213 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca WAWRYK, Nickolas “Nick” WWII Nick was born on December 4, 1912 in Netley, Manitoba. He joined the Army and enlisted with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in October of 1939 and served overseas in Africa, Italy and Germany during World War II. While in Italy, he was a gun fitter artificer with the 5th Armored Division before going to Germany. Nick lived and farmed in Netley, Manitoba for many years with his wife and six children. Besides farming, he also worked at the Manitoba Rolling Mills in Selkirk for fifteen years. Nick passed away on April 7, 2004. WAWRYK, Paul WWII Paul was born in Netley, Manitoba on October 25, 1918. He first joined the Royal Canadian Artillery but was assigned to RCEME. He was sent to the Postal Corps in Bournemouth, England then to London for driver training and spent two years delivering mail. Driving through the streets that were not bombed near Eddison station, a buzz bomb suddenly shattered an apartment block. Paul stopped and noticed a young boy on the 7th floor. He was able to help and saved him from further harm. In 1949, Paul graduated in Radio Engineering and rejoined the Army and worked in radio communication during the flood of 1950. They were posted to Churchill; Kingston; Halifax; Baden (4th Wing) in Germany; Edgar, Ontario; Beausejour; Gypsumville, MB. He retired from Commox, BC in 1968 and eventually returned (fifteen years) as a radar tech with ITT on the DEW line. He worked on every DEW line pod from the Alaska side to the Greenland side. Paul passed away on January 8, 2009. WAWRYK, Steve WWII Steve was born in Netley, Manitoba on July 20, 1921. He was posted for the battle of Ortona. There were thirteen regiments on a three mile front. He was assigned to the 19th Battery, 3rd Field Regiment. There was a premature shell burst; the shell burst leaving the muzzle, the muzzle break was blown to pieces. He somehow survived the blast but he still has ringing in his ears to this day. The muzzle break was scattered over the countryside, the liner in the barrel was distorted and the beach block was frozen shut. Towards the end of January 1945, his two brothers, Nick and Paul were on leave in London. They all met in Aldershot. They arrived by train at the Waterloo station and stopped overnight at the Victoria League Canadian Forces Club. By April, they boarded the “Le De France”, a French vessel, eight days to New York Harbor and two days by train to Winnipeg.
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