Ontario

This street is named in memory of Private Vincent Downes. 

Vincent Downes grew up on McNay Street in London ON. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regiment in 1940 and shortly afterwards joined his Regiment in the UK. Following a long period of training, the RCR landed in Sicily in July 1943 as part of OP HUSKY. They fought throughout the Sicilian Campaign and landed in Reggio di Calabria in September 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland. The RCR fought in several battles of the Italian campaign including key engagements at the Moro River near Ortona in December 1943. Private Vincent Downes was killed on 9 February 1944 during the weeks of fighting following the Battle for Ortona. He is buried at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.

This street is named in memory of Gunner George Albert Quarrier. 

George Albert Quarrier was born on 2 December 1916 in Woodstock Ontario. During his early childhood, his family moved to London ON where he attended St. Michael’s Catholic Elementary School and De La Salle High School. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the military and was assigned to the Royal Canadian Artillery. Gunner George Albert Quarrier was killed on 18 April 1945 while serving with 1 Survey Regiment, RCA. He is buried at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, 10 km south-east of Nijmegan, the Netherlands.

This street in named in memory of Flight Officer Donald Arthur Standfield. 

Donald Arthur Standfield was born on 2 May 1923 in London ON. He was educated at Lorne Avenue Public School and Sir Adam Beck Collegiate before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was trained as an aerial bomber (bomb aimer) and assigned to 424 Squadron RCAF , based at Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire. He had been with the squadron about a week when his aircraft joined 500 bombers, of which about 100 were Canadian, in a raid over Germany on 7 March 1945. While flying near Dusseldorf, Standfield’s bomber was hit by anti-aircraft fire under the starboard wing. The rear-gunner was able to bail out but the remainder of the crew crashed in a field near Dabringhausen. Flight Officer Donald Arthur Standfield is buried at the Rheinberg War Cemetery in the town of Kamp-Lintfort.

This street is named in memory of WO II (CSM- Company Sergeant Major) John Stackhouse. 

John Stackhouse enlisted in September 1939, at the very outbreak of the Second World War. He was assigned to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and sailed for England with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in December of the same year. He served throughout Europe and in August 1943 found himself serving with 5 Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, during the liberation of Sicily (OP HUSKY). WO II (CSM) Stackhouse was killed at the age of 27 on 17 August 1943, as OP HUSKY came to a close. He is buried at the Agira Canadian War Cemetery.

This street is named in memory of Trooper Walter Reilly. 

Walter Reilly was born in 1897 and was a long time resident of King Street in London ON. He enlisted at the age of 43, joining the 1st Hussars RCAC (6th Canadian Armoured Regiment) in March 1940. He underwent training in Canada with the Regiment before embarking for England in October 1941. Once overseas, the Regiment continued training on various armoured vehicles in England and Scotland. It is during one of these training manoeuvres that Trooper Walter Reilly was seriously injured. He died on 4 August 1942 at the age of 45 and is buried in the Brockwood Commonwealth War Cemetery.

This street is named in memory of Sergeant Richard Thomas Pelkey. 

Richard Thomas Pelkey was born in New Brunswick on 8 November 1918. He moved to London ON in 1937 and enlisted at the outbreak of the Second World War, joining the 1st Hussars RCAC (6th Canadian Armoured Regiment). He underwent training in Canada with the Regiment before embarking for England in October 1941. Once overseas, the Regiment continued training on various armoured vehicles both in England and Scotland. After this lengthy period of preparations, the 1st Hussars took part in the D-Day landings (6 June 1944) with the task of supporting the infantry landing on the western part of Juno Beach. They continued to support infantry units as the Allied Forces pushed further inland. On 11 June, B Squadron was decimated while supporting the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada attack on the town of Le Mesnil-Patry, suffering 61 killed or missing. Sergeant Richard Thomas Pelkey was one of those reported missing. He, along with 1803 soldiers with no known grave, is remembered on the Bayeux Memorial near the town of Bayeux, Normandy.

This street in named in memory of Lance-Corporal Lawrence Wilber McCracken. 

The son of John George and Bertha Maud McCracken, Lawrence Wilber McCracken was born in Uffington, north-east of Gravenhurst, but grew up in London, ON. Shortly after the start of the Second World War, Lawrence joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in London but later transferred to the Three Rivers (12th Armoured) Tank Regiment; he proceeded overseas in June 1941. Lawrence was killed in action at the age of 20, on 24 July 1943 during the Canadian offensive operations in Sicily. He is buried at the Agira Canadian War Cemetery.

This street in named in memory of Sergeant David William Lumb. 

David William Lumb was born on 8 June 1920 and grew up at Clenray Place in London ON. He attended Empress Avenue Public School and Central Collegiate before embarking on a business career with Hobbs Glass Company. On 30 July 1940, he enlisted in London and was assigned to the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps- administration branch. He rose rapidly in rank and was eventually transferred to Army Headquarters in Ottawa. He had expected a transfer to London, England when a last minute change sent him to the Force Headquarters in Hong Kong. Three months after his arrival, Hong Kong was captured by the Japanese and David taken prisoner. He died six months later on 12 September 1942 at the age of 22, of bacterial dysentery as a result of malnutrition and lack of medical care. He is buried at Sai Wan War Cemetery, Victoria, Hong Kong.

This street is named in memory of Telegraphist John Alfred Sillers, RCNVR. 

John (Jack) Alfred Sillers grew up on Rectory Street in London, ON and attended Lorne Avenue Public School and Sir Adam Beck Collegiate. He was employed as a telegraph operator with Canadian Pacific Telegraphs when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy at HMCS PREVOST on 8 November 1940. Assigned to HMCS VALLEYFIELD, he was killed and lost at sea on 7 May 1944, when his ship was torpedoed by U-548, about 50 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. John Sillers was 21 years old and is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial.

HMCS VALLEYFIELD was a River Class frigate built in Quebec City and commissioned on 7 December 1943. She started convoy duties from Halifax in February 1944 and once overseas, performed various escort tasks. She returned to Canada once before leaving with another trans-Atlantic convoy in April 1944. On the return voyage, she was hit near the boiler room by a single torpedo and sank within 4 minutes of the attack. Of the 163 personnel aboard ship, only 38 survived the sinking.

This street is named in memory of Corporal John Frederick Leroy James Rosenberg. 

John Frederick Leroy James Rosenberg was born on 30 September 1920 in London, ON. Upon joining the military, he was assigned to the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was killed on 18 December 1943 during the battle for the village of Ortona on Italy’s Adriatic coast. John Rosenberg is buried at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.