Lieutenant Reginald Arthur Wild was born and grew up in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. When the Second World War broke out, he joined the 1st Field Company as it mobilised in Halifax. Less than four months later, Reginald sailed for England with the draft that completed the 1st Canadian Divisional Engineers overseas. A Corporal at his time, he was part of the 2nd British Expeditionary Force sent to France in June 1940 immediately after the fall of Dunkirk. When it became obvious Paris was about to fall, the force was withdrawn from Brest and returned to England. Reginald was promoted to Sergeant in 1942 and was selected for Officer Training late that year. Commissioned as a Lieutenant early in 1943, he landed in Sicily in July as part of Operation HUSKY, the beginning of the Italian Campaign.
Reginald remained in the Canadian Army after the war, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1970. Lieutenant Colonel Reg Wild died at the age of 102 years. His Last Post entry details his post-war career and retirement.
On 24 August 1944, 1 Canadian Division was pushing forward towards the Metauro River in the area Map Reference 13, 62. Previous to the crossings of the River Metauro, reconnaissance had shown that the bridge at Map Reference 138, 620 had been blown, making the approach to "B" crossing of the river at Map Reference 135, 626 inaccessible. The work required on the crossing itself was of such a nature that it would have been impossible to bridge this gap and work on the crossing itself on the night of the attack. Therefore, it was decided to bridge this gap the night before the attack, i.e. 24/24 August 1944. No.1 Platoon, 4 Canadian Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, commanded by Lieutenant Reginald Arthur Wild was detailed for the job.
The approaches to the site, along the crest of the hill to Monte Maggiore (Map Reference 15, 61) and the road down the forward slope from the town were under continuous enemy observation and heavy shell fire. It was also known that enemy were on the far banks of the river. Nevertheless, Lieutenant Wild made a detailed reconnaissance of the site and arranged his job in such a manner that men and material were brought to the site with safety. Throughout the course of the bridging operation, the road and the immediate vicinity of the site were under constant shell fire, but the bridge was built before dawn, thereby making the work in the crossings possible the next night, and allowing the division to cross the Metauro.
Throughout the operation, Lieutenant Wild directed the work with coolness and determination, and the work he and his men accomplished made the eventual crossing of the river possible.