285 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND OKE, Clarence S. Clarence was born on May 3, 1913, in Bowmanville, Ontario. He joined the Royal Canadian Signal Corps in March 1942 and was discharged in September 1945. Corporal Oke served in England, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland as part of the Canadian 1st Division, instructing signals in England sent to the Italian Campaign. Clarence was a Life Member of The Royal Canadian Legion Bowmanville Branch 178 for sixty years before he passed away on June 23, 2005. Through his years as a member of the Branch, he was a Poppy volunteer and was Treasurer for nine years. O’ROURKE, James James was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. He enlisted in the Army (Regular Force) in 1939 and served in Italy and Algiers with several companies until his release in 1945. He was wounded on June 18. James passed away in 1973. O’LEARY, William “Bill” Bill was born on May 28, 1928, in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He joined the Merchant Marines and from 1945 to 1947, he was with the North Novies Merchant Marines as a galley boy. He sailed from Cape Breton, NS on ships carrying food, ammunitions, and coal to Allied Forces at the end of World War II. He served on the SS Tricape, Louisburg, and Evelyn B. Enroute to Odessa, Russia, his ship travelled through North Atlantic surrounded by German U-boats. From 1951 to 1956, he served in the Regular Forces, Provost Corps (military police) as a peacekeeping officer for the UN, stationed in Germany where he visited the infamous concentration camp Bergen-Belsen where Anne Frank had been imprisoned. He was in the Reserves in 1962. After the war, Bill returned home and married Rita Campbell. Bill relocated to Owen Sound, Ontario in 1966 and later moved to Toronto. Bill was a Corrections Officer at Toronto Don Jail for fifteen years and later was employed in security at McDonald Douglas and was President of the United Guard Workers of America Union. Bill now resides in Sunnybrook Hospital Veterans Wing. He is a 51-year member of Todmorden Branch 10 of The Royal Canadian Legion in Toronto.
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