Saturday 25 February 2023

Lambeth

 

Location:  Middlesex County     N 42.90902   W -81.29963

In Lambeth Veterans Park, 4828 Colonel Talbot Road, in front of the Lawn Bowling Club.

 

Lambeth is a neighbourhood in the City of London.  During the war years, it was a stand alone farming community that has now been gobbled up by the growing city.  This memorial was unveiled in October 2001.  The grey granite stele pays tribute to the veterans of the community who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  The local Royal Canadian Legion Branch 501, as well as  the Army Navy Air Force Unit 345, Lambeth Canadian Oldtimers, Lambeth Lions Club and Optimist Club of Lambeth erected this memorial on behalf of a grateful community.



 

Marker text:

Front:

LEST WE FORGET


IN MEMORY OF THE VETERANS
OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO
SERVED THEIR COUNTRY AND
THOSE WHO MADE THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

WORLD WAR I
1914-1918


WORLD WAR II
1939-1945


KOREAN WAR
1950-1953

AFGHANISTAN WAR

2001-2014



ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BR. 501, ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE UNIT 345,
LAMBETH CANADIAN OLDTIMERS, LAMBETH LIONS CLUB.
OPTIMIST CLUB OF LAMBETH.

 

 

 

 

Back:

LAMBETH VETERANS PARK

FORMERLY "TOWER PARK", LAMBETH VETERANS PARK

WAS DEDICATED AND CONSECRATED OCT. 21, 2001

AS AN ENDURING MEMORIAL TO EACH VETERAN

WHOSE SACRIFICE IN TIMES OF WAR AND CONFLICT

HAS PROVIDED CANADA WITH PEACE AND FREEDOM

IN SINCERE GRATITUDE WE SALUTE THEM.

THIS PARK AND CENOTAPH SYMBOLIZE SACRIFICE,

PEACE AND SECURITY IN THIS COMMUNITY

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BR. 501 LAMBETH







 

 



Friday 10 February 2023

Fingal

 

Location:  Elgin County     N 42.74167   W -81.34265

Sculpture is in Shedden beside the Keystone Complex, 35921 Talbot Line.

Plaque is at the entrance to the Fingal Wildlife Management area, west of the village of Fingal, 34469 Fingal Line.

 

 

This memorial is found in two locations.  First is the beautiful metal sculpture that can be found at the same location as the Shedden War Memorial featured last week.  Second is at the entrance to the Fingal Wildlife management Area, which was once the home of the RCAF #4 Bombing and Gunnery School during World War II.


The sculpture is a silhouette of a Lysander aircraft which was used extensively at the #4 Bombing and Gunnery School.  A small plaque below the sculpture tells a brief story of the facility and the aircraft.

The historic plaque west of Fingal tells the story of the school and lists the names of those who died here during training for service in the skies over Europe.  The contributions of these air training schools, that are scattered throughout Ontario and across the country, can never be forgotten, as they trained air crews from several nations and where instrumental in the victory of World War II.

 


 

Marker text:

Sculpture:

#4 BOMBING AND GUNNERY SCHOOL

FINGAL

This facility, located west of Fingal, trained non-pilot air

crew from November 27, 1940 to February 17, 1945.

Over 6000 personnel graduated and were sent to theatres

of war throughout the world.

In tribute to #4 B&G this memorial site includes a 1/4

scale silhouette of a Lysander aircraft.  The Lysander was

typical of the aircraft used to pull "drogues" or targets for

practice by flyers and gunners.  Three Lysanders crashed

near Fingal during training flights, killing their crews.

 

 

Plaque front:

RCAF NO. 4 BOMBING AND GUNNERY SCHOOL

No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School was a unit of the British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The Plan, from April 29,
1940 to March 15,1945, graduated over 130,000 air crew, of
which 73,000 were Canadians. No. 4 B&GS consisted of the
main station at Fingal;  bombing ranges at Dutton,
Melbourne, Frome and Tempo;  a Marine Section at Port
Stanley;  and bombing and gunnery ranges on Lake Erie.
No. 4 B&GS operated from November 25, 1940 to February 17,
1945, during which time over 6,000 non-pilot aircrew members
graduated from the School. This memorial is dedicated to
all who served at No. 4 B&GS, especially to those named
on the back of this plaque, who lost their lives in the
course of the duty at Fingal.

Erected by:
Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
Private Donations
Province of Ontario

 


Plaque back:

"I give them eternal life and
they shall never perish." John 10:28

8 Dec 1940, BATTLE 1650.
C2789 F/0 L.A. HOOD, (USA) PILOT
R78032 AC2 E.W. BOURNE, CREWMAN
R71450 AC2 J.H. MCNALLY, CREWMAN

23 NOV 1942, LYSANDER, 2332.
R116691 SGT/PILOT R.C. GRAY
R76059 CPL H.H. HILCHIE, DROGUE OPERATOR

6 JAN 1943, LYSANDER, 1540.
F/SGT E. PRENTICE, PILOT
CPL M.M. NICHOLSON, DROGUE OPERATOR

19 OCT 1943, LYSANDER, 2427.
WO2 M.T. LAVOIE, PILOT
LAC L. RENAUD, DROGUE OPERATOR

2 DEC 1943, GROUND ACCIDENT,
R165966 LAC E.J. DEPLANCHE
 

1 AUG 1944, ANSON I, 6711
J42808 P/O K.M. JOYCE, PILOT
J44121 P/O T.H. REES, INSTRUCTOR
R149817 LAC D.F. MCLAY, STUDENT
429023 LAC S.C. TURNER, R.A.A.F., STUDENT

12 AUG 1944, ANSON I, 6276.
R203152 SGT E.D. HAWKINS
R209421 SGT R.D. SHARP

20 JAN 1945, BOLINGBROKE IV(T), 10019.
J29114 F/O J.D. ALLAN, PILOT
441609 LAC L.C.J. WATT, R.A.A.F., STUDENT
8256F LAC W.T.F. NEVILLE, R.A.A.F., STUDENT

 













 

 

Sunday 5 February 2023

Shedden

 

Location:  Elgin County     N 42.74167   W -81.34265

Beside the Keystone Complex, 35921 Talbot Line.

 

 

This unique memorial was dedicated in November 2000.  Known as the Southwold War Veterans' Memorial, it pays tribute to the "Sons of Southwold" who made the supreme sacrifice in the two World Wars.  Southwold is the name of the township where Shedden is located.  Shedden is known as the Rhubarb Capital of Ontario and is home to the "Rosy Rhubarb Festival" each June.

The memorial itself is very different than any other in the province.  At the centre of the compass-shaped display is the sculpture of a sundial with words from the iconic poem "In Flanders Fields" inscribed around its base.  Two large stones representing the world wars accompany the sundial at the east and west positions of the compass.  At the north and south compass points are two plaques, one which describes the history of the memorial and the other listing the names of the local "Sons of Southwold" who died during the wars.  

Located nearby, in the same park, is a memorial for the hamlet of Fingal which I will present in the next posting. 


 

 

Marker text:

Sundial:

"TO YOU FROM FAILING HANDS WE THROW THE TORCH.

      BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH."

 

 

 

 

 

Southwold War Veterans' plaque:

SOUTHWOLD WAR VETERANS' MEMORIAL

The Memorial Site is designed to be a simple, dignified place of solitude where
members of the community and visitors may enjoy a quiet moment of reflection on
the heritage of Southwold Township.

Its geometry is defined by a concrete circle, symbolic of those who "joined together"
in the common cause of defending democracy and freedom.

Two great stones, one for each World War, represent the "roots" of the township and
firm resolve of the young people who left their homes, families and community to
face the uncertainty of impending conflict. These stones were drawn from the fields
of area farms near Talbotville and Boxall.

A bronze sundial stands between the stones. It represents "remembering for all time"
those from our community who served and who gave their lives for their country.

A bronze plaque identifies the honoured veterans who lost their lives in World I
and World War II.

This memorial was designed and constructed by community volunteers in
partnership with the Rosy Rhubarb Committee and the Municipality of Southwold.
Funding was provided by donations from citizens, businesses, community
organizations and the Province Of Ontario.

 



 

Sons of Southwold plaque:

THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING
"SONS OF SOUTHWOLD" MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN SERVICE TO THEIR
COUNTRY DURING THE TWO GREAT WARS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

WORLD WAR I (1914 - 1918)

PTE ARTHUR E. AUSTIN

SGT GEORGE R. BALSDEN

PTE JAMES BARRIE

PTE GEORGE C. BEALES

CPL CECIL C. BECHILL

PTE THOMAS H. BROWN

PTE LEONARD BRUSH

LT KENNETH T. CAMPBELL

PTE EMERSON CASCADDAN

MAJ WILLIAM A. CASEY

 

PTE GEORGE H. CHAPPLE

PTE LEMUEL CLARK

PTE GUY H. CLARKE

PTE HENRY J. CROCKER

PTE WILLIAM DIXON

CAPT ROY E. DUBBER

PTE WILLIAM GREEN

PTE MELVIN HARRIS

PTE DOUGLAS KENNEDY

CPL WILLIAM J. KILLINS

 

PTE EDWARD KITSON

PTE WILLIAM LOCKSLEY

SGT BARTLEY G. LUMLEY

PTE CHARLES D. McLEAN

LT JOHN F. MEEK

PTE JOHN MOFFATT

PTE ERNEST PALMER

TPR ISAAC T. ROSS

PTE CHARLES G. SELLS

PTE HUGH A. SILCOX

 

CPL SIDNEY C. SILCOX

L/CPL EDWARD W. SLOAN

L/CPL ROBERT SMITH

CPL WILLIAM H. TAYLOR

PTE ARTHUR E. TURNER

PTE ERNEST S. WARD

PTE SYDNEY WATSON

PTE CLARENCE J. WILLIAMS

PTE WILLIAM B. YATES

PTE ELMER C. YEANDLE

 

WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945)

RCAF HUGH ALLAN

CPL LORNE BEER

F/S LLOYD D. BENNETT

TPR JAMES T. BROWN

SGT JOHN K. BUCHAN

L/CPL MURRAY L CHAMBERLAIN

P/O DONOVAN E. DERBYSHIRE

 

PTE CHARLES A. EVERITT

F/S JACK W. FEAGAN

PTE CLIFFORD G. GRAHAM

PTE RONALD R. HARRIS

SPR CYRIL C. HEIDT

PTE CLIVE W. JOHNSON

SGT ROY G. LILLEY

 

PTE KENNETH A. LUMLEY

RCAF JAMES McALPINE

SGT ROSS McCLELLAND

F/S ROBERT A. MEEK

PTE EUGENE W. McLELLAN

PTE KENNETH R. MITCHELL

F/S GEORGE E. MOORE

 

SGT/MAJ WILFRED A. MOORE 

TPR HAROLD E. NOTT

P/O FRANKLIN L. TRAVERS

PTE BARTHOLOMEW T. WAITE

TPR KENNETH J. WHITE


DEDICATED BY THE MUNICIPALITY OF SOUTHWOLD NOVEMBER 12, 2000
LEST WE FORGET