Frank Rufus Sheepwash was the son of Edward Edwin and Emma Jane Sheepwash, of Delson Village, Quebec. He was born in La Prairie, Quebec.
Frank served in the Militia with the Lorne Scots from November 1939 until December 1940. He was working as a concrete worker when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers in Toronto on 12 February 1941. He was immediately sent to the Engineer Training Center in Petawawa, Ontario. He qualified as a Pioneer Group ‘C’ in April 1941, posted to the 6th Field Company and sent to the United Kingdom. Three of Frank’s brothers served overseas as well.
Sapper Sheepwash reassigned to the 3rd Field Company in December 1943 and sent to Italy in February 1944. He was wounded six days later and in July, after recuperating, he was posted to the 10th Field Squadron who were participating in assault training near Rome. The Squadron joined the Gothic Line battle when the 5th Armoured Division assaulted across the Foglia River on 30 August.
While preparing for the assault on Coriano Ridge, Frank was seriously wounded on the morning of 11 September when a stray shell hit the kitchen tent causing 28 casualties – six killed, three seriously wounded and later died of wounds, and 11 seriously injured. Shrapnel penetrated his upper right chest. Frank was rushed to the 1st Canadian Field Trauma Unit but died later that same morning. He is buried in the Gradara War Cemetery with is comrades Sappers Grewcutt, Halvorson, Heinen, Sheepwash, Smith, Stephenson, Stonehouse and Cooper who all died that day. He was 32 years old.
