John Edward Rogers Wood was born in Fernie, BC in 1906. He was educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1927 where he was an outstanding member of the football team. He graduated with a degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1930 and worked his profession until he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1940.

The Engineers of the 4^th Canadian Armoured Division had been in action since the beginning of August 1944.  They had supported the advance along the Caen-Falaise Road and contributed to the closing of the Falaise Gap.  The fight had been difficult.

Colonel Malcolm Sutherland-Brown served as Colonel-Commandant of the Canadian Military Engineers October 1982 - October 1988. He died in Ottawa in January 1999.

John Pierce was born in Pembroke, ON. He was a veteran of the Second World War and served with the 12^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers in Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during Operation DIADEM, the breaking of the Gustav Line during the Liri Valley Campaign.  Days before British forces assaulted the strong German defences, Lt Pierce conducted reconnaissance of cross sites on the River Gari well ahead of the British.

On 12 September 1944, First Canadian Army received orders to clear the areas north and south of the Scheldt so that the port of Antwerp could be open to Allied shipping.  The 2^nd and 3^rd Canadian Infantry Divisions were at that moment clearing the Channel ports of Boulogne and Calais. The 4^th  Armour Division had the task of containing German forces on the south bank of the Scheldt,  roughly delineated by the Leopold Canal running from the North Sea west of the town of Knocke to the Braakman estuary west of Antwerp.

Robert Russell McPhee was born in Minden, ON. Both his parents died when he was a toddler, and he and his two older sisters grew up with his maternal grandparents. He joined the Canadian Army in Montreal in 1939, serving initially with the 4^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. He likely began training in Camp Petawawa before deploying to the United Kingdom with the 1^st Canadian Infantry Division Engineers in 1940.  At some point before landing in Sicily, McPhee was transferred to the 3^rd Field Company, RCE.