The cenotaph stands proudly in Reston Memorial Park today as it has since 1922. It was installed to honour the World War One deaths and ironically, some who viewed it back then would have their own names added a couple of decades later. The north side bears the names of the men from Reston who died in WWII. I admit to quickly reading through them more than once and have heard them read out at Remembrance Day services year after year. It is easy to forget these were real Restonites with families whose lives were never the same after they didn't come home.
I happened upon some excellent research done by the late Les Allison from Roland, MB that may have been done for his book several decades ago and it was the main resource for this blog post. My summer project to index and photograph the gravestones in Reston Cemetery for Find a Grave helped me recognize some of the names although there is no one left in the area with that surname.
Each name has a link to his memorial online (hover your mouse and click) and also his parents for the ones I could find. The pictures of soldiers on the memorial are a poignant reminder of how young these men were. Each one's final resting or commemoration place overseas is also linked with location and pictures of the spot. So many lost young lives.
*Trooper William McGregor Birnie
H103477 Fort Garry Tank Regiment
Killed August 8, 1944 and buried in Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France
age 29
parents William and Mary (Clark) Birnie
*Sergeant Melvyn Hamilton Brandon
(Observer Navigator) R91867 #418 Boston Squadron
Crashed south of the
airdrome of St. Stamford, England on April 1, 1942. Another Canadian and Brit
were also killed and buried at Walden Cemetery, Saffron, Essex.
Age 21
parents Thomas and Mirrilla (Hamilton) Brandon
*Sergeant David Ellis Brownlee
(Wireless Air Gunner) R86420
Killed on August 28, 1942 at #14 operation training unit at
Cottesmore flying in a Hampden aircraft.
All 4 Canadian crew were lost and buried at Cottesmore Cemetery, Ruland,
England.
Age 21
parents David and Evelyn (Rankin) Brownlee
*Flight Sergeant Earl Kitchener Bulloch
(Bomb aimer) R162155 #467 Aussie Lancaster Squadron
Killed on September 12, 1944 near their target of Stuttgart, Germany. He was the only Canadian with six Aussies. All buried at Durnbach War Cemetery.
age 28
parents James and Nellie (Miller) Bulloch
*Flight Sergeant Andrew Glenn Caldwell
(Air Gunner) R281867 #429 Lancaster Squadron
He was lost on March 6, 1945 when returning from a raid on Chemnitz,
Germany. They crashed at Halling, Kent England. They had flak damage over the
target and all seven Canadian crew were killed. All were buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, England.
Age 20
parents Clyde and Alma (McKinnon) Caldwell
*Flight Sergeant Arthur Kingsley Farnie
(Observer Navigator) R86310.
All four Canadian crew were lost flying in a Hampden aircraft of #415Squadron over Germany on July 2, 1942
Burial was in Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Germany
Age 20
lived with his aunt and uncle Bella (Farnie) and George Harper in Reston
*Sergeant John Foreman
(Wireless Air Gunner) R80334
He was lost on October 6, 1942 flying with #75 New Zealand Wellington
squadron with five New Zealanders over Holland.
All were buried at Hardenberg Protestant Cemetery, Holland.
Age 21
parents James and Helen (Reilly) Forman
*Squadron Leader Archibald John Guthrie
(Pilot) 34155, Royal Air Force
He led his squadron of Wellington bombers of #9 squadron to the island of
Heligoland off Germany in daylight on December 18, 1939. The cloud cleared and
nearly half of the three squadrons involved were shot down by enemy fighters.
Several other Canadians were also lost.
His name is listed on the Runnymede Memorial with no known grave.
Age 28.
Son of Jack and Maude(Craig) Guthrie
*Sergeant Eric Albert Holton
H60745 Royal Canadian Artillery
Killed on September 9, 1944
Buried at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Belgium.
Age 22
Parents Horace
and Emily Holton
*Private Ernest William Horner
20512 Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
Killed at Dieppe taken prisoner - August 19, 1942
Buried at Saint Sever Cemetery, Rouen France
Age 23
Parents William and Eva Victoria (Greenlay) Horner
*Sergeant William Mennie
K112, British Columbia Dragoons
Killed on June 1, 1945
Buried at Holton Canadian War Cemetery, Holland
age 29
parents William and Jane Mennie
*Lieutenant Alexander McKay
Saskatoon Light Infantry
Killed on September 20, 1944 in Italy
Buried at Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy
Age 35
parents Colin and Robena (Greig) McKay
*Flight Sergeant Kenneth Cameron McMurchy
(Air Gunner) R253156 #424 Lancaster Squadron
Was lost on February 15, 1945 with a Canadian crew on mine laying operation
to the Pomeranian area of Germany.
His name is inscribed on Runnymede Memorial with no known grave.
Age 21
parents John (Jack) and Eleanor Mary (Elliott) McMurchy.
*Rifleman Theodore Olenick
H 22815 Royal Winnipeg Rifles
Killed on April 21, 1945
Buried at Holten Canadian War Cemetery, Holland
age 19
parents Andy and Annie (Diachuk) Olenick
*Flight officer Robert Franklin Ready
(Bomb Aimer) J22628, #20 O.T.U.
Was in a Wellington bomber which crashed in the Bristol Channel 1 mile west
of Flat Holme Island on June 29, 1943 on an air sea flying exercise at low-level when one wing hit the
water.
Burial was at Weston Super Mare Cemetery, Somerset, England.
Age 22
Parents James and Helen (Manning) Ready
*Flight Sergeant William Alan Robertson
(Wireless Air Gunner) R59266
Was flying in a Wellington bomber in #405 squadron on June 5, 1942 when it
force landed and crashed near Strensall Military Camp in Yorkshire. Three other
Canadians were also killed.
All are buried in St. Catherine Churchyard, Barmley on the Moor,
Yorkshire, England
Age 28
*Flight officer Edwin Earl Smith
(Pilot) J12568, #159 Liberator Squadron
Was lost on August 12, 1943 with one other Canadian and the R.A.F. crew
All are buried at the war cemetery in Ranchi, India
Age 28
parents Albert Edwin and Eliza (Challenger) Smith
We Will Remember Them
My next project will be doing the same research for the WW1 Reston soldiers. Any information about either group would be very welcome at ssimms@escape.ca
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