155 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND HOPKINS, William William was born on July 4, 1891, in Cambridge, England. Prior to the war, William joined the Army’s 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment in India on September 27, 1912. He also served with the Royal Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals in World War I from September 4, 1914, to December 9, 1918. After the war, he served with the 9th Leicester Rifles until May 31, 1922. William was a corporal and received the Silver War Badge, British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914 Star. He met good friend Ernest Brooks during World War I, who was killed in the Battle of the Somme. After World War I, William married Ernest’s widow, May Hannah Brooks, in 1919. William and May sailed from Cambridge, England to Picton, Ontario aboard the Antonia in 1922 with their two daughters and further expanded their family after arriving in Canada. William was a life member of The Royal Canadian Legion Picton Branch 78. He died on February 27, 1966, in Picton, Ontario. HOWSE, John W. John was born on May 31, 1921, in Glovertown, Newfoundland. In January 1940, at the age of nineteen, he enlisted in the RAFWest 202 Squadron then went to 270 Squadron, Coastal Command, as a wireless operator/air gunner flying Catalina’s. He was deployed on anti-shipping strikes and antisubmarine patrols, completing 30 missions. John signed on for another tour of operations with Bomber Command as a tail gunner. John’s Lancaster was hit by a night fighter over the North Sea Channel on their 27th mission and he was the sole survivor of the entire crew. He was discharged in October 1945 after having served in Canada, England, Gibraltar, West Africa and in the Mediterranean. John joined the ministry in 1956 and was the padre of The Royal Canadian Legion Harry Brown VC Branch 497 for over thirty years and a member for 37 years until he passed away on June 8, 1999. HOWARD, Leighton Francis Leighton was born in Toronto, Ontario on September 20, 1924. He enlisted on January 11, 1943, at the age of eighteen, with the Highlander Light Infantry and served in Canada, England, France, Italy and Germany until his discharge on February 7, 1946. He married in England and worked for Toronto Hydro upon his return to Canada. Leighton was a member of East Toronto Legion Branch 11 for 23 years. He also served as Branch President, Zone Commander, District Commander, Treasurer and Padre before he passed away on September 30, 1987.
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