William Conway
June 25, 1940
H.M.C.S. Fraser, Royal Canadian Navy,
Service Number 2259
Halifax Memorial, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Age 29
Son of Archibald S. and Caroline C. Conway of Galveston, Texas, U.S.A.
Husband of Eileen Helen Conway, Esquimalt, B.C.

On June 25, 1940, "Archie" Conway was lost in action when H.M.C.S. Fraser, a Canadian destroyer, was sunk off the coast of France. The Fraser was evacuating troops from Dunkirk when the Fraser, on return to Plymouth, June 3, 1940, collided with the British cruiser, H.M.S. Calcutta in the Gironde River estuary. Archie was educated on Fairfield Island and at Chilliwack High School, where he was an excellent soccer player. At the time of his death he was the husband of Eileen Helen Conway (nee Cook) of Esquimalt, married November 25, 1932 in Victoria, and was the father of four children. Forty‑seven sailors of H.M.C.S. Fraser's sailors were lost in the sinking.

 

Flying Officer Richard Leslie Coulter
December 17, 1942
104 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
Service Number J/7022
Malta Memorial, Malta. Age 24
Son of Ralph Arnold and Edna Grace Coulter, Chilliwack, B.C.

Born in 1918 at Delisle, Saskatchewan, Leslie attended Atchelitz Public School and Chilliwack High School. Leslie participated in junior cattle judging, golf, badminton and sailing and was a junior member of the Chamber of Commerce. Prior to enlistment he was an employee of the Royal Bank in Chilliwack and New Westminster. Leslie Coulter was trained as an observer in the R.C.A.F., and graduated at Pennfield Ridge. Overseas he flew with an R.A.F. squadron on several missions over Germany. In the spring of 1942 he was attached to Ferry Command until he contracted malaria. In October 1942 he was re‑posted to the Egyptian Front and took part in the El Alamein offensive. On December 17, 1942, when serving from Malta with 104 Squadron, a Wellington bomber unit, Leslie's aircraft failed to return from operations. Other members of the crew killed were Flying Officer George Cochrane Silver R.C.A.F., Sergeant Leonard Booth R.A.F. and Sergeant Herbert George Lines D.F.M., R.A.F.

 

Warrant Officer II Russell Tyrrell Currie
February 11, 1944
410 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
Service Number R/146131
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England. Age 21
Son of Harvey Stanley and Lennah Currie, Princeton, B.C.

At the age of four Russell Currie and his family, moved to Chilliwack. He remained in town for 17 years and attended Chilliwack High School. He was employed by McLennan, McFeely and Prior (Chilliwack) and in January 1942 joined the R.C.A.F. He proceeded overseas in December and as a navigator served with a Canadian night fighter unit, 410 "Cougar" Squadron. On February 11, 1944, flying with pilot, J.L.A. Madden, their Mosquito aircraft took off and reached an altitude of 200 feet when it crashed into the sea one mile from the pier on Bradwell Creek, Essex, England.

 

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