This article was publshed in the Cape Breton Times under the title "Mira Gut man presented National Order of Legion of Honour medal". It was written by Sharon Montgomery-Dupe smontgomery@cbpost.com.
The article is summarised below.
Russell Power, president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 in Port Morien, NS awarded the Legion of Honour to a Royal Canadian Engineer veteran, Mr. Bill Nicoll of Mira Gut, NS. The award was accompanied by a letter from the Ambassador of France, M. Philippe Zeller. The letter explained the Legion of Honour is the highest decoration in France saying, "It is awarded in recognition of your professional involvement in the liberation of our country. Through you, France remembers the sacrifice of all of your compatriots who came to liberate French soil, often losing their lives in the process."
Mr. Nicoll joined the Army in 1942 with basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Charlottetown, and A5 Canadian Engineer Training Centre in Petawawa, ON. On completion, he was assigned to the 20th Field Company, RCE, at that time stationed in Winnipeg. The Company arrived in the UK in May 1943, and landed in Normandy on D+10. After the Battle of France, they took part in Op BERLIN, rescuing stranded British airborne troops, and the Battle of the Scheldt. While in Holland, the company completed many bomb disposal tasks including the destruction of V-1 launching sites. When the war ended, the comapny moved to Hertogenbosch, tasked with rebuilding bridges destroyed during the war. Mr. Nicoll returned home in October 1945.
Coincidentally, the medal was presented on Bill Nicoll's 95th birthday.