35 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca Enemy resistance was stiff. They drove through Caen on July 24. (The Infantry had already taken Caen). The Fort Garry Horse advanced towards Tilly-la-Campagne. During a major tank battle with the German Panzers on the way to Tilly-la-Campagne on July 25, Levi’s squadron lost 11 tanks. The Germans also used antitank 88 mm guns on them as well. Levi got knocked out, wounded in the right shoulder by a splinter from the inside of their tank caused by an antitank shell which passed right through their tank. He was hit and knocked unconscious. He can’t remember for how long but as soon as he came to, he escaped from the tank through the co-driver’s hatch. He was picked up by one of their squadron tanks and taken back to a dressing station. When their tank was hit, one of their men was killed, one was shot in a leg and when Levi bailed out their machine was on fire. After the dressing station, Levi was transferred to a field hospital behind allied lines. Next day he was invalided back to #10 Canadian Military Hospital owned by Lady Aster. He was in this hospital from July 26 or 27 to December 27, 1944, about five months. After he got out of hospital, he was sent to a convalescent hospital for two months, to the end of February 1945, then to a holding unit where recruits were trained as tank crew replacements. He was well enough then to train them. Levi was on the training staff and was there until the war was over. His repatriation back to Canada came through in October 1945, and he sailed home on the Ile de France. He and his brother Ernie (who was with the PPCLI) were on the same ship. They left Southampton and docked in Halifax after a voyage of five or six days. After two or three weeks he went back to Winnipeg and got his discharge, on November 17, at #10 Depot. He was then sent to Deer Lodge Hospital in Winnipeg for a good part of late 1945 and 1946. He was discharged from Deer Lodge at harvest time, in September 1946. He took it easy that fall and winter. In the fall of 1947, Levi was employed by Manitoba Pool Elevators and worked that winter in construction and repair. During the summer of 1947, he worked for Jimmy Jackson who was a road building contractor. In 1949, he bought a farm in the Moline Area and farmed there by himself for four years. Then he got married to Mary McGinn who was working in Rapid City. She came from the Oakburn area. He and Mary farmed until 1975 when they left the farm because of his health, and retired to live in Minnedosa. Levi had been an Oddfellow for 53 years, a Royal Canadian Legion Rapid City Branch 49 member since 1945 and a Pool director of Rapid City Pool for 20 years. He served on the Saskatchewan R. M. council for 10 years, the Rapid City United Church Board for a number of years, and nine years on the Consumers Co-op Board in Minnedosa. He used to curl when he was able to. Mary and Levi had three step children and two of their own. They also had ten grandchildren. Levi had six brothers, five were in the army: Levi, Ernie, Cecil, Fred and Art. Cecil and Ernie were wounded in Italy and Levi in France. All were wounded within 48 hours of each other. He received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, 1939-1945 Star, Defence Medal, France and Germany Star and War Medal 1939-1945. Levi passed away in 1998. BAYES, Levi George (continued)
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