149 www.on.legion.ca FORLER, Alvin Jacob Alvin was born in Philipsburg, Ontario on July 6, 1895, to John J. and Salome (Planner). Prior to World War I, Alvin was employed as a mechanic. On April 23, 1918, he got a ride to Baden and enlisted in the Army (Regular Force) with the 64th Battery. His basic training took him to British Columbia where he was transferred to the CSEF 85th Battery “Siberia Artillery Brigade”. He was admitted to the New Westminster Hospital with pneumonia. Alvin died in the hospital on October 16, 1918. He was brought back to Ontario and buried in the Fairmount Cemetery in Baden. Gunner Alvin Jacob Forler is commemorated on Page 409 of the First World War Book of Remembrance in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. FORTIER, William Leo “Bill” Bill was born in Victoria Harbour, Ontario on July 16, 1923, the son of Albert and Marie Louise (Cote) Fortier. The family moved to Toronto in 1937 where Bill attended Central Tech. Before he enlisted in the Army (Regular Force), he worked as a machine operator. Bill enrolled with the Royal Canadian Artillery in Toronto on April 24, 1942. Private Fortier initially went through basic training at No. 20 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Brampton, Ontario followed by the Canadian Artillery Training Centre at Camp Petawawa, Ontario. After his training in Canada, Gunner Fortier embarked with his unit for the United Kingdom on October 28, 1942. He served with the Artillery in the United Kingdom and through the advance in Normandy, France in 1944. Gunner Fortier was killed in action on August 8, 1944, while serving with the No. 3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment during the latter part of the Allied operations in Normandy. He was 21 years old. He is buried in the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Normandy. FORTIN, Joseph James Joseph was born in Ottawa, Ontario on July 20, 1925. As an orphan at the age of five, he and his three sisters were moved to Windsor, Ontario to live with their uncle. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy from June 2, 1944, until February 27, 1946. During that time, he was commissioned on various corvette boats most notably the SS Camrose. He was afraid of heights but when ordered to take his turn to take watch in the crow’s nest on the boat, he did, but he white knuckled and had to be helped down and never had to do watch again in the nest. After his service, he married and raised his family in LaSalle, Ontario. He retired from the City of Windsor as a Supervisor of the Water Division in 1990. He would never talk about his time in the navy. Joseph passed away on October 26, 1994, at the age of 69. We Will Remember Them Ontario Command
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==