WW II

John Lockhart Hickman was born in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, the son of Jesse James and Sarah Elizabeth Hickman.  He had been working as a pipefitter and mechanic for the Ontario Hydro Commission for 12 years when he came to live with his parents in Victoria, BC. He enlisted in the Canadian Army in Esquimalt, BC on 27 April 1940 and was immediately sent to the 6^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers in North Vancouver where he was classified as Engine Artificer Group ‘B’. 

Gordon Howard McTavish was born in Galt, ON in 1903. For a short time, his family lived in Prince Albert SK. Before the war, in January 1938 Major McTavish had taken command of the newly organized 1^st Army Troops Company in London, ON. He was living in Seaforth, ON with his wife Dorothy when he enlisted for WW II in London on 3 September 1939. He was appointed as the Commanding Officer of 7^th Field Company in London as the company mobilized.

Sapper Maxwell Gilder Adams was an American citizen born 18 January 1923 in Fort Burnett, Texas. He first enlisted in the Royal Regiment of Canada in Toronto on 5 June 1940 but when it was discovered that he was underage he was discharged after serving only six months. He spent the next few months as a punch press operator and, although he could have joined the American Army, he re-enlisted in the Canadian Army on 30 March 1942 – this time in the Royal Canadian Artillery. In June 1943 he transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers and was qualified as a motorcyclist.

Sapper Harold Edward Barnes was born in Oro Station, ON in 1911. The son of William and Christina Barnes, he was fourth of eight children. Harold had been a farmer, mechanics helper, bricklayer helper and truck driver before he enlisted on 13 Sep 1939 in Toronto, ON and joined 2^nd Field Company in London, ON.