29 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca BELL, Alexander “Addie” WWI &WWII Alexander was born in Burnside, Manitoba, in 1897. He joined the 43rd Battalion Cameron Highlanders of Canada as a Corporal in World War I and was wounded at the Battle of Somme at Ancre Heights-Regina Trench and became a prominent athlete after his recovery. In World War II, he had the rank of Sergeant and Company Quartermaster with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and did weapons and combat training at Portage and Camp Shilo.While enlisted, he coached the 194142 portage Terriers Junior Hockey Team to the Memorial Cup Championship. Addie has been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. He passed away in 1949 and was a member of the Portage la Prairie Branch 65 of The Royal Canadian Legion. BENTEIN, Rene WWII Rene was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, in 1918 and joined the Canadian Infantry Corps in February 1942, reporting to Portage la Prairie, the Army Basic Training base where he took an instructing course and was sent to Borden in 1943 for advanced armoured training and became an instructor and was promoted to a full Corporal. Rene sailed from Halifax in January 1945 on the Aquitania and went to Bagshot, England, to be an interpreter for the 5th Division in Holland. He served under the national Reserve Mobilization Act and was in active service with the Lord Strathcona Horse, 5th Division Corps from March 17, 1942, to March 6, 1946, and received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. The Legion was very important to Rene and he belonged to the Belgian Veterans’ Association, Branch 107 for over 55 years, serving as President for 25 years. He passed away in 2006. BERTRAM, William Malcolm WWI William was born in Brandon Hills in 1896. He enlisted with the 45th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force on May 4, 1915, saw action in France and was wounded in the battle of Somme. He was lying in the field awaiting burial when one of his friends sent to bury him thought that he noticed a movement and a medical officer was persuaded to recheck William and discovered a heartbeat. He was transferred to hospital in England where he remained for several months before returning to Canada. William was discharged on July 31, 1917, and he applied for enlistment in September 1939 but was found medically unfit. He was a member of St. John’s Ambulance as well as being active in the Brandon Branch 3 of The Royal Canadian Legion for over forty years. He died as a result of a traffic accident in 1963.
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