LEST WE FORGET 337 ZALAPSKY, William WWII William was born on his family farm near St. Philips, Saskatchewan on May 14, 1920. Upon the breakout of World War II, he enlisted in the Army in Winnipeg, MB and received his basic training in Portage la Prairie, MB before shipping out to England. He was assigned to the 175th Light Anti-Aircraft in London, England and it was his duty to shoot down enemy bombers. He was then sent over the Channel with the infantry to fight through France, Belgium and Holland until war’s end. When he returned home from the war, he joined a local band, the Cowboy Kings, and performed at dances throughout the area and also had a weekly radio show on CJGX Radio. William moved to Hamilton, Ontario around 1949 and was employed with Stanley Steel until he retired. William passed away in Yorkton, SK in 2011 at the age of 90. WYATT, Albert Henry WWI Gordon was born on August 30, 1892, in Virden, Manitoba to William and Robina (Cobb) Wyatt. After being raised and educated in Virden, Gordon was farming with his brother Clarence in the Rocanville area when he enlisted in Winnipeg on December 28, 1915. He began service with the 2nd Imperial Draft as a truck driver with the Army Service Corps. He was first attached to a Pontoon and Bridging Company in Lille, France and then was transported to the 1091 ASC 45 Ambulance Convoy. In August 1918, Private Wyatt participated in one of the pivotal battles of World War I when his unit was transferred from Armentieres, France and was attached to the Australian Army for the offensive at Amiens. As a result of “evacuating wounded to the casualty clearing station” during the Battle of Amiens, he was awarded the Military Medal “for bravery in the field” and was gazetted on October 4, 1918. A wartime family story was that Gordon purchased and sent a flower girl’s dress, purchased in Paris, back home to his five-year-old sister, Bernice, to wear at the wedding of their brother Clarence. Gordon returned to Canada in May 1919 and bought land east of Rocanville through the Soldier Settlement Board. He was a charter member of The Royal Canadian Legion. Gordon was an avid athlete and played on the Rocanville hockey, ball, and curling teams. He married Marie Watson in March 1922 and raised three children: Maxine, Donalda and Bill. In 1942, Gordon and Marie sold their farm and ran a restaurant in Rocanville and then a hardware store in Saltcoats. They retired to Yorkton in 1962. Gordon passed away on November 25, 1981 and is buried in the Yorkton Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
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