213 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND FRASER, Wilfrid Close “Wick” Wilfrid was born in Bosanquet Township, Lambton County, Ontario on March 15, 1919. He was among the first from the town of Forest, Ontario to enlist in the Royal Canadian Engineers following the outbreak of World War II. After his basic training in Ontario, he was stationed in England as Home Guard until taking part in the Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942. He landed on the beach with explosives strapped to his back under heavy fire. He was captured and spent almost the next three years as a prisoner of war. He escaped by tunnel and was recaptured twice. He was liberated from the Lamsdorf Death March by an American Tank Unit on April 13, 1945. He served with the 7th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, CASF in England, Dieppe, France and Stalag VIIIB Silesia during World War II. Wilfrid was a member of Forest Legion Branch 176 for 31 years. He was a much loved husband, father and grandfather before he passed away at the age of 57 years on October 15, 1976. FREEMAN, Henry William “Harry” Henry (Harry) was born in London, England on March 5, 1898 and immigrated to Canada with his family at an early age. He joined the Canadian Army on January 5, 1917 as part of the 21st Battalion and was sent to France as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Private Freeman served in the trenches as a Sniper during World War I until being wounded on August 8, 1918, losing two toes on one foot and serious injury to the other foot as well as being gassed. On August 31, 1918 he was shipped home while on board the ship, he received a letter from King George V, thanking him for his service to his country and wishing him a speedy recovery. After the war, he returned to Tweed, Ontario, and became manager of Red & White Stores. As a result of being gassed, he became ill with lung problems and spent his last months in the Gravenhurst Sanitarium. He died on December 16, 1926, at the age of 27. FRAYNE, Donald C. Donald was born in Bosanquet Township, Ontario on November 16, 1921. He enlisted in the Navy on May 30, 1942. Donald served on HMCS Prevost, Queen Charlotte, Cornwallis, Avalon-Skeena, Stadacona, Hochelaga II, Avalon-Eyebright, Peregrine, Scotian, and Stadacona-St. Therese for convoy duty. He was trained in radar and was a Leading Seaman and Chief Boatswain’s Mate (Buffer) in charge of Seamen. Prior to Japan’s surrender he spent time in West Indies testing Equator’s heat effect on seamen. Donald was discharged on October 5, 1945 and returned to his parent’s farm after demobilization. During leave, he had met Evelyn Irene Olsen, a teachers’ college friend of his sister Jean, and they married on June 29, 1946, rearing three sons, while farming on area farms until 1959. The assessing work he did while farming led to a municipal career in: Thedford from 1959-1965, St. Marys from 1965-1970, Kingsville from 1970-1979, and Wardsville from 1979-1983. He then enjoyed retirement there until 1989. In 1989 he returned to Harrow/Kingsville area and lived in three more locations until his passing. He had been a member of Forest Legion Branch 176 and Kingsville Legion Branch 188. Donald passed away on January 26, 2007. He was a respected and loved man, father, and husband.
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