233 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND HICKS, Wilfrid Edmund Wilfrid was born on August 3, 1894. His parents were William and Elizabeth Ginn Hicks. Wilfrid was raised on the family farm located in Goderich Township. He was the oldest of ten children. The threat of war was not very far away. He spent two years with the 33rd Huron Regiment and World War I was in progress. On January 4, 1916 five young men from Goderich Township boarded the train in Goderich and traveled to Halifax where they embarked on the ship, Olympic. They disembarked in Liverpool, England. Wilfrid was a Corporal with the Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment), and the 4th Battalion. He transferred to the 46th Battalion and disembarked in Havre, France on November 8, 1916. Wounded twice, he could have returned home, but his decision was to remain overseas. A telegram was delivered to his parents informing themWilfrid was killed on a battlefield in northern France on November 2, 1918. His grave is in Auberchicourt British Cemetery, northern France. Wilfrid’s portrait, a scroll signed by King George, and a medal, grace the wall of a Clinton home. The last line of the scroll, King George writes “Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten”. HILL, Frederick William Frederick was born in Welland, Ontario in 1866. Following his father’s appointment as police magistrate, Hill studied law at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in 1891. Returning to his hometown, he opened a law office and taking an interest in municipal politics, he served as mayor of Niagara Falls in 1898. Following the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Frederick immediately closed his law office and joined the active service. After training at Valcartier Military Base in Quebec, he arrived in France in February 1915. He was promoted to BrigadierGeneral and appointed to command the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade. He led the charge during the battle for Passchendaele, Belgium and served in Ypres, Vimy and Hill 70. He received a number of medals for his service. In May 1927, he returned to Niagara Falls to officially unveil the Soldiers Memorial Monument near the foot of Clifton Hill. Frederick retired from the military in 1930 and moved to Fredericton, NB, having served in the 44th Lincoln Welland Regiment pre-war and in the 1st Battalion CEF from 1914 to 1916. He passed away on March 12, 1954. His body was brought back to Niagara Falls for full military service and burial at Fairview Cemetery. HILL, Charles “Chuck” Chuck was born on September 19, 1919 in Toronto and grew up in Richvale, Ontario. He was the youngest son of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. John Hill and a popular member of the Richmond Hill Trumpet Band. He enlisted in the Army on September 7, 1939. Two of his local pals were brothers George and Bill Adams and all three were at Dieppe. George and Chuck were killed while Bill became a Prisoner of War. Chuck was in the militia before the war and when war was declared he enlisted immediately. He served in Iceland and England before participating in the Dieppe Raid. While en route to Dieppe he wrote a postcard to his parents which read “Lots of Love, Charlie”. Private Charles Hill was killed in action at Dieppe on August 19, 1942 while serving with the Royal Regiment of Canada. He is buried in the Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery in France and is commemorated on a plaque in St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Richmond Hill.
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