Service No: F86241
I was born April 27, 1924 in Truro, Nova Scotia to Charles Robert and Mary Agnes MacLaren. My Father was employed by Canadian National Railway following service in World War I. He passed away at the age of thirty six as the result of having been gassed during the War. Mother was a housewife and cared for her then ailing parents. I had one brother Stewart and two half brothers, George and Clarence Clish, all of whom are now deceased. I attended Alice and Willow Street Schools and worked for a short time at Canadian National Bridge & Bldg. before joining the Military.
I joined the Military in Halifax and took my Basic Training in Yarmouth. I was then sent to Petawawa for approximately six months. I was shipped to England in April 1942 for further training and while on a scheme was injured by a hand grenade. My foot and leg got blown up and I was hospitalized for a considerable time. I was then sent to my Regiment the 5th Cdn. Medium R.C.A.
Later in 1943 we were sent to Palermo, Sicily and on up through Italy and seeing lots of action in the Battles of Casino, Hitler, Gothic and Gustav Lines which were well fortified by the Germans.
After spending the winter of 1944 on the outskirts of Bologna, we went back to Naples from where we sailed to France and on to Belgium and Holland where the war was coming to an end and we assisted in disarming the Germans. I was then sent back to England and returned home in November 1945. I was discharged a month later.
In the summer of 1946 I married Margaret McKay. We have three children, daughter Betty Lou and two sons Robert and Richard.
My hobbies are hockey and horse racing and I am a member of Colchester N.S. Branch No. 26 Royal Canadian Legion.
*Source:www.billcasey.ca