Ralph William Sheldon was born on 15 October 1912, in Montreal to Harry and Charlotte Sheldon. Before the war, he was working in the armament building of the Canadian Vickers Ltd in Montreal as an aircraft joiner. When the war broke out, he had served none months in the reserve as a sapper prior to enlisting in the active army on 8 September 1939. He was posted directly to the 4th Field Company and arrived in the UK on New Year’s Eve that year.
Peter Donald Clements was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Lachine, QC. His father was killed in the Great War and Peter had little guidance as a boy. An army psychological assessement noted that he had been a “wanderer” since the age of ten and was constantly in and out of trouble while growing up.
Henry Harbinson was born in Belfast, Ireland and later immigrated to Canada. He was working for Canadian Copper Refinery in Montreal when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers on 5 May 1941, in Montreal. In September, after training in Petawawa, he was posted to the 1st Field Squadron and arrived in the UK in October.
This is the fourth in a series of articles on the involvement of the Royal Canadian Engineers in the Gothic Line Battle.
Sapper Leslie Ernest Bockus enlisted in Montreal on 8 July 1940. He was an Apprentice Engraver by trade. Leslie was soon sent to the Engineer Training Centre in Camp Petawawa, ON. He qualified as a Pioneer in February 1941 and embarked for England on 6 Apr 1941.
Robert Daniel Tarlington was born in Brockville ON to Robert R. and Catherine M. Tarlington on 19 April 1914. At the time he joined the 3th Field Company, RCE in Ottawa on 16 January 1940, he was working as a truck driver for International Movers.
Howard Stolar was born in Willowbrook SK on 17 July 1922 to George and Katie Stolar. One of six boys, with four sisters, he left school at age 14 having completed Grade VII. He was single and worked as a farmer before the war but had ambitions of becoming a blacksmith. He was fluent in English and Ukrainian.
Donald Stalker was born in April 1912 in Montreal QC to Robert and Agnes Stalker. He attended public school and high school in Westmount where he became fluent in English. He graduated from high school in 1929 at age 16 and then followed courses at Loyola College and McGill University. He worked at Anglin Norcross Limited in Montreal for 12 years as a geologist inspector.
By the winter of 1943, the Allies had moved up the Italian boot to encounter a series of well-built and effective defensive lines stretching from the west to the east across the rugged Apennine Mountain spine of Italy. The defences started along the Volturno River, some strong, others weak, culminating in the main Gustav Line about 140 kilometres south of Rome.
Raymond Reginald Sparkes was born on 3 February 1922 in Toronto to Sidney W. and Della M. Sparkes, of Richvale ON. When he enlisted at No 2 Depot, RCE in Toronto on 14 February 1941, he listed his trade as a tractor driver. He joined the 6th Field Company, RCE on 16 June 1941 when they were in Debert NS awaiting embarkation for the United Kingdom. Two days after he arrived, they sailed for England.