349 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND MARTIN, Firman Earl Firman was born in Buffalo, New York, USA on January 5, 1893 to Oliver and Amanda (Brubacher) Martin. In 1893, the family moved to Waterloo, Ontario. He was employed at Kaufman Rubber in Berlin, Ontario and was the personal chauffeur for A. R. Kaufman. He was drafted during World War I and ordered to report to the Military Depot in Kitchener on November 5, 1917. Firman passed the medical and was enrolled in the Army. He was sent to the 1st Depot Battalion in London, Ontario for training; on February 2, 1918 he was sent overseas to England. He spent five months in Bramshott for more training and then across the channel to France to be posted with 18th Battalion. The war was over on November 11, 1918 but Firman remained on the Continent until April 4 and then retunred to England and to Canada where he was discharged on May 24, 1919. After the war, he resumed working at Kaufman Rubber until he retired. Firman (also known as Earl) married Hilda (Paetz) and had three children: Firman, Betty and Audrey. In 1962, he passed away and is buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Waterloo. His son, Firman Oliver, served overseas in World War II. MARTON, Fred John “Butch” Butch was born in Normanly, England in 1893. He enlisted in the Army with the Prince of Wales Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, 20th Hussars during World War I. He received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He left a parcel land forward to Ward 6 Royal Infirmary Aberdeen where he was a patient in January 1918. He was discharged in 1920. Butch immigrated to Canada in April 1921 and went to Thedford, Ontario where he owned and operated a butcher shop. He was also the Reeve of Thedford for two different terms in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Butch passed away in 1975 and is buried at Pinehill Cemetery. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Thedford branch 278 for thirty years. MARTIN, Firman Oliver Firman was born in Waterloo, Ontario on July 15, 1924 to Earl and Hilda (Paetz) Martin along with two siblings, Betty and Audrey. Firman joined the Army during World War II in July 1941 and was attached to the 6th Airborne (British) and they were the first Canadians on the ground (Operation Tonga) in the invasion of Normandy. Firman was captured and in a Prisoner of War camp until April 13, 1945 when that part of the country was liberated. Private Firman was discharged in November 1945. In 1951, Firman joined a group of veterans to establish a Legion in Waterloo. The first board of officers comprised of President, Walter W. Nichol; Vice President, James MacDonald; Secretary, Abraham D. Smith; Treasurer, Durward Preston; Executive, Fred Shanks, Albert Grundy, George Coyne and Firman Martin. The charter was awarded on March 1, 1952. Firman married Helen (McVeigh) who also served in World War II and they had four children: Eileen, Julie, Earl and Marsha. On August 20, 2002, at the age of 78, Firman passed away and is buried in Parkview Cemetery in Waterloo. His name has been inscribed on plaque #7 of the Waterloo Legion Wall of Remembrance.
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