207 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca SMELTS, Edgar Charles WWII Edgar was born on December 31, 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba then moved to Elgin with his parents and family. He worked on the farm in the summer, drove a binder for the harvest and in the spring and summers of 1938 and 1939, painted elevators with Floyd E. Arde, a painting contractor from Elgin. In February 1940, he enlisted with the Winnipeg Grenadiers and served as a Private at Company Headquarters in Jamaica and Hong Kong. He was killed in action on December 20, 1941. Edgar is named on the Memorial and is buried in the Saiwan Bay Cemetery in Hong Kong. Smelts Lake is named in his honour. SMITH, Adam John WWII Adam was born on March 15, 1925 to Angus and Marion Smith of Devlin, Ontario. He joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and served as Able Seaman on HMCS Regina. Adam was killed at sea on August 8, 1944 and his name is inscribed on the Halifax Memorial in Nova Scotia. SPRATT, J. George WWI George was born in Elgin, Manitoba in 1894. He was 21 when he enlisted on November 29, 1915 with the Canadian Infantry, Saskatchewan Regiment. He also served with the 79th Battalion which was absorbed by the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. George embarked on the “T.S. Lampland” on April 27 and arrived in England on May 4, 1916. In September 1918, the objective of the Western Front was to break through the Hindenburg Line employing the entire front, from the Meuse to the English Channel, attacking at different points. The Canadian Forces, which were 98,790-men strong, were to advance toward Cambrai. On September 27, the troops crossed a dry bed at Canal-du-Nord and entered into Bourlon Village. In the next four days, the troops met with many setbacks and suffered many losses, including 13, 672 men lost. Private Spratt was killed on September 29, 1918 at the Battle of Bourlon Woods and is buried in Railencourt Communal Cemetery Extension I.B. 12 in France. SNEATH, Robert Howard WWII Howard was born on August 3, 1920 on a farm southeast of Elgin, Manitoba. He finished Grade 11 in June 1938 and completed a three-year course in Electrical Engineering. On leaving school, he took a short course in agriculture where he studied crop management, stock judging, and did some woodworking. Howard enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in September 1941 and served in Canada and overseas with 624 Squadron. Killed in action on June 24, 1944, Flight Officer Sneath is buried in the Mazarques Cemetery Extension in Marseilles, France. Sneath Lake is named in his honour.
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