Private Rene L'Abbe (Labbé)

Baptized Joseph Hervé René Labbé. Son of Albert Labbé and Alphonsine Racine, of Québec City, Québec. Brother of Private Roméo Labbé, service number E-10435, who also fought in Europe. He survived the war.

He was first enlisted on September 12, 1940, at the 5th Military District Depot in Quebec City, under service number E-429507. On August 11, 1941, he also enlisted in Quebec City with the 2nd Divisional Ammo Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, under the same service number. On April 28, 1942, he transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, service number E-14869. In May 1942, he sailed for Great Britain, where he landed on the 12th in Greenock, Scotland. On August 22, he was assigned to the Régiment de la Chaudière until January 31, 1943, to temporarily relieve the 6th Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. On February 25, he came under the command of the 1st Canadian Corps. On May 11, 1943, he was transferred to the 4th Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment. Assigned to the Mediterranean theater of operations with Force M on June 28, 1943, he embarked for Sicily on the 29th to take part in Operation Husky. He landed on the beaches on the 11th. On September 10, he set foot on the Italian mainland at Reggio di Calabria. He was killed in action on October 9, 1943, in the hills near Jelsi, Campobasso. He was buried on the 10th in Gambatesa. Around February 22, 1945, his remains were exhumed and reburied at the Moro River Cemetery in Ortona. He had served for 707 days, including 490 days overseas.