Born in 1919 at Chatham, ON., the son of John Toulouse, and Mabel Toulouse, of Chatham, Ontario.

Cecil enlisted with the Kent Regt. 15/08/1940. He was serving with the British 8^th Army in Sicily during the invasion of the island in 1943. The CDN 2/09/43 reported a letter from Pte. Cecil Toulouse to Miss Helen MacLachlan of Wood St., Chatham as follows: CDN /09/43.

An article in the Chatham Daily News 6/01/1944 carried an article telling the story of the devotion soldiers have to one and other while going into combat.

 “Just after the 8^th British army got to Sicily, and before the heavy fighting commenced a group of soldiers – all pals in the same platoon – got together and autographed English currency notes, which they sent to their relatives in Canada.

Each man vowed to the others that if he ever got back to Canada he would go to see the relatives of the boys whose names were on that note.”

Cecil Toulouse was one of those soldiers. His family received the autographed note about the same time Cecil’s family was notified that he had been wounded in action; he would later die of those wounds.

The article in the CDN. Reported that good to his word Cpl. John Heinrich, of Kitchener, himself wounded in action and invalided back to Canada to recover. “ With the spirit of a true pal, he remembered the vow he made before his platoon went into action” was in Chatham to meet Cecil’s family and relatives, “bearing messages of affection which were entrusted to him by his late pal.” 

Age: 25, DOW – Date of Death: 01/08/1943, in Sicily.

Written on 9 July, 1943 in Sicily, just as he was preparing to go into battle with the Royal Canadian Regt.  then part of the First Division. Pte. Toulouse, according to official records was wounded on 24 July, 1943 and passed away 1 August, 43. Miss MacLachlan, to whom he was to have married. The wedding was postponed in the rush of proceeding overseas. 

“In his letter to a Miss MacLachin Pte. Toulouse enclosed a “keepsake” to be kept until he arrived back home. It was a British five shilling note which he had taken with him to Sicily, It was autographed by some 25 men of his friends.  One of these names was that of Pte. Towat of this city [Chatham], who was recently KIA.   One of the names on the note was that of Pte. Towart of Chatham  who was recently KIA. Mrs. Towart verified his signature.

Pte. Toulouse also wrote a letter to his mother just before he went into action enclosing a comforting poem entitled “Mother’s Question . These have been the last letters received from this brave Chatham soldier, who is reported to have made the supreme sacrifice in fighting for his country’s noble cause.”

An article in the Chatham Daily News 6/01/1944 carried an article telling the story of the devotion soldiers have to one and other while going into combat.

The above was transcribed from the 11 November, 2010 ‘In Memoriams’ in the Chatham Daily News. Pte. George Towart was killed in action 24/07/43 in Sicily and is buried in Agira Cemetery with Pte. Toulouse.  JRH.  

Mother’s Question

I think as the night draws nigh
Of an old house on the hill,
Of a yard all wide and blossom-starred
Where the children played at will.
And when the night at last came down,
Hushing the merry din,
Mother would look around and ask,
“Are all the children in?”

‘Tis many and many a year since then.
And the old house on the hill
No longer echoes to childish feet,
And the yard is still, so still.
But I see it all, as the shadows creep,
And though many the years have been
Since then, I can hear mother ask,
“Are all the children in?”

I wonder if when the shadows fall
On the last short, earthly day,
When we say good-bye to the world outside,
All tired with our childish play.
When we step over to Jesus’ Land
Where mother so long has been,
Will we hear her ask, just as of old,
“Are all the children in?”

By: Author unknown

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Supplemental Information

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: B, H, 243. Cemetery: AGIRA CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, SICILY. Found in Chatham Fire Fighters 1944 Field Day Booklet 7 to 12/08/1944. CWGC. Index of Overseas Deaths.

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