Claire Henry was born in Haliburton, ON. He was a truck driver truck living with his family in Oshawa and when he enlisted on 16 August 1941 in Toronto. After completing his basic Engineer training, he was sent overseas and arrived in the UK in June 1942. In September he was posted to the 2nd Field Park Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers.
Sapper Henry qualified as a Group C Driver/Mechanic before arriving in Sicily on 13 July 1943, a few days after the initial landings. The 2nd Field Park Company supported the 1st Canadian Division by providing heavy equipment, dumps, bridging and other specialist support the to field companies. Sapper Henry would have seen action from Sicily, the Italian Boot, Ortona, the Hitler Line, and the Gothic Line where he was killed.
Sapper Henry died on 28 August 1944 as the field companies continued their push towards the Foglia River. Sapper Claire Henry, the husband of Margaret and father of Marie, Doris, Paul and Nancy was buried within an hour of his death. He lies in the Montecchio Commonwealth War Cemetery.
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