111 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca KON, William WWII William joined the Sault Ste. Marie Regiment in January 1943 and went overseas in January 1944 on a Dutch boat. Later he joined Royal Winnipeg Rifles, he spent some time in England and then in the Occupation Force in Holland. He returned to Canada on the Queen Elizabeth and three and a half years in the army was discharged in 1946. After the war he resided in Kilkenny. KOSIE, John WWII Private John Kosie was born in Fisher Branch, Manitoba in 1923. He enlisted with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps on June 13, 1941 in Fisher Branch. He served in Canada, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, England, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland. His active service was as a dispatcher. “The only unfortunate thing that happened to me, I had an accident with my motorcycle while on duty and ended up in the hospital for about three weeks.” John’s medal decorations/awards in respect of services during the war were: the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal and Clasp and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. He was discharged on January 21, 1946 and returned to civilian life. He married and has two sons and four grandchildren. He retired and lived in Arborg, Manitoba. KRAWCHUK, Harry F. WWII Harry was born in Fisher Branch, Manitoba in 1918. He joined the Canadian Army on April 24, 1944. He took his basic training at Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg. On August 2, 1944 he transferred to Camp Shilo, Manitoba to train as a paratrooper with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. On October 18, 1944 he qualified as a trooper. Harry left Canada on December 25, 1944 on board the Martain for Ringway, England. He trained further at Ringway as the training he took at Shilo allowed 700 ft. drops only. The jumps they made in Europe were only 500 ft. The difference was that at a 500 ft. drop they could not use reserve chutes. Many troopers dropped out because of this difference. Harry parachuted across the Rhine and through Germany to Wismar. Harry lost many of his trooper friends and saw many wounded. Harry was never wounded but his war memories never left him. The war ended and on May 31, 1945 the Battalion received a send-off and two weeks later they left for Canada on the Île-de-France. The ship landed in Halifax and Harry left from there by train to Winnipeg and then home to Fisher Branch. He was discharged from the army on December 22, 1945.
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