LEST WE FORGET 199 HUMPHRIES, Ernest “Ernie” WWII Ernie was born in the Taylorton District of Saskatchewan on July 18, 1899 to Thomas and Ann Humphries. He lived with his parents and received is education at Moose Creek School. Ernie worked for his brother, George, and also worked for several other farmers in the district. Ernie joined the Armed Forces when the Second World War broke out and served in a Fire Brigade. He was discharged in 1945 and returned to Carlyle where he worked for Rusty Kerr. Ernie passed away on October 11, 1978 and is buried at Moose Creek Cemetery. HUNT, Bruce Alexander WWII Bruce was born in 1910, in Moosomin, Saskatchewan. His parents, Isabella and William Hunt, adopted a three-month-old baby girl, Phyllis Mitchell, in 1920. Bruce was briefly married in 1932 but his wife died tragically in 1933 while giving birth to their first child. His father William Hunt also died in 1933. Around 1935, Bruce moved to Radville with his mother and sister, his brother Don, and Don’s wife Ethel. Don worked on the power lines and Ethel ran the telephone office. Phyllis (Toots) later married Walter Nimegeers, son of Prosper and Julianna (VanDeSype) Nimegeers. When the war started in 1939, Bruce enlisted with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was 29 years old when he went to England. On September 22, 1942, Bruce wrote home to his sister Phyllis stating: “That picture I sent home of our transport some time ago, well most of them never came back off the raid at Dieppe so I guess I was fortunate in not being there as I went to the hospital on the Sunday before – but I would sure liked to have been there.” And again, on February 24, 1943 (three days before his death), he wrote to Phyllis saying: “I’ve been pretty busy this last while. The fellow that was with me as a mechanic was sent out, he had bad eyes and I guess he won’t be back, so I don’t know who I’ll get next to work with me. It sure is a lot of work when you are alone.” On February 27, 1943, Bruce was killed by a fractured skull sustained by being knocked down by a motorcycle while walking on the road. It was accidental. He was 33 years old. Bruce is buried at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, United Kingdom. A year after his death, a lady named Annie Steer would write to Phyllis on April 17, 1944 saying: “I was over to visit Bruce’s grave on the anniversary of his death and placed a wreath there for you. Perhaps you would like to know that it was made of laurel, carnations and daffodils. Since I was there last, they have erected a flag staff, with the Canadian Flag flying and Bruce’s grave is almost under it. It seems really hard to believe he is there, he was always so full of life, and one feels so very sorry indeed for all the Canadian mothers and families, who’s loved ones rest over here. There are so many in the Canadian military cemetery at Brookwood, but everyone over there can be certain that no better place could have been found anywhere and there are always Canadian soldiers taking care of their own “Garden of Remembrance”, as we call it over here.”
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