We regret to advise of the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Harold William Ball, MBE, CD (Ret'd) of Santa Barbara CA on 17 December 2001 at the age of 82 years.
Harold was born in Consort, AB to an American father and an English mother. In 1927, the family moved to Monterey CA where Harold completed high school and junior college. He returned to Canada in 1938 and in 1941 entered the University of British Columbia to study engineering. He served in the Canadian Officers Training Corps at UBC and on graduating in 1944, was commissioned as a lieutenant into the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was sent to Northwest Europe and received a Mention in Dispatches recognising gallant and courageous service.
He stayed in the Canadian Army after the war, and in October 1951, then-Major Ball took command of the 57th Field Squadron in Korea. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his outstanding service in Korea. The Squadron completed its Korean service in May 1952 and returned to Canada. Even in that short period, Harold made a considerable contribution, leading the Squadron through a particularly arduous winter and bringing them safely home to Canada in May 1952. Maj Ball received the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1954. On promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel, he served as DA&QMG in Alberta Area HQ. The modern equivalent position would be G4. After serving in the Canadian Army, he returned to California. He worked as an engineer after retirement and travelled extensively in the Middle East including five years in Saudi Arabia.
Harold William Ball is buried in the Santa Barbara Cemetery.