109 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca LANGFORD, Edward W. WWI Edward was born in 1899 in Shellmouth, Manitoba. He enlisted in the 251st 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles in Winnipeg in June 1917 and was discharged there in 1919. Private Langford served in England and France and received a Service Medal. A member of Russell Legion Branch 159, Edward died in 1956. LANGTON, Elmer Lyle Wentworth “Wenty” WWII Wenty was born on July 26, 1910 in Morris, Manitoba. Life was hard during his early years and he searched for any work he could get, sometimes skipping school in order to work. On September 1, 1934, he married Jessie Gordon and they had two children. He worked at many jobs, including that of a labourer in a coal yard. Wenty volunteered four times before being accepted by the Winnipeg Light Infantry on May 27, 1942. He was posted to the 1st Division Support Battalion, Saskatoon Light Infantry and served in England, Sicily, then in Italy up to the Moro River, where he was badly wounded in Ortona, Italy on December 9, 1943. He succumbed to his wounds on December 13 and is buried in the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Plot 10, Row F, Grave 6. At the age of 33, he is one of the oldest soldiers buried in the cemetery. Each year on November 11, his son Wayne honours his father by sending a wreath through the Commonwealth Graves Commission. LAROCQUE, Alexander WWII Alexander enlisted in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in September 1942 in Winnipeg and served as a Corporal in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany during WWII. He was discharged in March 1946 in Winnipeg and was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45, France and Germany Star, and the Defence Medal. Alexander has been a member of Russell Legion Branch 159. LAPORTE, Christian Louis “Chris” WWII Chris was born on April 14, 1923 in Summerset, Manitoba. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on January 26, 1943 and was posted to Brandon, Manitoba until March. Later, as a ground crew member for the #2 Construction and Maintenance Unit, he assisted with various construction developments, such as hangars and airfields throughout Canada. He was involved in the building of the “Flying on the Beam” program, which guided American planes from California to Alaska. Chris was assigned to serve in various Manitoba projects such as the #5 AOS in Winnipeg. In Manitoba, he was posted to Brandon, Dauphin, Carberry, Souris, and Virden. In Alberta, he served in Calgary, Airdrie, High River, Grande Prairie, and Vulcan and also served in the Yukon at Whitehorse and Watson Lake. Honourably discharged on October 22, 1945, Leading Aircraftman Laporte was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the War Medal 1939-45. He has been a member of Pine Falls Legion Branch 64 for forty-eight years.
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