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Creston Valley Goes to War

Burton-Doerner

Burton, Robert:

Bush, Charles:

Butterfield, Douglas “Doug”: Private, Veterans' Home Guard.

Butterfield, Tom:

Bysouth, Alfred: Royal Canadian Air Force             

Bysouth, Stan: Royal Canadian Air Force

Calking, E V:

Cameron, Alvin J: Staff Sergeant, 4th Canadian Division, 6H Army Support Group. Spent four and a half years overseas in England, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany.

Cameron, Lois: Enlisted May 1945. Captain, Canadian Women's Army Corps.

Cameron, Marshall B: Private, Cook, Canadian Army, served in Canada 1942-1945

Cameron, Robin H: Gunner, Army. Served in Belgium, Holland, Germany

Campbell, Alex: Royal Canadian Air Force

Campbell, D:          

Cardis, Marie: Canadian Women’s Army Corps

Cardis, Mark: Private

Carr, James “Jimmy”

Cartwright, Barbara M: Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division           

Cartwright, Julian: Royal Canadian Air Force

Cartwright, Roy: Royal Canadian Air Force; went on to become a commercial pilot after the war.   

Cartwright, Roy: Sergeant                       

Celli, Corry F: Sergeant, US Army. Two years overseas service with Military Intelligence Service.

Celli F D         

Chandler, Richard M: Pilot Officer, “Goose Neck” Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. Reported dead after air injuries.

Charman, L W: Army

Clark, C Glen: Warrant Officer Second Class, Wireless Operator, Royal Canadian Air Force. Served with 196 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Killed in action 14 February 1943. 196 Squadron was a night-bombing squadron flying Wellington bombers, targeting enemy ports and industrial centres; it also performed mine laying operations. Its first operational mission took place on the night of 4/5 February 1943.

Clark, Russel Stanley: 48th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary  Force. Flying Officer, Pilot, 408 “Goose” Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. Flew night-bombing missions over Germany in Lancaster bombers. November 18/19 1943 mission to Berlin; Clark’s plane was hit by flak, resulting in holes in the bomb doors, and the plane landed away from the squadron’s base due to fuel shortage. 26/27 November 1943 mission to Berlin; Clark’s plane returned early due to malfunctioning compasses. 2/3 December 1943 mission to Berlin; Clark’s plane returned early due to malfunctioning rear turret. 16 December 1943 mission to Berlin; on the return, Clark’s plane crashed into high ground near Hawnby, England, due to poor weather. Clark killed along with four others of the seven-man crew.

Clayton, Fred: Sergeant, Canadian Army. Served in the Kiska campaign. The Japanese infiltrated the area and poisoned the water supply; Fred suffered significant damage to his mouth and face.

Clayton, J E:       

Clayton, William G “Bill”: Private, Army.

Colds, F J:

Cole, Douglas Edward “Ed”: Paratrooper; went in on Sword Beach on D-Day.

Cole, Robert J: Private; Wounded in France August 1944.

Collis, George: Private, Canadian Army Overseas.

Collis, George: Aircraftman Second Class, Royal Canadian Air Force in October 1944.

Collis, Jeoffrey: Corporal, Royal Canadian Air Force. Stationed on the west coast.

Colvin,   J l:

Colvin (nee Ryckman), Olive: Canadian Women's Army Corps, 1943-1945     

Compton, Harry: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted July 1940.

Constable, Arthur H: Sergeant-Major, Canadian Army Overseas. Enlisted in 1939 the day after war was declared. Served overseas 1942-1945; in North Africa and Italy, then in the spring of 1945 transferred to Marseilles.

Constable, William “Bill”: Flying Officer, Royal Canadian Air Force.  Enlisted January 1943; sent to Summerside, PEI after initial training for Coastal Patrol Convoy Duty. Released in June 1945, then called up again for Pacific duty, but the war was over before he was fully trained.  Released October 1945.

Cooper, Allan H: Private, Gunner, Army

Cooper, Ray W: Royal Canadian Air Force

Cooper, Ron: Royal Canadian Air Force

Cooper (Green), Audrey: Canadian Women’s Army Corps

Corner, John: Lieutenant, Rocky Mountain Rangers, Royal Canadian Army. Awarded Order of the British Empire

Corner, Robert E “Bob”: Canadian Army Overseas

Couling, Arthur Lloyd “Lloyd”: Trooper

Couling, Herbert L “Herb”: Royal Canadian Air Force, Patricia Bay.

Cowley, John: Private, Algonquin Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps; enlisted 1941. Went overseas 1943. Reported missing November 1944, but returned to duty. Participated in Battle of Veen, the Rhineland, 6-10 March 1945, then capture of Xanten. Killed in Action in Germany 19 March 1945.

Cowley, Tom S: Enlisted about 1940, Canadian Army Overseas. Served in Germany.

Craig, H K: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted January 1941.

Craig, William F “Bill”: Canadian Army Overseas. Went overseas by October 1941.

Craig, Russell Sidney: Rifleman, Canadian Army. Enlisted about 1940 from Creston, though his family moved to Cranbrook two years before he was Killed in action 5 July 1944.

Crawford, Bob: Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Crawford, Frank: Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. Enlisted July 1944.

Crawford, Thomas Richard: Flight Sergeant, Royal Canadian Air Force. 19 May 1945 his last letter home indicates that he was stationed in England but travelling all over Europe, on what appears to be clean-up duty: visiting German airfields and inspecting the materiel left behind. Reported missing 25 May 1945 after his flight from England to Brussels to a point inside Germany failed to arrive at its destination. His body was later found near Trier, Germany; the plane had hit trees, possibly due to fog or clouds, and crashed, killing all four crew members. Official documents record that the crew was performing glider towing operations at the time, but the family questions this, probably due to the contents of his last letter.

Crosby, A L: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted January 1941

Cross, H. Yahk

Crowe, H:

Cullum, W R: Private, Canadian Scottish Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. Enlisted after having lived in Creston for only a short time. Killed in action June 10, 1944 in Normandy.

Cuming, Edward: Private

Cummings, Frank: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted 1940. While en route overseas, he contracted pneumonia and spend several months in a hospital in Quebec.

Cummings, Lloyd A: Sergeant, Rocky Mountain Rangers, Canadian Army Overseas. Enlisted July 1940. Served in Kiska campaign before transferring to Europe. Wounded late 1944, returned to service. Military Medal for exploits in attacking German pillbox and capturing prisoners, May 1945.

Currie, G Stewart: Leading Aircraftman, Royal Canadian Air Force, stationed at White Horse YT and on Vancouver Island.

Currier, Clint: Army

Cuthbert, C:

Czbor, Audrey: Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service

Daoust, K:

Davidge, Desmond: Royal Canadian Navy.

Davidge, O Sidney: Captain, Signal Corps, Canadian Army Overseas. Stationed to New Guinea in September 1944.

Davidge, Terry O: Private, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. Served 1942-1945. Trooper, served in Italy and Holland.

Davis, Allan E: Pilot Officer, Royal Canadian Air Force. Flew low-level flights into Norwegian fjords; very dangerous work with enemy guns firing from either side. This may have been during the Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz, October 1942, April-August 1943, and September-November 1944.

Davis, Earl Edward “Ed”: Captain, South Saskatchewan Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. Killed in action 14 August 1944.

Davis, Lawrence E “Larry”: Leading Aircraftman, Royal Canadian Air Force. Stationed at North Battleford, SK.

Davis, Leslie “Elmer”: Royal Canadian Air Force

Davis, Raymond M “Ray”: Aircraftman Second Class, Royal Canadian Air Force.

Davis, S L:

De Long, Ernest: Private, Loyal Edmonton regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. Son of Glen and Mable De Long and grandson of Sarah Birkenshaw of Creston. Died 27 July 1940

Demarest, A:

Demchuck, Aleck: Lance Corporal, Army Police.

Destobel, Ray: Royal Canadian Air Force

Destobel, Thelma: Royal Canadian Air Force, Women’s Division

Dewar, Donald J: Flight Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Air Force. Enlisted 1943, overseas two and a half years. Chief radar man at a Royal Air Force base where an RCAF Sunderland squadron was based.

Dewar, Ray: Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve

Dewar, Roy N: Flying Officer, Wireless Operator, Coastal Command, Royal Canadian Air Force. Flew Sunderland flying boats on submarine patrol in the North Atlantic, from a base in Northern Ireland. Completed his first tour of operations August 1944.

Dewey, C: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted July 1940

De Young, John: Army

Dickson  A J

Dickinson, Edwin: Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. Enlisted May 1944. Volunteered for Pacific service June 1945.

Dickson, Roy Vincent: Sergeant, BC Regiment, Royal Canadian Army Corps. Enlisted 1940, went overseas 1942. Killed in action 8 March 1945.

Digger, C O: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted June 1940.

Dixon, Arthur: Gunner, BC Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own).

Dodd, Arthur K: Pilot Officer, Western Command, Royal Canadian Air Force. Served 1942-1946.

Dodd, George Truscott: Corporal, Canadian Scottish Regiment. Enlisted Spring 1940. Stationed at Prince Rupert for coastal defence duty. Transferred to Loyal Edmonton Regiment so he could go overseas; arrived in Europe fall 1941. Transferred to BC Dragoons and saw active service in Holland and Italy. Commanded a Sherman tank during the Italian campaign. Creston Review, 11 August 1944: “Local men see action in Italy – BC Dragoons Mentioned in Dispatches. ‘Two Kootenay men took part in the BC Dragoons action at a bridgehead in Italy after the Hitler Line had been crushed. The action gave the Dragoons their baptism in offensive tank warfare,’ says a newspaper clipping received by Mrs. E. Miller, Boswell. Trooper R.J. Miller of Boswell, son of Mrs. E. Miller of Boswell, and Trooper G.T. Dodd of Creston were members in Sherman tank squadron taking part.”

Dodd, Herb L: Royal Canadian Air Force. Enlisted 1942. Navigation instructor and navigator, Coastal Command.

Dodds, James “Jim”: Forestry Corps, Canadian Army Overseas. Enlisted 1942. Served in Scotland.

Dodds W “Laddie”: Royal Canadian Army. Enlisted 1942.

Dodgson, Frank: Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 1941-1945.

Doerner, Katie: Royal Canadian Air Force, Women’s Division