He enlisted in 1940 in the Belgian Army, and completed his training in both Cornwall, ON. and Jollette, PQ. before going overseas in June of 1941. When in England, he transferred to the Paratroop unit of the Belgian Army; a unit of approximately all 120 ranks. It was while he was training with the paratroops at Manchester, England, that he sustained a head injury on his 13^th jump, that left him with a severe loss of vision. After six month in hospital recovering, he was discharged and spent the remainder of the war with his wife Jean before they returned to Canada in 1945.

It was reported that in 1945, he experiencing difficulty finding housing accommodation in Chatham and had been helped with a cheque for $100 dollars donated by a G. G. Wood and Co. of Toronto. He traveled to Toronto attend a school at Baker Hall for the blind under the sponsorship of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). CDN 19/10/45. He became affiliated with the CNIB Odiel and operated the “Stand for the Blind” beside the Centre Theatre at 4^th and King St. West in Chatham. He operated this business until 1949.

He purchased a service station and store three miles east of Blenheim on No. 3 Highway which opened on Canada Day 1949 and was called “Pinedale”. The walk-in store carried “a complete line of tobaccos, ice creams and confections.” His operation of the refreshment stand in Chatham “has set an example for other battle-scarred veterans by now branching out on his own, hampered perhaps, but never discouraged by his handicap.” CDN 30/06/49.

In 1956, Odiel moved his family to the Guilesfarm in Harwich Twsp. where he and Jean (2012) lived until his passing 2 February, 2013. He was interned at St. Ignatius Cemetery, Bothwell, ON.

Odiel married Jean (Goodingham) of Malvern, England, and brought her to Canada as his ‘war bride’. They had six children; Mary, Ronald, Art, Ken, Raymond and Albert. Odiel and Jean were married for 70 years. Jean passed away 16/03/2012 at the Village on the Ridge, Ridgetown, ON., internment at St. Ignatius Cemetery, Bothwell, ON. RIN 21/03/12.

A phone interview with Odiel Alliet 9/12/12 was requested (at the time he was living on the Turin Line, JRH, in C-K, 519-678-3357. Sadly, Odiel passed away 2/02/2013 at the age of 94 years before the interview could be completed CDN-Obit 4/02/13, RIN 6/02/13(P). 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources	CDN (19-10-1945), CDN (30-06-1949)
Supplemental Information	Born 22/04/1918 in Wygham, Belgium. He had six sisters and four frothers. Husband of Jean (nee Davis) father of Mary, Ronald, Arthur, Ken, Raymond and Albert (1958) It was reported in the CDN 19/10/45 that Odiel moved to Chatham with his parents in 1921 and he grew up in the city.

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