John Pierce was born in Pembroke, ON. He was a veteran of the Second World War and served with the 12^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers in Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during Operation DIADEM, the breaking of the Gustav Line during the Liri Valley Campaign.  Days before British forces assaulted the strong German defences, Lt Pierce conducted reconnaissance of cross sites on the River Gari well ahead of the British.

On 12 September 1944, First Canadian Army received orders to clear the areas north and south of the Scheldt so that the port of Antwerp could be open to Allied shipping.  The 2^nd and 3^rd Canadian Infantry Divisions were at that moment clearing the Channel ports of Boulogne and Calais. The 4^th  Armour Division had the task of containing German forces on the south bank of the Scheldt,  roughly delineated by the Leopold Canal running from the North Sea west of the town of Knocke to the Braakman estuary west of Antwerp.

Robert Russell McPhee was born in Minden, ON. Both his parents died when he was a toddler, and he and his two older sisters grew up with his maternal grandparents. He joined the Canadian Army in Montreal in 1939, serving initially with the 4^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. He likely began training in Camp Petawawa before deploying to the United Kingdom with the 1^st Canadian Infantry Division Engineers in 1940.  At some point before landing in Sicily, McPhee was transferred to the 3^rd Field Company, RCE.

Even as the war was nearing its end, the Germans did not show any sign of giving up. The Canadians had crossed the Issel River at a point southeast of Appledorn. The 2^nd and 3^rd Infantry Divisions then turned north parallel to the Issel to capture the town of Zutphen on 7 April and then moving on to capture the town of Deventer about 15 kilometers away.  Running west to east and forming a major obstacle in front of Deventer was the Schipbeek Canal.

George Alfred Hickson was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1915 and lived there most of his life. He was the oldest of five brothers and three sisters. He was educated at St. Mary’s School and the Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate. He was interested in sport and played for one of the collegiate rugby teams. After graduating from school, he was employed at intervals by the Bell Telephone Company where his father is a foreman, and later, he was permanently employed as a linesman by the county hydro company.

On the day of the Dieppe Raid, Lance-Sergeant Hickson was part of Lieutenant-Colonel Barnes’ Demolition Party. He landed on WHITE BEACH with six other Sappers at 0520 hours opposite the Casino. Coincidentally, the seven-man party was dubbed ‘Hicks Party’ and was accompanied by a covering platoon of 35 men from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) commanded by Lt John Webster. They had the task of destroying the telephone exchange in the main post office in the town of Dieppe.

Frederick was born on the family farm in Baldur, MB, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Hamilton. After graduating in 1932 with a Bachelor of Scientific Agriculture degree from the University of Manitoba, he was an Agricultural Representative in the small community of Morris, MB.

Charles Train Gray was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1919 and came to Canada, settling with his mother and father in Calgary that same year.  He attended Western Canada High School in Calgary and entered the Royal Military College in 1937. He graduated in 1939 and immediately a commission in the Royal Canadian Engineers.

Robin Bothwell Fraser was born in Fitch Bay, Stanstead, Quebec in 1921. He died in Bermuda. 

Major Fraser's story during the Ortona Battle is well told by Mark Zuehlke in his book, Ortona: Canada's Epic World War II Battle, extracts of which are reprinted here:

From page 128

William Alexander “Bill” Ewener was born in London in 1905, and in 1908 immigrated with his family to Canada, where they settled in Sarnia Ontario.