Military Service Recognition Book 30 INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 2085 “Serving the electrical industry in the Province of Manitoba since 1960.” Phone: (204) 982-2085 Fax: (204) 982-2086 Email: ibew2085@mts.net IBEW2085.COM Ron Stecy, Business Manager 556 Notre Dame Avenue Winnipeg, MB. R3B 1S4 INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOLD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 2085 “Serving the electrical industry in the Province of Manitoba since 1960” Phone: (204) 98 -2085 Fax: (204) 982-2086 Email: ibew2085@mts.net IBEW2085.COM Ron Stecy, Business Manager 556 Notre Dame Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 1S4 Finding the grave of Glen Robert Campbell By Brenda Cairns On October 14, 2010, I had the opportunity to visit the Coriano War Cemetery in Coriano, Italy. My neighbor and dear friend, Mary Lynch and her brother “Pete” Morris Campbell, had asked me if I could find their brother’s grave. With the wonderful Internet, I was able to locate the cemetery and the grave number, and the town looked close to where I would be on a free day of my holiday. I arranged a driver with my tour leader. The town of Coriano was about two and a half hours from the hill top town of Cortona in Tuscany where I was staying. The drive was amazing. We went through the mountains and over a mountain pass with beautiful fall scenery and deep, deep valleys with rivers below us. When we reached the other side of the mountain, the landscape was like Gilbert Plains - a farming area that reached to the sea with rolling hills. It had been raining and the rain stopped when we reached Coriano. I was so impressed with how beautifully kept the cemetery was. It looked like the grass had been trimmed with scissors. There was a visitor book where I left a message. There was the history of the War in Italy from 1943-1945. I took photos of this wall. The writing from the wall is printed on the right. The flowers were beautiful - so many roses. The cemetery was lined with maple trees and the leaves were falling. It was a beautiful resting place for these young brave men who gave their lives for us. Glen Robert Campbell was born in Gilbert Plains in 1915. He was the son of John and Dorothy Campbell and brother to Mary (Lynch) Morris and Fred. His father John and his grandfather Lt. Colonel Glen Campbell had both served in the 1st World War in the 107th, under command of his grandfather. His grandfather was inducted into the Veterans Hall of Valor in 2009. His grandfather died overseas in the 1st World War from a kidney ailment that was not battle related. At the time that Glen Robert went overseas with the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, he was married to Midge and living in Toronto. He was killed on the 15th of September, 1944. He had just walked out the door of a building his platoon was billeting at for the night when a shell exploded beside him and killed him instantly. He was 29 years old. His brother, Fred, had been a mid-upper gunner on a Lancaster bomber. Fred’ s plane was shot down over Munchengladback, Germany on August 31,1943. He was 23. There were no survivors. It was their second last mission before they were to return home. We located the grave of Glen Robert Campbell, Mary and Pete’s brother. It was in Section XIII, Row A, Grave 5. He had died on September 15, 1944. It was by a beautiful yellow rose bush. I picked a rose and placed it on the grave. I was overcome with emotion in this cemetery. I walked the rows and read the names and realized that most of these young men were in their 20’s. Many of the Canadian graves had small Canadian flags on them and I wished I had one to put on Mr. Campbell’s grave. Then I remembered I had my Olympic mitts with me. So I placed one mitt on his grave. I filled the other mitt with soil from his grave and placed the note that Mary had written for him under the soil on the grave. I brought the second mitt home for Mary. I also picked up about 20 maple leaves that had fallen near the grave and brought them home for the Campbell family. This day was the highlight of my trip. I am so honored to have visited this cemetery and I am so proud of all the young men who gave their lives so that we would have a better life. This year, Remembrance Day will mean so much more for me.
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