115 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca FEIR, Walter WWII Walter was born on May 13, 1921, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Feir who farmed in the Fairmont District, west of Minnedosa. Walter headed out to Alberta where he found work as a farmhand. He wrote to his father to tell him that he had enlisted in the army, in the Royal Canadian Engineers, in Calgary on December 3, 1941, at the age of twenty. Information indicates that Walter got most of his training in Dundurn, Saskatchewan, south of Saskatoon. He also did some training in Calgary. In the spring of 1942, Walter was posted overseas with the 9th Canadian Field Squadron. He landed in England on his 21st birthday, May 13, 1942. While waiting to be sent into action in France, he was assigned the laborious task, along with the other waiting troops, of cleaning up the tons and tons of debris after the German bombing raids over England. He spent most of his leaves in Scotland. In June 1944, shortly after D-Day, he was posted to France. As a member of the Royal Canadian Engineers, he was involved in bridge construction – repairing and replacing bridges which had been damaged or destroyed. On August 27, 1944, while finishing work on a raft for heavy equipment, Walter was killed. Major W. F. Sharon wrote to Walter’s father, dated September 20, 1944: “It is with deep regret that I write this letter, but I know you will want to hear as much detail as I can give you of the activities of your son on August 27, 1944, when he was killed in action. This squadron was allotted part of the task of getting the division across the Seine River during the advance from Normandy towards Belgium, which meant that rafts had to be built on which to ferry the armour. The infantry had already crossed the river in light rafts and boats to establish a bridgehead, but heavier rafts commenced during the afternoon of the 27th under heavy fire. Your son was a member of the troop working on the rafts and was killed by shellfire during the construction. He would have been glad to know that rafts were completed, and armour successfully ferried across. The success of this operation was in large part due to the early construction of the heavier rafts, and was possible only due to the courage of men like your son who stuck it out despite the heavy shelling, and completed a difficult task. It may therefore be of some comfort to you to know that his death was not entirely in vain. I want to express to you my heartfelt sympathy in the loss of your son. He was a good sapper, fearless, and liked by all, and we all have mourned his loss. His body was taken away on an ambulance, and the Graves Commission will notify you as to the whereabouts of his grave. If it be of any comfort to you, he was not disfigured in any way and did not suffer.” Walter wrote many letters home to his parents and brothers, all of which were saved and bound in a book. In his last letter home dated August 18, to his brother Albert and sister-in-law Marry, Walter wrote: “Here goes a few lines to let you know how things are going these days. I just got a letter from mother today saying that she had received word that I was in France. It is quite a while since I wrote to you’s. Today is just another hot day like you often have on the prairies and dustier than hell. I was just thinking today about this time last year I was down in sunny Cornwall in England… (on a day off) we would go down to the seaside and enjoy the salt water… (now) it is a bright Sunday morning, I think.We had a nice rain yester evening which we want bad. I am lying down in my blanket in a nice apple orchard… I will do laundry for a change when I get the chance. So cheers. As ever, Walter.” Walter was buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France. As a memorial to Sapper Walter Isaiah Feir, the Geographical Board of Canada has named a lake in northern Manitoba, Feir Lake. Walter was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, Defence of Britain Medal, France and Germany Star, 1939-1945 Star and War Medal 1939-1945.
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