217 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca THATCHER, Edwin J. T. WWII Edwin was born in 1921 and he died in 2007. He joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and served in World War II. Edwin was a member of Fort William Legion Branch 6 for fifty years. THIBEDEAU, Roy F. WWII Roy was born on September 8, 1920 in Sault Ste. Marie. He joined the Army by fibbing about his age and was posted guard duty on the canal on St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste. Marie. As soon as his mother found out, she alerted officials and had Roy removed from service. Later, when of age, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and became a tail gunner on a Lancaster aircraft with 50 Squadron. Roy left Canada for England on August 5, 1943 and his last letter home was on March 28, 1944, two days before his last bombing mission over Nuremberg on March 31, 1944. He died at the age of 23 and is commemorated at Durnbach War Cemetery in Bavaria, Germany. Thibedeau Lake, north of Caribou Lake, was named after him in 1995. TIMMERMAN, Rene J. WWII Rene was born in 1921 in St. Alphonse, Manitoba. He joined the Royal Canadian Army on December 16, 1940 in Winnipeg and served with the 33rd Artillery. He was transferred to Esquimalt and Nanaimo, British Columbia and then discharged in February 1944. Rene passed away in 1993. THOMPSON, Stephen E. WWII Stephen was born north of MacGregor, Manitoba on October 15, 1915. He worked on his father’s farm until he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg in January 1943. He did his basic training in Brandon, a refresher at Regina and pilot training at High River, Alberta. He then took navigational training at Brandon #12, Paulson and Portage la Prairie, graduating with a commission in December 1944. At that time, he was put on temporary discharge in January 1945. He returned to farming and with the help of the Veterans Land Act, bought the family farm which he worked until 1965. He then moved to Brandon where he was employed as a field man selling life insurance for the Canadian Order of Foresters until his retirement in 1980. Stephen was a very active Legion member of the MacGregor Legion and Wheat City Legion 247 for a total of forty-two years before he died on August 11, 1988. He is buried in the Beaver Creek Cemetery. Stephen’s tunic and hat are in the Commonwealth Air Museum at Brandon, Manitoba.
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