THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION ALBERTA-NWT COMMAND www.abnwtlegion.com 73 Bagstad, Ernie Ernie was born in 1924 near Stavely, Alberta. His family moved to Rocky Mountain House in 1930 and when he was fifteen years old, he moved to Vancouver, BC. Because his stepfather had served with the Seaforth Highlanders in World War One, Ernie enlisted in that regiment when he was a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday. After five months of training, he was sent to England in July 1942 and a year later to the Mediterranean where he fought at Ortona in December 1943. The day following a lavish Christmas dinner put on by other Canadian regiments, Ernie was wounded in the leg and arm and treated at a British Field Hospital. He returned to his unit one month later. In the spring of 1944, Ernie was one of the first soldiers to storm German positions in the Liri Valley and was taken prisoner. He was liberated by American troops on April 30, 1945. Ernie was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion North Calgary Branch 264 for many years until he passed away in 2011. Baillie, John Roderick John was born in Nova Scotia on May 16, 1883. He worked as a labourer and had served with the 78th Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders before he enlisted with the 51st Battalion on November 19, 1915. He was transferred as a Private to the 1st Battalion Canadian Infantry and was killed in action on June 16, 1916, most likely at the Battle of Mount Sorrel. He is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium, the monument that lists the soldiers who died with no known grave. 25% of Canadian deaths in WorldWar One were at theYpres Salient even though Canadians spent less than six months in the Salient. Baker, Joshua Caleb “Josh” Josh served as a Corporal with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry). He was killed in action in Afghanistan on February 12, 2010. His hometown was Toronto, but Josh lived in Edmonton for six years before his death. Josh had a great sense of humour and was once described as having a “laugh that could cure cancer.”
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