Volume 6 - Legion BC/Yukon Command Website

British ColumBia / Yukon CommandSmith, Kenneth Lee (Ken)Ken enlisted in the Army on December 11, 1949 in Fredericton, NewBrunswick and served as a Corporal, Acting Sergeant, Sergeant, and MasterWarrant Officer. He was posted to Korea between October 1951 andDecember 1952 and Cyprus between February 12, 1968 and August 12,1968. He was also posted to Chilliwack, BC, Barriefield, ON, Calgary,Vancouver, Germany, Montreal, Gypsumville, and Camp Wainwright. Kenwas with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Airborne between1950 and 1952; the RCE Airborne between March 19 1957 and August 31,1958; and the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering between May1, 1960 and January 8, 1961 and September 15, 1966 and June 26, 1967.Ken was discharged on November 11, 1981 after thirty-one years of service.When he retired, Ken wrote exams for qualifying as a civil engineer inAlberta. He is a member of Legion Branch #24 in Cranbrook, BC.Smith, Robert GuyRobert was born in Montreal on March 3, 1910. He enlisted in the RoyalCanadian Postal Corps on December 29, 1939 in Winnipeg and served inCanada, England, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. He was deployed toFrance in August 1944 shortly after the D-Day landings and was woundedin Antwerp, Belgium when his motorcycle hit an anti-personnel mine. Whenhe recovered, Robert was stationed in Holland and then in Germany with thepost-war Occupation Army. He returned to Canada and was demobilized onAugust 23, 1946 with the rank of Major. Robert was awarded a “Mention inDispatches” denoted on his 1939-1945 Star Medal. He moved fromWinnipeg to Williams Lake, BC in December 1946. He was involved withthe Royal Canadian Air Force Cadets in Williams Lake in the 1960s. Robertdied on January 13, 1999.Smith, Vern (Smitty)Smitty was born in Acme, Alberta on June 22, 1933. He enlisted in theRoyal Canadian Air Force in Lethbridge, Alberta on November 24, 1953and took basic training at St. Johns Airport, Quebec. He then went to TradesSchool in Borden, Manitoba for 16 weeks mechanics training on RollsRoyce Packard 12 engines and Lancaster Bombers before being posted to412 Squadron, Ottawa where he worked on North Star aircraft. He nextwent to Dorval Airport, Montreal for further training on air-cooled enginesbefore being sent back to 412 Squadron, a transport squadron. While there,he took annual refresher courses at Dorval. He was discharged on March 22,1957. Smitty has been a member of Legion Branch #167 in Lumby for fiftytwoyears.www.legionbcyukon.ca257