We regret to advise of the death of William “Bill” Anton Matyas on 23 September 2012 at the age of 94.
Bill was born in Lemberg, SK. He was a WW II veteran who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers on the front lines throughout the war being wounded in the Hochwald Forest area during Operation VERITABLE, the northern part of the Allied pincer movement that took place in February 1945 during the final stages of WW II. The objective of the operation was to clear German forces from the area between the Rhine and Maas rivers, east of the German/Dutch frontier, in the Rhineland.
Bill was also a Korean War veteran who served in Korea from early 1952 until April 1953. After the war, he returned to Chilliwack BC and the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering. This posting was followed by assignments in Picton ON, Regina SK and back to Chilliwack in 1968. He retired in 1969 after a 30-year military career. Bill then joined the Corps of Commissionaires and served a further 19 years with them.
Bill was one of seven brothers, six of which served in uniform in WW II, with one of them, serving with the Regina Rifles, dying on 9 June 1944 in France.
A graveside service will take place at Chilliwack Cemetery. {gdJun2016kh}
