| Rank | Private |
| Service # | A107685 |
| Unit # | Royal Canadian Regiment |
| Resident | Chatham |
He volunteered with the 1st Kent Regt. enlisting 31 October, 1943 in London, ON. William better known as Bill trained at No. 12 BTC in Chatham, ON. and at Camp Ipperwash.
Enjoying the outdoors he was employed as a hunting guide and in the off-season worked at Carrick’s Caffeteria and Dominion Glass Co. in Wallaceburg. He volunteered with the 1st Kent Regt. enlisting 11 August, 1943 from the 2nd Kents and 31 October, 1943 in London, ON. William better known as Bill trained at No. 12 BTC in Chatham, ON. and at Camp Ipperwash. Bill volunteered for active service overseas.
Bill left for overseas duty 16/02/44 and upon arrival in England began training as a Bren gunner. He was transferred to Italy on 9/04/44 assigned to the Royal Regt. of Canada (RCR). Bill wrote a letter home from Rome 28/11/44. Thirteen days later a letter 12/12/44 “In “A” Coy., RCR. Bill was shot by a German machine gun near the village of Bagnacavello along the Canale Naviglie. Several wounds to the abdomen destroyed his liver and spleen. He was immediately evacuated to hospital but medical intervention could not save him he died of his wounds 13/12/1944 in the field hospital at Bagallovar.”
The telegraph received by his parents reported in the CDN 20/12/44 went as follows:
From the Minister of National Defence.
William had died on December 13 as a result of wounds suffered earlier in the month. Further details will be forwarded to you when they are obtained.
From the Battle Honours of the RCR for this period of time comes the following:
RCR Battle Honour – Fosso Vecchio
The Fosso Vecchio is a canal, part natural and mostly man made, running North East in the Po Valley in Northern Italy.
As a follow-up after the Lamone River The Regiment was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Fosso Vecchio and the assault across the Vecchio commenced at 0200 hrs December 12, 1944. By early morning the objective was secure with little or no contact from the enemy.
The next day The Regiment was shelled and mortared and encountered light enemy pockets which they dispatched.
On the morning of December 14 The RCR was ordered to move to the left flank and relieve The West Nova Scotia Regiment and relief took place by 0230 hrs December 15 with only minor incidents. One Coy’s “O” Group was disrupted by shelling killing the Coy Commander.
We had 14 killed and over 50 wounded during the Fosso Vecchio encounters from 12 December to 27 December 1944.
Taken from : – http://novembercoy.tripod.com/BattleHonours.htm
Bill had sent home a number of momentoes a number of wooden shoes, coins etc., things that he had picked up in Italy as souvenirs of the war that arrived at his parents home after his death. They also received the following letter:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. DeHaw:
I would like to express to you my sincere sympathies in your very great loss.
Your son was a good soldier and was liked by officers and his brother men alike.
I know that words at a time like this are of little value but it might be some small comfort to know that he received the wounds which caused his death fighting as a soldier should. He was on a patrol, just a few hundred yards short of Bagnacavello, when he was shot by an enemy machine gun. I saw him and spoke to him as he went through my headquarters on a stretcher. He was in good spirits and was not suffering. This happened on the 12th of December, 1944. He died later in hospital.
He was a brave man, and his loss will be felt by the whole of the regiment.
On behalf of all ranks of A Company and myself I want to express again our sincere sympathy on your bereavement. Very sincerely yours, J. M. Houghton, Major, Commander of A Company of the R.C. R.
Date of Death: 13/12/1944, Age: 20, at Bagnacavallo, Italy.
Buried first at Russi he would later be reburied. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: V. C. 12., Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY.
Many local families wondered for years where their sons, husbands and fathers were buried. In a Chatham Daily News article [date unknown]. It was reported that Pte. William De Haw had been killed “by enemy machine gun when he was on patrol duty in Italy in 1945”. In fact he died of wounds during the push for Naviglio during the night of 11-12 December, 1944.
Afa: CDN 20/01/44(P), Index of Overseas Deaths. CDN 11/11/89.ATNCB, CWGC, CDN article “Photo Of Grave Sent Father(P) date unknown 1954?
The RCR lost seventy-one men, many newcomers who had been remustered or previously wounded with other units.
It took the 20 year old soldiers father eight years to get a photo of his gave in Italy. His search began at the Chatham Armoury when General Volkes, the General in command of the troops in Italy, was visiting in Chatham. Williams father, also William who ran the shoe shine stand at the William Pitt Hotel on King St. He had struck up a conversation with the General who said he would do what he could to locate his burial. Good to his word Mr. De Haw did receive a map from General Volkes
In 1946 he did receive a letter from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) which in part said “information as to his permanent burial will be sent to you. Fine cemeteries have been laid out in Italy for our Canadian dead. These will be cared for perpetually by the commission at the expense of the government of the British Commonwealth.”
Later Mr. De Haw would write the CWGC looking for a photograph of the grave marker, he was disappointed that the Commission was not providing photographs and suggested that the British legion Headquarters in London, England might be of service. Not to be deterred he did contact the Legion who said it “might be some time before a photo might come from Italy
A small article in the newspaper referenced 1953 next to the article “Row C, Grave 12 – Photo Of Grave Sent Father” The story reported that Mr. De Haw finally received two photographs for his son’s grave in Italy, his dream fulfilled. “His only wish now is to visit the grave someday”.
It’s not known if Mr. De Haw ever visited his son’s grave site. An email received at Gathering Our Heroes from Priscilla Chaykoski in April 2017 from the first niece went on to say: “He used to show me off to his friends before he volunteered to join the army. I was 1 ½ years old when he died but I feel like I knew him all my life, because that is how we talked about him. May God Bless him and all the boys, men and women who gave their lives that we may live free. Morn him still.”
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
| Sources | http://novembercoy.tripod.com/BattleHonours.htm, Index of Overseas Deaths., CDN (20-01-1944), CDN (11-11-1998), ATNBC, CWGC, IOSD, IODE(P), BSWV, VIS-IODE |
| Supplemental Information | Son of William and Cecilia De Haw, brother of Chuck, Hiram and sisters Iona (Columbus OH.) and Waunetta of 75 Brock St., Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Attended Blessed Sacrament School and Chatham Vocational School in Chatham. Renowned as Chatham's best pole vaulter he also excelled at football and as a hockey goalie. Enjoying the outdoors he was employed as a hunting guide and in the off-season worked at Carrick’s Cafeteria and Dominion Glass Co. in Wallaceburg. Buried first at Russi he would later be rebuired. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: V. C. 12., Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY. |
| Age | 20 |
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