189 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca STOCKIE (BARLAGE), Gertrude WWII Gertrude, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Barlage, was born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan on October 19, 1925. She enlisted in the Army in Winnipeg on April 3, 1944 at the age of eighteen. She served with the #3 Canadian Women’s Army Corps as a tailor. Gertrude passed away on April 27, 1946. STONEHOUSE, Ralph James Bruce WWII Bruce was born in Elkhorn, Manitoba on August 2, 1922. He and his family later moved to a farm near Delta, Manitoba. Bruce enlisted in the Army in Winnipeg in early 1944. He did basic training in Shilo, Manitoba as well as training with the “6 pounder” guns. Bruce was later sent to Divert, Nova Scotia for more artillery training. He left Halifax in the fall of 1944 on the RMS Andes, landing in Liverpool, England eleven days later. Bruce did further training with the “17 pounder” guns in England. He was then serving as a gunner with the 6th Anti-Tank Division. Bruce served in a Sherman M10 Tank with a seventeenpound gun. He landed in France in late 1944 – early 1945 fighting in and around cities such as Nijmegen and Amsterdam, Netherlands. In one incident, the driver in his tank had his head blown off by a German 88 M.M. shell. Bruce was in Holland at the end of the war. He returned to North America on the Queen Mary with eight thousand American and seven thousand Canadian troops on board. Bruce landed in New York City, taking a train to Winnipeg. He then was sent to Shilo for more training to prepare for the Asian theatre. The war ended when Bruce was in Shilo and he was discharged there. TAIT, William J.A. “Alf” SPECIAL DUTY AREA & PEACETIME Alf was born in Stonecliffe, Ontario in 1937. He enrolled in the RCAF in May 1954. He graduated as a Navigator in January 1957. He recorded over 1299 hours on the CF100 while serving with 433 and 414 Squadron, North Bay, Ontario. Alf cross-trained as a Pilot and received his wings at Rivers, Manitoba. He became a Chinook Helicopter Pilot Instructor and had several hours flying fixed wings aircraft. Alf also spent time in Vietnam with the ICC for the first six months of 1973 and was decorated for his service there. He is also the recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Canadian Forces’ Decoration 2 and the Peacekeeping Medals. Comrade Tait served on the Charleswood Legion Executive for 32 years, having two tours as President and was awarded Life Membership. Alf attended University in 1973, graduating in 1975 with a BA in Political Science and Law. Alf and his wife, Peggy, have retired in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he still serves on the Legion Executive.
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