WorldWar II
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
Page 28
THOMASEDWINHAYWARD
B143124Private
Born:
16 June1924 inToronto, Ontario
PreviousOccupations:
Farming andCarpenter’sHelper
Enlisted:
24February 1943 in anunknown location
Died:
6August 1944 at the age of 20
Buried:
BayeuxBritishMilitaryCemetery, Normandy, France
ThomasEdwinHaywardwas born in theMount Denis part of Toronto,
on 16 June1924 toThomas andRubyAdelineHaywardof RR# 5
Belwood, in thenorth east part of EramosaTownship. Hewas theonly
son of their three children (Clara andFlorenceEllen). His father Thomas
was disabled fromwoundswhile serving inWWI. Edwin grew up on the family’s farm and he also
worked as a carpenter’s helper at Rayner Construction. Little else is known about himbefore he
enlisted into the army on 24February 1943 (location unknown).
After completing his basic training, hewas granted leave until mid-June to return home and help his
father with spring planting and tending the fields. On 24August 1943, he embarked by ship from
Canada andarrived inEnglandeight days later. Uponarrival, hewas transferredwith the rank of
Private to theHamiltonbased regiment, theArgyll andSutherlandHighlanders of Canada (Princess
Louise’s).
TheArgyll andSutherlandHighlanders
arrived inEngland in July 1943, where it trainedwith the
10thCanadian InfantryBrigade of the 4thCanadianArmouredDivision.
On21 July 1944, PrivateEdwinHayward arrivedwithhis regiment inNormandy and almost
immediately saw action in the final stages of theBattle of Normandy.
TheFalaiseGap / FalaisePocket
(also known as theChambois pocket) described the area
between the four Norman cities ofArgentan, Chambois, Trun andVimoutiers. The combinedAllied
Armies attempted to encircle and destroy thewithdrawingGermanSeventhArmy andFifthPanzer
Army duringAugust 1944. Tough resistance by theGermans delayed the closing of the gap and
while150,000German soldierswere capturedand the roadswere litteredwith their destroyed
vehicles and tanks, about 100,000 soldiers escaped theAllied trap. WhileGermany’s losseswere
over 10,000 dead, Canadian losseswere heavywith over 18,000 dead or wounded.
On5August, PrivateHaywardwas severelywoundedby amortar bomb during the prelude to
theBattleof theFalaisGap and taken to a field hospital. On 6August hewas transferred to #30
General Hospital inBayeux, Normandy, France but died from hiswounds.
Hewas buried in theBayeuxBritishMilitaryCemetery inNormandy, France. His name is also
memorialized in theBooks of Remembrance in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament
Buildings, Ottawa.
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
9
JOHNDUNCANHILTS
A 09555
8May 1925 inRockwo d, Ontario
:
FactoryEmployee
December 1943 inGuelph, Ontario
22February 1945 at the age of 19
GroesbeekCanadianWar C metery, ne r Nijmegen,
Netherlands
JohnDuncanHiltswas born on8May 1925 toAlbert Bertram (Bert)
andAlice (neeMacLennan) Hilts of Rockwood. Hewas the second
oldest of their six children (Donald John b.1922, LouieVictor, Margaret
Deline,AnnieMay andGertrude). In 1939, after completingGrade 7 at
EramosaS.S.#9 inRockwood, John started towork at theWonderful SoapCompany inGuelph, to
help support his fa ily.
InDece ber 1943, he enlisted in the reserve battalion of theGuelphHeadquartered 11thField
AmbulanceRoyal CanadianArtilleryMedical Corps. Onemonth later, he volunteered for overseas
service inLondon, Ontario. Hewas sent toChatham for basic training before embarking for
England inAugust 1944. Nine days later, he arrived inEnglandwhere hewas transferred to the
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, 13thBattalion. BySeptember, hewas inFrance taking part in the
CanadianArmy advance along the coast and intoBelgium. On4October, during the early stages of
theBattleof theScheldt, hewaswounded near theBelgian port city ofAntwerp. After fiveweeks of
treatment and recuperation, he rejoined his regiment in earlyNovember as they continued to clear
theDutch coastal area up to the pre-war border of Germany. By 22February 1945, hewas attached
to theFusiliersMount Royal as theywere involved inOperationVeritable (8 to21February) and the
beginningof OperationBlockbuster (22February to 10March). Private JohnDuncanHiltswas killed
in action on the opening day of OperationBlockbuster in exceptionally heavy fighting near theKalkar
(Calcar) GochRoad.
Private JohnDuncanHiltswas initially buried in the same cemetery in the nearby small village of
Louisendorf whereTrooper GordonEarl Mackwas alsoburied. Two youngmen, who grew upwithin
a fewmiles of each other, died half aworld awaywithin a fewmiles of each other, withinone day of
each other. Shortly after theend of theWar inEurope, his bodywas exhumed and reburied in the
GroesbeekCanadianWar Cemetery, near Nijmegen, Netherlands. His name is alsomemorialized
in theBooks of Remembrance in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament Buildings, Ottawa.
