Edward Prokop was born in Kitchener, ON, the son of Leo and Mary Prokop. He joined the Army during the Second World War and served in Canada, England and Italy in the Royal Canadian Engineers, first as a Sapper and later as a Cook attached to the 3rd Field Company, RCE.
Before the war, Edward was a member of the Scots Fusiliers of Canada in Kitchener and was working as a butcher. As soon as hostilities were declared, he enlisted in the Active Force as a Sapper. He started his training in Camp Petawawa, ON and arrived in England in 1941. Still a Sapper, he was trade classified as a Butcher Group C in April 1941. He was transferred to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps as a Cook in November 1942. He was attached to the 3rd Field Company in April 1943 just prior to the Sicily Landings in July 1943.
After fighting in Sicily, the company moved to the Italian mainland and continued the push north. By December 1943, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was preparing for action on the Moro River south of Ortona where the Engineers would fight hard to establish a bridgehead.
Sadly, Edward was killed when a vehicle hit a German mine during the advance to the Moro River on 3 December 1943, only one month after penning a Christmas card to his mother. He left his parents, a brother and five sisters at home. He was 20 years old and is buried in the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery with 1615 comrades. His medals, photo and Memorial Cross are displayed with pride and reverence at Kitchener’s Branch 50.
