Warrant Officer First Class Carl Matthew Britten (Ret'd) died peacefully at Chilliwack Hospital in the company of family members on 11 November 2006.
Carl Matthew Britten was born in Poirierville, Cape Breton, NS, in 1918. A career soldier, Carl joined the army in May 1939 and trained at Valcartier, Quebec. He departed from Halifax on 23 December 1939 with the Royal Canadian Regiment on the first Canadian troop ship. He served in six theatres of war including Sicily, Italy, France and Germany and was wounded twice. In Italy, he suffered a head wound, recovered in France and was sent back to Italy where he continued to serve in a leadership role. Carl was a sergeant in Britain at war's end and campaigned vigorously to get his men back to Canada in a timely fashion and. in the end, he was one of the longest serving Canadians overseas in the Second World War.
Carl stayed in the service and after postings to Halifax and St. John was sent to fight the Fraser Valley flood in 1949. Carl was then transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers at Camp Chilliwack where, except for a year in Hanover, Germany in 1953, he served until 1961. During his tenure he was promoted to Senior Instructor, a role he relished. A master at skills-based training, his innovative methods were passed on to military instructors and members of his family.
After postings to Vancouver and Lethbridge, Carl was honourably released at the rank of Warrant Officer Class I and the family moved to Abbotsford where he became a gentleman farmer. A Celebration of Carl's life was held on 18 November 2006 at Woodlawn Mt. Cheam Funeral Home, 45865 Hocking Avenue, Chilliwack. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Covenant House or a charity of your choice.