C.Y.R. graffiti from Dover, UK.

[jason meade]

Phil, Best place to start would be the war museum in Ottawa, I have a list of unit dead some where in my office could take a bit to find.
I have to go to town in the next few days can swing by the armorys and see the historical officer...but i have my doupts that will help you as no reserve unit is good records keepers..I will see what i can find.
Jason

[jason meade]

Pte Rickers is that B coy or D coy...or is that even what it is?

[Phil Eyden]

Thanks Jason - much appreciated.

Agreed, it could be B Company, but I thought it said D Company, the handwriting is slightly ambiguous. Members of both B and D Companies were present in the fort so that doesn't really help very much.

It is definitely Everett Ricker as the service number corresponds exactly with the list of CYR wounded in Robert Tooley's 'Invicta' history.

[jason meade]

Its kind of funny as i was part of B coy too..I will see what can be had for you this week.

[Marc Montgomery]

There are 3 AKERLEY s listed in Quebec
St leonard is an area in Montreal

David A in Rigaud Qc tel=(450) 451-5321 (about 20km west of montreal)
K. A in Montreal (514) 270-0381
V. A in Terrebonne (450) 477-8643 (about 30 km north of Montreal)

i phoned K A..not home-roomate answered) but apparently a young woman (20-ish) so a George might have been a grandfather or even Great grandad

PS= 84 phone listings in total for Akerley's across Canada

[jason meade]

There is also a St Leonard in northern New brunswick, Near the Quebec Border, some of my family is from there.

[Phil Eyden]

Cheers Jason, and thank you for trying for me Marc, it's really appreciated.

Jason is spot on - the town George Akerley came from was indeed that in New Brunswick. Since I started this thread back in April, I have found George's nephew (via a social networking site!) and we have been corresponding.

From looking at the casualty list in Robert Tooley's book it seems that George was the very first person to be killed in the Regiment during the invasion of Sicily. I think he was one of the very first batch of volunteers to come to the UK in December 39 and would have spent the next two-and-a-bit years endlessly training. No wonder that when the opportunity finally came for action during the Hardelot raid, three soldiers tried to sneak on to the boats who had not been selected but were caught - they were that keen to get into action!

I've still had no joy at all with the soldier named W. SPRING though, but looking at it again it could be SPRINGER.

This Pathe news reel details the raid. The briefing by Lord Lovat glimpsed at the beginning took place on the parade ground of the very fort I am trying to research:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=22606

Sadly I've no idea if George took part in the raid or was left behind at Dover.

To place all of this into a context, I'm trying to research it as I'm a volunteer member of a local preservation society who try to caretake the old fort at weekends.