203 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca SMITH, George Langemarck WWII George was born on September 30, 1916 in Morris, Manitoba. After high school, he took a course in Radio, was an apprentice electrician, did electrical work and radio repairs from his parents’ basement, and in 1935, established “Smith’s Radio Electric” from where he continued repairing radios, sold electrical appliances and did electrical contract work serving a large part of the Red River Valley. In 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was dispatched immediately to Dartmouth, NS where he maintained radio and electronic equipment on Coastal Patrol Aircraft. He then did the same for the security classified Aircraft and Naval Communications in Newfoundland. George was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp. Discharged in September 1945, he returned to Morris where he expanded his business with his wife, Marion, who later died in 1982. The property where his business stood was dedicated as Smith Park. George was with Morris Legion Branch 111 for over sixty years before he passed away in 2005. SMITH, Gordon B. PEACETIME Gordon was born in Oxbow, Saskatchewan in 1947. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy in Winnipeg, Manitoba on March 17, 1966. He took his basic training at HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia from March 28 to August 2, 1966 and was posted to HMCS Shearwater, Nova Scotia from August 3, 1966 to April 16, 1971. He served with VS880 Squadron at Shearwater and on HMCS Bonaventure from November 1967 to November 1969. Gordon served in the Atlantic and the Caribbean and was honourably released on April 16, 1971. He was a member of Deloraine Legion Branch 83 for thirty-nine years. SMITH, Walter A. WWII Walter was born in Poplar Point, Manitoba in 1910. He joined the Army and served with the Fort Garry Horse Tank Squadron as a tank commander on the front lines in Belgium, Holland, France and Germany. His tank was hit and immobilized three times over the course of the war. On the D-Day Invasion at Juno Beach, his tank stalled before reaching shore. They finally got it fired up and joined their remaining comrades. Walter always talked about the stray dog the squadron adopted and that became their companion. When it ultimately got killed, they gave it a formal burial, including The Last Post. Battle hard men were moved to tears during The Post. Walter was a member of Keewatin Legion Branch 13 for thirty years before he died in 1999. SMITH, Norman WWII Norman was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1922. He joined the 1st Special Service Force during World War II and served in Italy, Germany, Kiska, North Africa and England. Norman was a member of the Devil’s Brigade and he was awarded the U.S. Bronze Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge of North America. Norman was a member of Boissevain Legion Branch 10 for fifty years before he died in 2008.
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