Born in London, ON. in 1919. Married to Phyllis, they were living at 73 Amelia St., Chatham, ON when he enlisted in 1939. Prior to his enlistment Clarence was a member of the Dominion Bank staff in Chatham.

Clarence served for fifteen months after enlisting in Canada before going overseas in December of 1940. While overseas he served in England, Sicily, Italy and Holland. During the Italian campaign on the drive to the Gustav Line he and his unit were highly commended for their work in the “Valley of Cannons” near Cassino. They had to remain out of sight during the daylight and worked only at night to complete their mission.

During the Italian campaign on the drive to the Gustav Line he and his unit were highly commended for their work in the “Valley of Cannons” near Cassino. They had to remain out of sight during the daylight and worked only at night to complete their mission.

The CDN 27/06/44 reported that CSM Grand was sending souvenirs back home from Italy. He added the following note 

“I was very much surprised at Rome, as it was a lot cleaner, modern etc. than I expected it to be. I was all through the Vatican City, and St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican City, takes your breath away. It is so beautiful. I toured the town and saw all the historic spots such as the Coliseum, Caesar’s home and countless other spots including the balcony from which Mussolini used to make his speeches. It is a beautiful city and entirely untouched by war. Actually you can’t make yourself believe that you are still in Italy when you’re in Rome, as it seems an entirely different country. The people are clean and well dressed. The stores, restaurants, etc. are very modern and it is on par with any of our cities.”

“Everything is going fine out here and we are certainly glad to see the second Front off to a good start. Well I hope it is soon all over and then I’ll come home again.”  

Clarence was discharged from the army in October, 1945.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	CSM / RSM
Sources	IODE(P), VR(P), CTW (13/11/13(P)), HT-RH44, CDN

Birthplace	London, Ontario
Religion	Anglican
Marital Status	Married
When Enlisted	September 5th, 1939
Next of Kin	Wife- Mrs. Phyllis Grand

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