151 The Royal Canadian Legion www.mbnwo.legion.ca MUNRO, Kenneth William WWII Kenneth was born on January 16, 1922, in Oakdale, Manitoba. He moved to Neepawa, Manitoba in 1929, and was educated throughout the Neepawa schools He joined the RCA on July 12, 1940, and arrived overseas (England) on December 24, 1940. Kenneth trained in England until June 1944. He was then shipped to France P.O.W. on July 21, 1944. While supporting Essex Scottish during battle for Verriers Ridge, he was liberated by the American 1st Army at the end of April 1945. “We went through many of the large cities to see the results of Allied bombing, but saw them flying to Dresden, 45 miles away and Leipzig 13 miles. These raids would last about three hours, and we could see the fires, aircraft shot down, and hear the explosions at our camp. We quit work when the bombers came over and made up the time after supper,” Ken recalled, after returning from service in France and many months in German prison camps. Ken was attached to the Essex Scottish and went in on the attack about three miles from Caen. The South Saskatchewan’s had gone in ahead and the Essex were to mop up for them. Being badly cut up and forced to fall back for reinforcements, the S. S. R.’s turned the main job over to the Essex Scottish. The Camerons were to the right of them and the Fusiliers of Montreal to the left. Heavy opposition was handed out by the enemy, but they were held back the first day. Early next morning, the Hun threw in tanks and infantry, the first two attacks being repulsed. However, on the third, the Essex Scottish were surrounded and taken prisoners. Taken back to enemy battalion headquarters, the men gave the enemy their identity then marched back twelve miles behind the lines to an interrogation centre. They remained in this area for three or four days then moved by bus to Paris, loaded into box cars, and moved to Stalag 12A where they registered as prisoners of war. Ten days later, they were moved to Stalag 4B straight south of Berlin and Ken joined a working party butting rocks in a stone quarry. Treatment in the camps was not bad as long as you behaved yourself. When the American army reached Leipzig, Ken and his fellow prisoners were marched off towards the Elbe River and on arrival there found they could not cross as the Russians were in the vicinity. Two days later, they started back towards the oncoming Americans and were stationed in a farmyard when liberated. The district surrounding them had been declared open and the Americans received no opposition, sending out parties to reconnoiter. One of these parties, of three jeeps, intercepted the prisoners, disarmed their guards, and turned the boys loose. “There was no semblance of order as we took to the road,” Ken said, “The boys just breaking loose and marching off to the Americans. They really fed us well, even having white bread in the front lines. In billeting us out they took us to an old German airdrome and gave us first class quarters.” Staying in the drome for seven days, he was moved to Halle and flown from there to Brussels and England. Arriving in England again, Ken was married to an English girl. The wedding was to have taken place just before he moved to France in June 1944. Kenneth married Joyce Ann Whiting on June 18, 1945, and he later returned to Canada in August 1945. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Russel Branch. Kenneth passed away in May 2017.
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