221 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca THICKETT, James H. “Jim” WWII Jim was born in Russell, Manitoba in 1917. He joined the Army and served in England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany with A squadron, 10thArmoured Regiment, Fort Garry Horse. He recounts how, on June 5, 1944 at 4:15 a.m. – D Day, the armies crossed the English Channel while storms raged. Landing was a misery of sea sickness and Jim only cared about getting off the water, even if the whole German army was on the shore. He was the Rear Gunner on his tank but didn’t talk much about the war except for some anecdotes and how the Dutch people were very good to them, inviting them into their homes and sharing what little food they had. Jim was a member of Russell Legion Branch 159 for forty-four years before he died in 1990. THICKETT, William J. WWII William was born in Russell, Manitoba in 1915. He enlisted in the 5th Canadian Armoured Division in April 1942 and served as a Bombardier in Canada, United Kingdom, and Continental Europe until his discharge in March 1945. William has been a member of Russell Legion Branch 159 for over forty-eight years. THOMPSON, William J. “Bill” WWII Bill was born in Hamiota, Manitoba in 1914 and served with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. A stretcher-bearer in the Dieppe Raid, Bill recounts, “The bullets were whistling around us and don’t ever let anyone tell you it doesn’t scare you to hear them. I was running to the shore with two other fellows and a burst of machine gun fire hit us. Both my buddies never knew what hit them. I got one bullet below the knee; another took a piece out of my other leg. I made it to the wall and lay still but mortar shells were coming over and exploding around. Finally, a couple of chaps from the Saskatchewan S.I. swam out to the boat with me in between them. These big boats were out in the Channel and kept laying smoke screens every time the German bullets would get close to them. We spent that night in the Channel dodging bombs. Some came pretty close as the ship was rocked a few times.” Bill was a member of Decker Legion Branch 239 for forty-four years before he died in 2009. THOMAS, Richard WWII Richard was born in 1921 in Balsam Bay, Manitoba. He enlisted with the Canadian Army in Winnipeg on May 29, 1943. Advanced training at Camp Borden, Ontario followed his first two months of basic training at Fort Garry Barracks, Winnipeg. He was posted to England in November 1943 and later to France in 1944. He served as a tank driver in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps with a special regiment dubbed “The Kangaroos”, whose responsibility was to transport infantry in tanks. Unfortunately, Richard was severely wounded at Dieppe on September 17, 1944. He was wounded in his right hip by an anti-tank shell fragment weighing three pounds. On January 13, 1945, Richard was repatriated to Winnipeg. Deer Lodge Veterans Hospital was home to him for 23 months, where he underwent extensive treatment. On December 17, 1946, he was discharged from hospital. He was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, the Defence Medal, the 1939-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, and the War Medal 193945. He had been a member of Pine Falls Legion Branch 64 for ten years before he died in 1985.
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