Born in 1918 at Toronto, ON the son of Edward J. and Sarah Jane Gambriel of 177 Raleigh St. or 48 Lorne Ave., Chatham, ON. in 1944. Harry was one of four sons all of whom volunteered for service. Pte. Richard (32yrs) served with the RCE., Ted (28 yrs.) was honorably discharged due to an injury after serving for three years an youngest brother AB Lloyd with the RCNVR, enlisting in 1940 and served on a destroyer, he happened to be in Coventry when it was heavily bombed by the Germans. 

Harry enlisted three days after the outbreak of war in 1939 at the age of 24, with the Essex Scottish Regt. He went oversea in July of 1940 and was made Sergeant shortly after arriving in England.

Harry trained for two years in Canada before going oversea.

Going ashore 19 August, 1942 with the Essex Scottish on the beach at Dieppe he  would be wounded in the shoulder and ankle subsequently taken POW. Reported as a casualty on the Dieppe Raid in the Windsor Star of 16 September, 1942.

The CDN 22/09/42 reported that Sgt. Gambriel was a POW at a Stalag M. Stammlager  in Germany. It was reported in the CDN of 4 January, 1944 that his parents had received a picture of a group of prisoners of war at M. Stammlager a German worked in a salt mine, among those in the photo was there 23 year old son. In the picture he is shown wearing the slippers, socks and a sweater sent to him by his mother for Christmas 1943. Harry included a list of the Canadians and Australians in the picture.

In the accompanying letter Harry asks that those who have sent cigarettes, the Chatham Fire Fighters and the local branch of the Canadian Department Stores be thanked.

In 1944 a civic reception was held in Windsor given by a group of Essex Scottish men repatriated from Germany. In conversation with one of the men Mrs. Gambriel leaned that he was at the same POW camp as her son. In fact he occupied a cot immediately next to him. CDN 4/01/44

The CDN 26/07/44 reported that being the senior NCO in a German POW camp had its drawbacks. In the camp there were 14 Canadians, 100 English and Scottish in his camp. “Possibly referring to the state of unrest existing in Germany  today he writes: 

“We have been having a bit of trouble here but I imagine it will clear up shortly.” 

He describes the weather as “very funny” but in spite of the fact that it rains every day the work still goes on, Sgt. Gambriel acknowledges in his letters receipt of one thousand ‘smokes’ from the Chatham firemen also encloses a picture of a group of Canadians in the same prison camp and in an array of baseball equipment is displayed in the foreground.

Curators note: The Chatham Fire Fighter – Field Day 1944 held in Tecumseh Park in Chatham raised enough money they were able to send bags of cigarettes to many of the men in POW camps where Chatham / Kent men where. JRH.

Harry was liberated by Allied forces driving into Germany.  The CDN 21/06/45 reported that he was arriving home. Next of Kin: His mother. The CDN 22/06/45 reported that he was arriving the morning of the 22^nd in London, ON. and in Chatham that evening.  Harry was liberated by Allied forces driving into Germany. 

Reported discharged from the army 15/08/1945.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

CDN (4/01/44(P), 25/05/45(P)), WS 1 (6/09/42), CDN (23/06/45, 22/06/45(P)), IODE(P), CDN (25/05/45)

Birthplace	Toronto, Ontario
Religion	Anglican
When Enlisted	September 1939
Next of Kin	Mother- Mrs. Sarah Jane Gambriel

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