Son of Rene and Zulma Van Hende, formerly of Chatham at 173 Park Avenue East, Chatham, were living in  Aylmer, Ontario, Canada when Sgt. Van Hende was killed. The brother of Mary of Chatham and Germaine of Alymer.       

Prior to the war Marcel was employed at the Canadian Top & Body Co. in Tilbury. He enlisted in Chatham in 1941, received his training at No. 12 BTC., Chatham and Camp Borden before proceeding overseas 20/03/1943.  The CDN. 17/06/43 reported that he had arrived in England.    He was transferred to the campaign in Sicily in August of that year and had been in active service ever since then.  

The CDN 3/01/45 reported that Marshall received special mention from the Italian Allied command for his splendid work in a recent action.

The CDN 17/01/45 reported that he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal posthumously for his actions in Italy.    

Age: 22, Date of Death: 12/12/1944 in Italy. Awards: D C M.

The site for the cemetery was selected by the Army in 1945 for burials from the surrounding battlefields. Ravenna was taken by the Canadian Corps at the beginning of December 1944, and the burials in the cemetery there reflect the fighting for the Senio line and the period of relative quiet during the first three months of 1945. Many of the men buried there were Canadians; one of the last tasks of the Canadian Corps before being moved to north-west Europe was the clearing of the area between Ravenna and the Comacchio lagoon.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: III. F. 10., Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY. CDN 17/01/45(P).  Sgt. Marcel O. Van Hende is also on the Cenotaph in Aylmer, ON. (John P. Sergeant).

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	Distinguished Conduct Medal
Sources	CDN(2), WN (2), NB(2)
Supplemental Information	Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead,Grave/Memorial Reference: III. F. 10., Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY. CDN 17/01/45(P).

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