195 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca STODGELL, Cyril WWII Cyril enlisted in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders on October 6, 1940. He trained at Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg and went overseas in October 1941. He transferred to the Lake Superior Regiment in England. Tommy Farr was the world’s heavy weight champion boxer at one time and owned a bar in Brighton, England. While at this bar, Cyril got in a dispute which ended up in a fist fight with Tommy. Of course, Cyril did not win the fight. He served in England, France and Belgium during World War II. Cyril was killed in action in 1944 in Belgium. He was buried at Adegem Canadian Cemetery in Belgium (Oorlogsgraven Van Het Gemenebest). Stodgell Islands in Caribou Lake is named in Cyril A. Stodgell’s honour. The following is a letter written by Jim, Cyril’s chum, to Mrs. Stodgell: March 25, 1945 #1 Canadian Detention Barracks Canadian Army Overseas England Dear Mrs. Chas (Charlie) Stodgell, I have received your most welcome letter today and was very glad to hear from you people. Even my own people hardly write to me at all just once in awhile. I guess they must be tired of me now. As far as health is concerned I am doing O.K. and hope this letter finds you all in the same condition as I am. I can’t very well tell you everything but, I’ll try my best to tell you as much as I can. Yes, I was with him (Cyril) when he got it and I got the guy that shot him too. He (Cyril) got it on both legs and was pretty badly wounded. I didn’t look after him right away because it was kind of heavy shelling at the time, and he sure lost a lot of blood by the time I got back to him. I dressed him (Cyril) and another guy who were wounded together. By the time the Aid Post came around; well they were pretty well coming to. I stayed with them giving them a drink of water and kept them warm till they picked them up. And a week later, I heard that Cyril died the next day, for loss of blood. It was terrible to see anything like it on both legs, one wound was just above the right foot and the left was above his knee. The words he told me was to take his men and keep going next day and he said to send his personal belongings to you so I’m gladly doing it. I sure missed him a lot now. I haven’t got anybody to chum around with now. So darn nervous ever since I seen him and every time I think of him I sure feel downhearted. I take him for my own brother who was killed in Italy, last summer, anything further I can’t say. I haven’t a picture of myself at all. I am sorry. I sent them all home. I went on absent and now I am in detention in England for awhile and I will go back and take another crack at them low down rats. My people live in Sintaluta, Saskatchewan. If I stay in a safe place like I am now, I’ll be able to see you all whenever it’s over. There is nothing I can tell you about and it will be a long stay. If I do go back to Canada, I’ll stop at Winnipeg and try to find your hometown, from there before even going back to my own home. I’ve been away so long now that I don’t even want to go home at all. I close my letter here with best of luck and hope to see you all some day. From your son’s friend, Jim
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