37 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND BLUM, Frank William Frank was born on September 1, 1915, in Baden, Ontario to Nicholas and Dorothy (Weber) Blum along with five siblings: Irene, Helen, Bill, Nick, and John. When the call for arms came out, he enlisted in the Army (Regular Force) in 1940 with the Canadian Forestry Corps and worked in Northern Ontario cutting trees and teaching trench shoring until he was discharged in 1945 with the rank of Corporal. Frank married Mildred (Nauman) and they raised eight children: Ross, Raymond, Thomas, Frank Jr. Richard, Robert, Barbara, and Brenda. He worked at INCO, Lavack and Creighton Mines for 37 years. Frank joined the Royal Canadian Legion in Lively, Branch 215 in 1946, served on the executive for most of his legion years, and was awarded a Life Membership in 1974, he was also Chief of Creighton Volunteer Fire Department. He retired from his work and they moved to Manitoulin Island, transferred his Legion membership to Little Current Branch 177 and was a member for a total of fifty years. His love of fishing and hunting became a staple in his life. Frank died at Extendicare York Long Term Care in Sudbury on September 24, 2002, cremated at Park Lawn Crematorium, and buried in Memory Gardens, Breslau. BLYTH, George Arthur George was born on November 21, 1922, in St. George, Brant County, Ontario to Robert William and Selina Zenobia (Armstrong) along with Elsie, Horace, and Phylis Blyth. When he turned eighteen, he hitchhiked to the Toronto Manning Depot and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on March 3, 1941. His training was cut short due to an outbreak of scarlet fever. He was posted to Armourment School in Trenton, 116th Squadron in Dartmouth, 438th Squadron in Botwood, NL. He was promoted to full Corporal on January 1, 1942, went on leave to Georgetown and married Elaine (Collins), and was promoted to Sergeant on September 1, 1942. George was shipped overseas on December 14, 1943, to Bournemouth in the south of England, training and teaching maintenance. He also served in Italy, France, Germany and Holland. George was sick in the trenches when a telegram arrived for Sgt. Blyth informing him that Karen Elaine had arrived that morning. George was discharged on October 10, 1945. Elaine and George added three more children to the family. He was employed in the insurance business and was a seventeen-year member of The Royal Canadian Legion Waterloo Branch 530. George died on August 18, 2004, and is buried in Parkview Cemetery in Waterloo. He is commemorated on Plaque #7 of the Waterloo Legion Veterans Memorial Wall. BOLT, Ralph Ralph was born on September 7, 1895, in Jocelyn Township, St. Joseph Island, which is east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to George and Olive Bolt. He was a telephone lineman by trade and on January 6, 1916, he joined the Army (Regular Force) with the 119th Overseas Battalion in Sault Ste. Marie. Ralph was later assigned to the 52nd Battalion CEF (New Ontario Regiment). While “going over the top” on August 28, 1918, near Bois-de-Vert, France, he was killed in action. His remains were never recovered; therefore his name is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial, Vimy, France. His name is inscribed on the Richards Landing Cenotaph.
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