185 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND HAZAEL, Royal Edwin Royal was born on December 18, 1922, in Kingsville, Ontario. He voluntarily enlisted in the Air Force (Regular Force) on September 18, 1942, at the age of nineteen. He went to Manitoba to train for the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Pilot and Tail Gunner. Tail Gunner was one of the most dangerous positions in the war. He was assigned to the RCAF 431 Squadron. He served in a Lancaster Bomber and then in a Halifax Bomber. On April 28, 1944, on his 59th mission, at 23:30 hours, while on night patrol, in his Halifax Bomber, his plane and crew were fired upon by enemy flak. The plane was shot down over Montzen, Belgium. He was just 21 years old. Royal was one of four casualties from that incident and one of 45,000 Canadian service member casualties during World War II. Royal Edwin Hazael was buried in the Town of Wilrijk, Belgium. His younger brother, William WWII Veteran, his brother Albert and wife Audrey, sisters Josie and Mavis, and nephew Russ travelled there to pay their respects to him after being labelled missing in action for many years of pain in their hearts and unknowns of their previous, brave, loved, Royal Edwin Hazael. HAZAEL, William Lawrence William was born onApril 10, 1927, to Edwin and Mary Hazael, in Kingsville, Ontario. At a young age, the Hazael family relocated to the former Township of SandwichWest. William attended grade school at Sandwich Collegiate Institute from 1941 until 1943, when he left prematurely to serve in the Canadian Forces. InApril 1943, William joined the Merchant Marines and served with the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserved (RCNVR). From there, William was assigned to a frigate in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was sent too late to board. He was reassigned to HMCS Laurier. God was looking out for him as the ship William missed was sunk in the North Atlantic. William continued his assignment stationed on the Twin Oerlikon 20mm cannon gun on the deck of the Laurier. He was honourably discharged at the age of eighteen in 1945 (the age most soldiers entered World War II). He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 for 62 years. Before William died on August 25, 2009, William, his son and siblings were able to travel to see the grave site of his most beloved, Canadian Air Force brother Royal Edwin Hazael. He was killed during his 59th mission and they travelled to the Town of Wilrijk, Belgium to show their respects. HEALEY, Douglas R. Douglas was born on June 23, 1923, in Maple, Ontario. He joined the Canadian Army in 1943 and served with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in Holland and Germany during World War II. He was a member of Warriner Lodge 75 Port Perry and The Royal Canadian Legion Port Perry Branch 419. Douglas passed away on January 8, 2010.
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