147 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca McNEILL, Bernard J. WWII Bernard was born in Brandon, Manitoba. He enlisted in the Navy and served in the High Seas during World War II. Able Seaman Berny McNeill served on the frigate HMCS Valleyfield. She was part of an escort group that was protecting 40 or 50 slow merchant ships, each loaded with vital war supplies and food sailing from the United States and Canada to England and Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean. German submarines wanted to sink them. During an action with sub U548, Valleyfield was struck by a homing torpedo and broke in half in the explosion and sank; 133 men lost their lives and Berney McNeill was one of them. McTAGGART, Orville E. WWII Orville was born in Crystal City, Manitoba in 1920. He joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in 1941 and served in Canada, Jamaica and in the United Kingdom during World War II. He was then transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and saw action in Continental Europe. He remained with the occupation army in Germany for a year after the war and was discharged in April of 1946. Orville was awarded the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the 1939 – 1945 War Medal. Orville was a member of the Crystal Lake Legion Branch 35 for eight years before he passed away in 1992. METCALF, Richard D. “Dick” WWII Richard was born in Carroll, Manitoba in 1923. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and served in Europe with the #428 Squadron, 6 Group Bomber Command T.A.F. during World War II. After training in Canada, he was drafted overseas as an airplane mechanic. He worked on Lancaster bombers, patching and repairing the bodies and wings when they returned from bombing raids on enemy lands. Often the planes were torn and holed by shells from enemy fighters and antiaircraft ground fire and sometimes crashes. It was terribly important that these planes were rebuilt and repaired and returned to our aircrews in a safe and airworthy condition as quickly as possible. They carried our fight to the enemy lands. He was a member of the Legion Branch 90 for 63 years before he passed away in 2005.
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