Volume 6 - Legion BC/Yukon Command Website

British ColumBia / Yukon CommandChaplin, HarryHarry was born in Kelowna, BC in 1915. He joined the Army in 1942 andserved as a Lieutenant in the 23 rd Manitoba Dragoons. He was Mentionedin Dispatches during the European Campaign in which he commanded anarmoured car company for three and a half years. Harry also served in thePacific Theatre and returned home in 1945 with the rank of Major. He thentook over running the farm, but a fire in 1952 destroyed the orchard and hemoved his young family into town to work for S.M Simpson’s Limited, firstas a timber cruiser and finally as Timber Records Supervisor for thecompany, then owned by Crown Zellerbach. Harry was a founding Directorof The Interior Alzheimer Foundation started in 1981. Harry died onDecember 14, 2010. A Last Post service was held at Brookhaven CareCentre by Legion Branch #2888, Westbank, BC.Chaput, Wallace (Wally)Wally was born on April 7, 1925 in Cloverdale, Connecticut, USA. Hisfamily came to Canada when he was eighteen months old. He tried to enlistin the Army in Vernon when he was 16 but was turned down because of hisage. He waited a month and then was successful in enlisting by pretendingto be 19 by using his sister’s birth date. He was accepted into the RoyalCanadian Horse Artillery and took basic training in Chilliwack, BC. Wallydid artillery training in Shilo, Manitoba before going with the 1 st FieldRegiment, first to Sicily and Italy and then to Northwest Europe for theremainder of the war. He volunteered for service in the Pacific but when thewar ended there, he was discharged. Wally was awarded the Defence Medaland the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. Wally has been a member ofLegion Branch #167 in Lumby, BC for fifty-six years and is a Life Member.Chastkavich, EmilEmil had a “very fortunate experience”, which in retrospect saved his life. Hevolunteered for the Army because his older brother was “called up” but wasrejected because of his flat feet, so he joined the Navy instead. Theembarkation ship he would have been on if he was still in the Army wastorpedoed and sunk, killing all onboard. Meanwhile in the Navy, in themiddle of the North Atlantic, his Captain called him down for having been inthe Army, so he discharged Emil who then had to pay for his Army uniform.He returned home to his mother who fainted as she thought he had perishedon the sunken embarkation ship. Emil’s Navy job had been “setting depthcharges” on the back of a ship set to locate and eliminate enemy submarines.He was also on “Escort Duty” ensuring that vital supplies reached Englandintact. Emil was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, the 1939-1945 War Medal and Medals for service in both the Atlantic and Pacific.www.legionbcyukon.ca85