Sgt. Charles. F. Stankus

Charles was born 12/16/1916 in Victoriatown to Kasimiri and Anastasia Stankus, he had one brother, Alphonse. He worked at the Montreal Drydocks doing various jobs, one being a ships riveter.

He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery as a bombadier (gunner) and was sent to the Mediterranan Theatre.



Sgt. Stankus was listed as Missing At Sea on 5/Jul/1943, he left behind a wife, Sophia and son, Charles Joseph.

He was awarded:

1939-1945 Star
Italy Star
Defence Medal
War Medal
CVSM & clasp

Sgt. Stankus is interred at Cassino War Cemetery in the Commune of Cassino, Province of Frosinone, 139 kilometres south-east of Rome. Panel 14.

The site for Cassino War Cemetery was originally selected in January 1944, but the development of the battle during the first five months of that year made it impossible to use it until after the Germans had withdrawn from Cassino.

During these early months of 1944, Cassino saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Italian campaign, the town itself and the dominating Monastery Hill proving the most stubborn obstacles encountered in the advance towards Rome.

The majority of those buried in the war cemetery died in the battles during these months.


There are now 4,266 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Cassino War Cemetery. 284 of the burials are unidentified.

Within the cemetery stands the CASSINO MEMORIAL which commemorates over 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian campaign and whose graves are not known. The Memorial was designed by Louis de Soissons and unveiled by Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. The Earl Alexander of Tunis on 30 September 1956.

©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson
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Sgt. Robert Michael Pitts

 

Robert was born 7/May/1923 to Robert Pitts and Margaret French, the eldest of 5 children in Pte. St. Charles. He attended St. Ann’s Boy’s School and was active in many sports including swimming, skating, bowling, and baseball. He worked in the assessor’s office for the City of Montreal. He also took 3 years of technical school.

Robert enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a wireless operator and served in England.

 

Sgt. Pitts aircraft disappeared somewhere over England while on a night training mission. None of the crew nor the plane were ever found.

 

Sgt. Robert Michael Pitts
Missing On Active Service

Sgt. Pitts is memorialized at Runnymede Memorial – Panel 256

This Memorial overlooks the River Thames on Cooper's Hill at Englefield Green between Windsor and Egham on the A308, 4 miles from Windsor.

The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 airmen who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves.

They served in Bomber, Fighter, Coastal, Transport, Flying Training and Maintenance Commands, and came from all parts of the Commonwealth.

Some were from countries in continental Europe which had been overrun but whose airmen continued to fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force.

The memorial was designed by Sir Edward Maufe with sculpture by Vernon Hill. The engraved glass and painted ceilings were designed by John Hutton and the poem engraved on the gallery window was written by Paul H Scott.

The Memorial was unveiled by The Queen on 17 October 1953.

 

©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson
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Lance Corporal W. Ralph Mathers

W.R. Mathers was born 12/Oct/1922 to Thomas and Isabella Mathers, the eldest of 4 children that included Edward, Mary, and Rita.

He was an electrician by trade and in high school played the clarinet with the Kiwanis Band for 2 years.

Mathers enlisted with the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards R.C.A.C. and fought in the Mediterranean Theatre. He was grievously wounded, lying in the hospital for day before succumbing to his wounds on 16/Dec/1944.

He was interred in the Coriano Ridge British Empire Cemetery now called the Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, 2 miles north of Coriano, Italy.

Coriano Ridge was the last important ridge in the way of the Allied advance in the Adriatic sector in the autumn of 1944. Its capture was the key to Rimini and eventually to the River Po. German parachute and panzer troops, aided by bad weather, resisted all attacks on their positions between 4 and 12 September 1944.

On the night of 12 September the Eighth Army reopened its attack on the Ridge, with the 1st British and 5th Canadian Armoured Divisions. This attack was successful in taking the Ridge, but marked the beginning of a week of the heaviest fighting experienced since Cassino in May, with daily losses for the Eighth Army of some 150 killed.






The site for the cemetery was selected in April 1945 and was created from graves brought in from the surrounding battlefields.
Coriano Ridge War Cemetery contains 1,939 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

L. Cpl. W, Ralph Mathers was awarded the:

1939-1945 Star

Italy star

Defence Medal

War Medal 1939-1945

CVSM with clasp

There is no headstone photo available at this time.

©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson
All Rights Reserved

Pte. John Laird Learmonth

John was born in Montreal to Walter and Jane Learmonth on 8/July/1921. He was a fresh water/great lakes sailor, worked for the Canada Steamship Lines and was a member of the Canada’s Seamans Union.

He enlisted at Camp Niagra with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada R.C.I.C.

John’s was first stationed in Kingston, Jamaica as a guard then later went to France as a wireless operator.

Pte. Learmonth was Killed In Action on 9/Aug/1944 in France and is interred at Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France.



Historical note:

The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944.


For the most part, those buried at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery died during the later stages of the battle of Normandy, the capture of Caen and the thrust southwards - led initially by the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions - to close the Falaise Gap.

Almost every unit of Canadian 2nd Corps is represented in the cemetery.

The cemetery contains 2,958 Second World War burials, the majority Canadian, and 87 of them unidentified.
Pte. Learmonth was awarded:

Good Conduct Badge
CVSM with clasp
France-Germany Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945

There is no headstone photograph available at this time.

He was survived by his mother Jane and two sisters, his father Walter preceded him in death on 26/Nov/1940.

©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson
All Rights Reserved

Gerald Edmund Leo Laurent

The 5th name on the memorial stone in Victoriatown is Gerald Edmund Leo Laurent, born 19/Jan/1926 in Pt. St. Charles to James and Luella Laurent. Gerald lived with his grandfather, Edward Laurent as both of his parents were deceased by the time Edmund was 10 years old.

Before enlistment he worked on the shipyard for 3 years as a riveter.

Edmund enlisted in the Renfrew and Lanark Scottish Regiment and was killed in action on 4/Oct/1944 and is buried at Cesena War Cemetery in the Commune of Cesena in the Province of Forli, Italy.



Historical Information:

On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side.


Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adratic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France, and the Germans dug in to a number of key defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in.

Most of those buried in this cemetery died during the advance from Rimini to Forli and beyond in September-November 1944, an advance across one flooded river after another in atrocious autumn weather.

The cemetery site was selected in November 1944 and burials were brought in from the surrounding battlefields.

Cesena War Cemetery contains 775 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

Private Laurent was awarded:

1939-1945 Star

Italy Star

War Medal

CVSM & clasp

Inscription on marker: Rest in peace and all the souls of the faithful departed. – Gramma

No photo of headstone available at this time.

©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson
All Rights Reserved

William Edmund Gearey

The 5th name on the memorial at Victoriatown is William Edmund Gearey born 24/Apr/1920 in Bristol Bay, England to Edgar and Rose Gearey, arriving at the Port of Quebec in 1920 on the ship Minnedosa, the oldest of 3 children.
William was Roman Catholic and he and his family were members of Siant Gabriels church. He was a truck driver in civilian life.

He enlisted on 29/2/1940 into the 2nd Canadian Field Regiment as a gunner and served in the Mediterranean Theatre. He was killed in an automobile accident on 27/Sep/1944 and is interred in Arezzo War Cemetery in Tuscany, Italy

Historical Information

On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side.


Progress through southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance, but the advance was checked for some months at the German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line. The line eventually fell in May 1944 and as the Germans withdrew, Rome was taken by the Allies on 3 June.

The Germans made a stand in front of Arezzo early in July 1944 and there was fierce fighting before the town was taken on 16 July by the 6th Armoured Division with the aid of the 2nd New Zealand Division.

The site for this cemetery was selected in November 1944, and graves were brought into it from the surrounding area. Both the 4th and the 8th Indian Divisions were involved in the fighting in this region, and Plots VII-IX in the cemetery contain Indian graves.

Arezzo War Cemetery contains 1,266 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.




The entire cemetery has not yet been photographed so there is no photo of William’s headstone.

He was awarded posthumously:

1939-1945 Star
Italy Star
Defence Medal
War Medal
C.V.S.M. with clasp

His survivors included his wife Patricia, son Kevin Edmund born 21/10/1943, one brother, Ronald, one sister Lilian Rose and his parents, Wallace Edgar and Rose Gearey.


©2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson

Lance Seargeant Joseph Chapatis

The 4th name on the memorial stone in Victoriatown belongs to Lance Sergeant Joseph Chapatis born 27/Oct/1919 in Montreal to John and Madelaine Chapatis, one of 7 children.

Joseph was of English/Lithuanian descent and worked at Montreal Drydock Company as a foundry worker.

He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery, 27th Field Artillery as a gunner and fought in the Mediterranean Theatre.

He married Olive Clark of Edinburgh, Scotland on 27/Sep/1941, they had one son, Joseph Chapatis, Jr., who was born only months before his fathers death. Joseph left a handwritten will leaving everything to his wife and son.

Joseph died of his wounds on 27/Dec/1943 and is interred in Moro River Canadian Military Cemetery in Abruzzo, Italy.

He was awarded posthumously:

1939-1945 Star

Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal

CVSM & clasp

(c)2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson