Alfred George Hassan was born in Chatham, Ontario, the oldest of 10 children. He completed Grade IX before taking jobs on tobacco farms and as a truck driver. He was married with two sons but had been separated since 1932 when he enrolled in the Canadian Active Service Force on Windsor, Ontario on 18 September 1939, just over a week after Canada declared war on Germany. He was assigned to the 11^th Field Company.

Alfred completed his sapper training at Camp Petawawa and embarked for the United Kingdom on 22 August 1940. By April 1941, he had qualified as a Group ‘C’ Pioneer and Driver. He appears to have had difficulty being where he should have been at the time he should have been there. He was charged at least five times for being AWOL in Petawawa and England. He was never gone for long; 19 hours at most. However, in April 1942, he was sentenced to detention and forfeiture of 152 days pay for more serious crimes including threatening a witness and stealing public property to seel in a pawn shop. He was released from detention after serving two-thirds of his 150-day sentence. He arrived back at his unit on 11 June 1942 where he continued training, but seems to have continued his ill-disciplined behaviour. He was once more charged with being AWOL and for leaving his vehicle unattended while he stopped at a coffee shop.

The main body of the 11^th Field Company arrived in France on 9 July as part of 2^nd Canadian Division Engineers. They participated fully in all operations during the Battle of Normandy and the advance across the Seine, through the Channel Ports and into Belgium, clearing routes and building bridges The Battle of the Scheldt started for them on 1 October when five men were killed by enemy artillery during a bridge build. The company continued the fight through the Beveland Approaches and Operations VITALITY and INFATUATE. 

Operation VITALITY launched on 24 October. The plan was to drive forward ten miles and seize crossings over the Beveland Canal. The ground was unsuitable for tanks and the work fell entirely in the infantry of the 4^th Brigade with the 2^nd and 11^th Field Companies in support. By 26 October, the exhausted 4^th Brigade was replaced by the 6th Brigade in the final drive to the Canal. After a hard fight, all three battalions reached the barrier the next day By evening, the South Saskatchewan Regiment, had secured a small bridgehead. 

The Battle of the Scheldt was in its final hours when George was killed.  His convoy had pulled over on the side of a road for a quick rest and a meal. Traffic was flowing in both directions. A convoy of Universal Carriers of the Toronto Scottish Regiment, going in the same direction had just passed.  It was dark, but the engineer vehicles all had their tail lights on for safety.  After a few minutes, a lone carrier, with lights on, was seen speeding towards the parked vehicles, apparently to catch the convoy.  In the ensuing investigation, the driver of the carrier said he was temporarily blinded by the lights of an oncoming vehicle. He quickly carrier served around one vehicle, grazed a second, and rammed a third.  The third vehicle in turn rammed the one in front just as Alfred was climbing over the tailgate.  When the dust cleared, Alfred had been hit and badly injured, and the driver of the carrier was found slightly injured having been thrown from the carrier. The vehicle commander apparently thought it wise to move the carrier further down the road so as not to block traffic.  Neither the engineer commander on the scene nor the sergeant commanding the carrier met, each stating the other party had moved off. The investigation mentioned that the driver could not be found and he did not testify.  No blame was attached. 

Sapper Alfred George Hassan is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery near Antwerp. He was 38 years old.

Return to Part 5: Tributes to the Fallen Sappers of the Scheldt