81 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca HALLEN, Edgar Arthur WWII Edgar was born on March 29, 1924, in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, the son of George and Annie (Dewar) Hallen. He moved with his family in 1937 and received his high schooling in Neepawa. Edgar joined the 12th Manitoba Dragoons in Neepawa on June 4, 1941. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery in Winnipeg on September 29, 1943 and trained in Petawawa, Ontario then transferred to the Paratroop Battalion on January 24, 1944. He took his training in Shilo, Manitoba. Edgar qualified for his wings on April 1, 1944. He delivered the “Sixth” Victory Shield, parachuting out of a plane in Minnedosa, Manitoba on April 22, 1944. He went overseas in August 1944. Private Edgar Hallen died on May 7, 1945, at the age of twenty, in Germany. He is commemorated at Holten Canadian War Cemetery in Holland. Hallen Lake (53D/12), north of Harrop Lake, was named in his honour in 1980. In his letters, he stated he would be getting married when he came home and would be taking over farming. He talked about how hard the going was: “I’m now in Germany. We jumped over the Rhine River some time ago. Had a good jump, my eighteenth. I saw two planes go crashing into the woods, afire. When I hit the ground, two men were killed ten feet from me. Mortar shells were landing on us in the trench. One man was killed, some wounded, one beside me. I took him back to R.R. Quarters for treatment. It’s hard slugging all the way, moving all day and half the night.You lay down where you stop and fall asleep, then get up in the morning and move on. You do not eat very often (May 1945)” “This is hell on earth and there is no glory in this, and do not let my brother join up. Hope this puts an end to War (May 1945)” By this time, the family felt relatively confident that “Tommy” would return safely. When VE-Day came, his mother was very excited. “Tommy” as he was called was coming home. Plans were made to celebrate, but three weeks later, word came that he had died. HARPER, James Kenneth “Ken” WWII Ken was born on May 13, 1921, the eldest son of Jim Harper and Ella Brydon. He received his education in Arden, Manitoba. Sergent Ken Harper enlisted in the Army in Winnipeg on April 14, 1941 and served for four years. He was discharged in Winnipeg on January 23, 1946. In 1948, he purchased a farm in the Union District. As well as farming, he was employed by Canada Salt for many years and then worked for Gulf Oil. He married Mary “Alice” Simpson of Arden in 1949 and raised a family of three girls. He retired to Neepawa in 2001. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Arden Branch 144. Ken passed away on September 26, 2006.
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