LEST WE FORGET 355 THOMPSON, Duane “Kirk” and Donna PEACETIME Kirk was born in Elrose on January 20, 1942 to Jesse and Kay Thompson. He lived on the farm until the age of six before moving to Elrose where he took his schooling and was active in all school activities. After finishing school, he worked for his father at Elrose Farm Equipment (Massey Ferguson Dealership) and at Hensersons Esso Service Station for one year. At the age of twenty, Kirk joined the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers Corps where he served for 27 years. His postings consisted of Edmonton, Wainwright, Kingston and Calgary; a twelve-month tour with United Nations on the Gaza Strip, Egypt in the Sinai Desert, three years with NATO in northwest Europe (Germany); Cold Lake, Alberta; Churchill, Manitoba; CFB Ottawa; six months at Alert, Northwest Territories on Ellesmere Island – 40 miles from the North Pole; Trenton and Kingston, Ontario. He married Donna in 1977 who was in the Military also, RCAF with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps. They retired in 1989, Donna with 29 years of service and Kirk with 27 years served. They moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Kirk had two children from his first marriage, Kevin and Kelly, and he and Donna adopted her niece, Heather. TORRANCE, Gordon WWI Gordon was born in Listowel, Ontario in 1891. He enlisted as a Private in the Infantry with the First Canadian Contingent, British Expeditionary Force, 5th Battalion on October 3, 1914. He sailed via the SS Lapland to England, training at Salisbury Plain, then was sent to France to the front. He was involved with the first gas attack launched by the enemy in April 1915 and was wounded in the leg at Ypres, Belgium in April 1916. After being hospitalized in a field hospital near Boulogne and in London General, he trained as a gunnery instructor, became a Corporal and spent the remainder of the war in Seaford, England. Gordon sailed home via the troop ship Empress of Britain and honourably discharged in 1919. During World War II, Gordon worked at the Royal Canadian Air Force Base as a civilian. Gordon passed away in May 1951. THOMPSON, Ernest WWI Private Ernest Thompson served overseas with the 13th Battalion, Royal Highlanders of Canada during World War I. He was killed in action on November 5, 1917 by shellfire during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. He was 32 years old.
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